How to keep skin glowing through the cold weather

Every time the weather changes, if affects our skin too. Unpredictable weather can then cause havoc on your skin. It gets confused and doesn’t quite know what to do.

But just because the sun is not shinning does not mean your face needs to be dull.

To get you started, separate your skin care into two categories – cool and warm. When it gets cool your skin gets dry from windburn. When it’s hot your skin secretes more sebum and is oilier. Take this into account.

So to keep your skin one step ahead in cold weather:

When it’s cool, exfoliate your skin twice a week to increase your cell turnover. Cold weather makes your skin dull. Warm weather habits encourage good skin because we move more when it’s warm.

This increases blood circulation, more time is spent outdoors and we drink more water. When the temperatures drop, buy a humidifier. You can find this in the supermarket. Humidifiers work by adding moisture to the air which your skin needs.

If you have problem skin get a good dermatologist. Some conditions are made worse by weather. Heat makes acne worse, while cold weather worsens conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Your skin needs specialised treatment for that. If your skin is dry consider facial oils because they go deep.

Jamaican castor oil or Argan oil come highly recommended. Oils actually stabilise the production of sebum and work with your skin, not against them.

You need to source for the ones targeting your face. Use a glycolic acid cleanser to help slough off the dull skin.
MOISTURISE EFFECTIVELY

Always moisturise. Chilly weather needs thicker creamier skin products. An oil-based cream as opposed to a lotion is best. Lotions are ideal for warm weather and even for nights but are too light for cool weather.

Use a body oil immediately after your shower when your skin is still damp and can trap as much moisture as you can. Layer with an oil-based cream.

In chilly weather focus on a thicker hand cream and richer lip balm because these are the parts most exposed when it’s cold. Gloves actually serve the function of protecting your hands from the elements, not just the chill.

Reach out for avocado or almond oils in your body products. At night, use petroleum jelly or glycerine based products on your hands and feet and cover up with mitts or cotton socks for softer skin.

In warm weather, look a hand and lip product with sunscreen and a high SPF like 30+.

Change your skin care products when it becomes warm. Warmer weather is great with gel based cleansers, soaps and you can have a touch of alcohol in your toner.

These work well together to control sebum production. Rather than spend a fortune on powders and paper towels that further irritate the skin, start with skin care.

For cooler weather get milk-based products. Your skin is already drier than normal. Save clay masks for warm weather to control sebum. In cooler weather use a moisturising face mask.

Avoid peel-off masks. Add topical vitamin C to your beauty kit. It helps to renew your cells and gives you a soft, healthy glow. Most Vitamin C facial sprays tend to leave your skin glossy which for a lot of women translates into shiny and oily-looking.

Cooler weather means your skin could do with that extra boost.

STAY HYDRATED

Drink just as much water. It’s easy to pile up calories in cold weather, because of eating chocolates and fancy concoctions. All these combined lead to weight gain when it gets cool.

Stick to your regular intake of water and herbal teas. Your body, though you might think otherwise, does not need them any less.

If you get the chance to soak in a bathtub in cool weather, don’t make it hot water. That dries the skin to the point of stretchy itchiness.

You get that feeling too when you step out of a hot shower and take too long to moisturise your skin. Soak, instead, with lukewarm water and add two cups of milk to it.

Don’t forget your Omega 3s. They have fatty acids that help moisturise your skin from the inside. Add probiotics to your diet as well to bring balance to your body and digestive system.

In warm weather, we gravitate more towards fruits and vegetables because our bodies need the water, but in cool weather we alter our eating habits, hence the need for probiotics and digestive enzymes. We reduce the quantity of heath foods and reach for comfort foods.

SPF IS A MUST

Never, ever stop using SPF. Skin care against the sun is not determined by how hot it gets. So long as you are an earthling, the sun will rise.

No matter how cloudy it is or gets, you will need sunscreen. Lower to SPF 15 – SPF 30 in cooler weather. It is the UVB and UVA rays you are protecting yourself against, not sunburn.

By the time you’re burning you left it too late. In warmer weather you can up the SPF ante.

Either way, never loose the sunscreen.
Don’t wear wool directly against the skin. It irritates and rubs and leads to dry, scaly skin. Instead, wear soft fabrics against your skin and layer up. Avoid damp clothes unless you enjoy chaffing.