Skin care is very important in the winter months. Granted it’s best to take care of your skin year round, but there are specific things you can do to make your skin feel better in the wintertime. The cold climate, frosty air, and constant blasting of indoor heating systems in your home can really take its toll on your skin. From head to toe you need to combat the elements indoors and out, to make sure your skin is healthy and nourished. The goal is silky smooth skin that is balanced with hydration. Your skin should be soft to the touch without any flaky rough texture to worry about. Sounds ideal, right? Perfect skin can be yours with the right routines in place.
Advice You Can Trust From World’s Famous Dermatologist
From World’s Famous Dermatologist comes these amazing tips for healthy winter skin. With main offices in Stockbridge and Lawrenceville, Georgia and a new location on the way in McDonough, it’s a great time to consult with a proper dermatologist if you are having serious issues with your skin. Living in Georgia it can get pretty cold in the winter, depending on the region of the state you live in. There’s frost and snowy conditions during January, February, and March before it starts to break into warmer air come springtime.
Feeling the effects of harsh winter elements can leave your skin tight, dry, itchy, and irritated. No one wants that. That’s just a few of the problems that your skin can experience in the cold months. By following these top 10 tips for healthy winter skin, you are more likely to maintain your skin’s health all year long.
Tips for Healthy Winter Skin Care for Georgia
Tip #1: Take Lukewarm Showers and Baths
While a toasty warm shower may sound like an excellent idea during the winter, the hot water can dry out your skin. This includes your bath water as well. Keep bathing time in the range of 5-10 minutes is the right idea too. It’s much better for your skin if you have the temperature in the lukewarm range of keeping it below 110 degrees. That’s what World’s Famous Dermatologist recommends, along with his many colleagues at the American Academy of Dermatology.
It’s also vital for hand health that you don’t wash your hands multiple times per day in very hot water. Wash your hands a lot, but know that the cooler water is just as effective in killing off flu and cold germs as warmer water. Your hands will be in much better shape without redness and irritation if you keep those hand washing sessions on the cooler side.
Tip #2: Avoid Harsh Artificial Fragrances
During the wintertime and year round, it’s important for skin health that you avoid artificial fragrances in your cleaning and body products. That includes what you wash your clothing and your skin care products from head to toe. Look for detergent that is fragrance-free. Many mainstream and boutique brands of cleaning products will say right on the label that it’s without added fragrance.
The same goes for your face and body products. Look for clean beauty ingredients that don’t contain excess artificial fragrances. Those harsh fragrances have the potential to irritate skin, especially when it’s more delicate and fragile in the winter months. Analyze the ingredients in your body soap, lotions, and shampoos. Are they as green and organic as they could be? And don’t be fooled if the products say “unscented.” They specifically need to be labeled fragrance-free to not have those harsh chemicals included in the formulation.
Tip #3: Keep Your Thermostat in the Right Range
The temperature you keep your home in is important. If you have the heat on too high it can damage your skin, making it feel irritated and dry. All that heat blowing on you is sucking the life out of your skin. The best way to prevent this is by keeping your thermostat in the range of 68-72 degrees. It’s better to have your home a little bit cooler and put on socks, slippers, and an extra sweater to naturally stay warmer.
Tip #4: A Humidifier is Necessary
One item you may want to purchase for your home this winter is a humidifier. You may need a couple of them if you have a larger home. The goal of a humidifier is to moisturize the air around you. When your heating system is making the air super dry and detrimental to your skin, the humidifier is going to make the air ripe with moisture. Make sure you have one in your bedroom, so that it’s hydrating your skin throughout the night. You want to have them in rooms that you spend the most time in, so another one in the kitchen or living room might be a good idea as well.
Tip #5: Choose More Hydrating Skin Care Products
If you mainly use oil-free lotions and cleansers year round, it might be time to add a few richer skin care products to your regimen. That includes using cream based cleansers and thicker facial creams at night to infuse more moisture into your skin. You may also like the idea of using a hydrating facial mask a few times a week if you feel like your skin is tight and dry. Layering your skin care products with serums that contain hyaluronic acid might be helpful too. Hyaluronic acid is an amazing skin care ingredient that can bind extra moisture to the layers of your skin that need it, plumping it up with radiance in the process.
Tip #6: Use Sunscreen
In order to protect your skin for now and in the future, you need to wear a daily SPF of at least 30. The reason it’s so important in the winter is that the sun is still shining in Georgia on many of the days. It’s still going to affect your skin even if you don’t spend as much time outdoors as you do in the summer. Having sunscreen right in your daily moisturizer is the easiest way to make sure you have an effective sunscreen habit. Shielding your skin from the damaging UVA/UVB rays of the sun is also going to prevent premature aging in the form of lines and wrinkles. Sunscreen is a winner for your skin year round. The sun still comes through the clouds on grey cold days during winter. Don’t forget that.
Tip #7: Layer Your Clothing Right
Sometimes harsh winter clothing, like wool fabrics can irritate skin. Layering your clothing can help by wearing thinner layers underneath made of skin sensitive fabrics like silk or 100 percent cotton. That way your skin isn’t going to be irritated by the wool of your heavier sweaters or coats.
Tip #8: Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
What you eat can affect your skin from the inside out. Make sure you are eating a rainbow of healthy fruits and vegetables, along with lean proteins and heart-healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. Having a well-balanced diet is going to make your skin more resilient and radiant.
Tip #9: Hydrate Properly With Lots of Water
Another way to make your skin look better from what you consume is to make sure you are getting enough water. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 8 glasses of water a day. Buy a refillable water bottle in a container that’s BPA-free, glass, or aluminum. Keeping it with you at all times will get you in the habit of consuming the right amount of water each day. Add slices of lemon, lime, or cucumber if you want to naturally flavor your water to make it taste better.
Tip #10: Exfoliate and Moisturize
Layers of dead skin cells can build up on your skin during the winter. That leads to flakes and dryness. Your moisturizers and body oils are going to have a hard time penetrating your skin if you aren’t exfoliating on a regular basis. Aim for full body exfoliation a couple of times per week to allow your moisturizers to work at optimum levels. You’ll love how silky smooth your skin will feel when you commit to this regimen of exfoliation and moisturizing.
When you follow all these healthy winter skin tips together, you’ll have the best skin of your life this season and beyond.