Skincare Tips for Dry Winter Days

The cold, clear days of winter give many people more than just rosy cheeks. They cause the skin around the face, hands, and feet to become dry and itchy. Winter pleasures, like sitting by the fireplace, can dry out your skin. Even taking a hot shower can do this, as hot water strips your skin of the natural oils it needs. The problem is more severe for others: their skin is so dry it turns into flaking, cracking, or even eczema.

Skin gets dry when it doesn't retain enough moisture, such as frequent bathing, using harsh soaps, or certain medical conditions. During the winter, the humidity outside and inside is low so that the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) often reflects the level of humidity in the surrounding air.

While there are many causes of dry winter skin, there are also several simple things you can do to keep your skin feeling moist and supple all season long, including some simple changes to your daily routines. For instance, after taking a shower with lukewarm water, blot the skin dry and apply a thick moisturizer right away to seal in the moisture.

Keep reading to learn how to boost your winter skincare routine so that your skin stays moisturized and healthy during the winter months.

Use A Humidifier During the Winter

An air humidifier adds moisture back to the air, which is especially useful in the winter months when indoor heating is high. Moisture in the air can serve as a natural moisturizing agent, thereby preventing and relieving skin dryness. Harvard Health Publishing states that a humidifier set at 60 percent will replenish moisture in your skin during the winter¹.

Don't Take A Long or Hot Shower

While it might seem more appealing to take a long, steamy shower, your skin will benefit greatly from a short, lukewarm shower or bath for five to ten minutes. Hot water may wash away natural oils from your skin. When you are done bathing or showering, be careful when you dry your skin. Pat your skin gently instead of vigorously rubbing it, which may allow some moisture to penetrate your top layer of skin.

Washing your hands with too much hot water is also a bad idea. Using cooler water to wash your hands seems just as effective as warm water for removing germs as well as being less irritating for your skin. If you use an air hand-dryer in the restroom, keep your hands damp rather than completely dry².

Limit Your Use of Soap

You can worsen itchy, dry skin by using the wrong soap. Regular bar soaps, for example, may contain ingredients that irritate the skin and remove the skin's natural oils. As an alternative, use a moisturizing cleanser or gel that is fragrance-free. It is also helpful to use less soap overall in winter, so lather only in necessary areas, such as your hands, armpits, and feet³.

Moisturize Immediately After Washing

When you wash your hands, face, or body, you strip it of its natural oils. It is important to replace these oils since they help to lock in moisture. This is why you should apply moisturizer right after bathing or after washing your hands. It helps seal in moisture while your skin is still damp by plugging the spaces between your cells.

Stock a bottle of moisturizer right next to your sink. Whenever you are on the go, make sure you have a travel-size moisturizer with you.

ŐsiMagnesium Lotions and Butters are particularly effective for dry winter skin. They contain magnesium, sweet almond oil, shea butter, glycerin, and many other natural ingredients that hydrate your skin and help it retain moisture. In addition, they contain dimethyl sulfone (MSM) to withstand cold, dry weather and help alleviate joint pain and stiffness.

Adapt Your Skincare Routine for The Winter

It may be a good idea to simplify your skincare routine for a while if you notice that your skin seems particularly sensitive or irritated due to the dry winter air. It would be best if you had a healthy moisture barrier on your skin for serums, toners, and other types of beauty treatments to work. Additionally, irritated skin may be more sensitive to fragrances and alcohol. Thus, products that usually feel great on your face could become irritating.

Keeping your skincare routine simple is important. For morning routines, use only a moisturizer and sunscreen, and at night, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and apply a richer moisturizer.

One of the best rich moisturizers you can use during this winter is Harmony's Plantain Salve, which is made with plantain, olive oil, and beeswax. It helps deeply moisturize your skin and is best for healing irritated, dried, and sunburnt skin. And don't forget about your lips. Applying a moisturizing Harmony's Plantain Salve relieves dry, cracked lips and keeps them from becoming chapped.

Incorporate other treatments and ingredients gradually into your routine once your skin's moisture barrier is healthy.

Wear Sunscreen Even on A Gray Winter Day

Winter days are shorter, and there's less sunlight, so it's tempting to skip sunscreen every morning - but don't. You should maintain your skin's moisture barrier even in the winter, vital to keeping skin healthy and hydrated. Put on a moisturizing, broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of 15 or higher before leaving the house because UV rays can pass through clouds and can damage your skin⁴.

Don't Overuse Exfoliants And Scrubs

You can keep your skin glowing and smooth by exfoliating your skin, which helps remove dead skin cells. If you exfoliate too often or with the wrong products, you can over-exfoliate your skin.

A gentle chemical exfoliant may be better than a physical scrub if your skin looks dry or flaky. If you use harder scrubs with large particles, you may cause more damage to your skin's moisture barrier. Exfoliating cracked, raw, or irritated skin may be best avoided until the skin has healed⁵.

Put Moisturizer on Your Feet

Minty foot lotions are great in the summertime, but your feet need stronger stuff during the winter. Try ŐsiMagnesium Foot Cream because it not only deeply moisturizes and hydrates your feet but also helps fight leg cramps and foot fatigue. It contains pure, natural magnesium oil, urea, shea butter, peppermint oil, and tea tree oil.

What's more, use exfoliants periodically to get rid of dead skin, which helps moisturizers absorb faster and deeper.

Put on Appropriate, Comfy, Nonirritating Clothes

Fabrics made for cold weather can irritate the skin during the winter. Make sure that wool and rough clothing are not directly touching your skin. If they do, dry skin can become irritated and itchy.

Put light layers made from soft, breathable materials on top of your skin, then put on your heavier, warmer layers underneath. Make your hands warmer and protect them from the cold by wearing gloves or mittens, choosing ones that will not irritate your skin. Put cotton or silk gloves liners first if you prefer wool gloves.

You should also avoid regular detergents for washing your clothes. If you have sensitive skin, look for detergents that are free of harsh chemicals and fragrances, and steer clear of fabric softeners.

Consume the Right Foods and Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated throughout the day is another thing you can do to keep your skin looking healthy. When you don't consume enough fluids, your skin may appear dull and drier.

Along with staying hydrated, you should also eat foods such as flaxseed oil and fish oil, which contain antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to protecting your cells from environmental damage, both of these nutrients help your body make healthy skin cells^6,7.

Change Your Wet Clothes Right Away

You can further irritate your skin by wearing wet clothes and shoes. Be sure to remove gloves, socks, and pants as soon as possible if they get wet.

Make Sure You Wear Gloves

Hands have thinner skin than most parts of the body and have fewer oil glands. Therefore, keeping your hands moist is more difficult, especially on cold, dry winter days. This can result in itchiness and cracks.

Wearing gloves protects your hands from environmental irritants that might irritate the skin. When you go outside in the cold, put on warm gloves, and put on silicone gloves when you wash dishes.

Keeping your hands smooth and hydrated can be achieved by limiting dry air and hot water in your vicinity.

The Bottom Line

It is common to develop dry, flaky skin in winter, including your hands, feet, and any other exposed areas. Keep your skin healthy by moisturizing it frequently with the right products such as OsiMagnesium Butters and Lotions and Harmony's Plantain Salve. In addition, you should take care not to overdo hot water, exfoliating scrubs, and other skincare treatments. Using a humidifier, wearing materials that do not irritate your skin, and staying well hydrated can also help protect your skin. In the event your dry skin is not improving with at-home remedies, consider consulting your healthcare provider.