Karen Oh, dry skin. In the wintertime, those of us who have dry skin always need some extra hydration. When the temperature drops, the air becomes drier. As a result, your skin’s moisture barrier has a harder time maintaining its optimal level of hydration. And when your skin loses more water than it should, it becomes more sensitive and weak. This is why in the winter, you often experience more redness, irritation, and itchy skin. Fortunately, there are little changes that you can make to your skincare routine that can relieve dryness.
Use a non-foaming cleanser
Non-foaming cleansers are much more gentle and are friendlier towards dry skin. The most common ones are oil-based and cream-based cleansers. Cream-based cleansers, such as Versed’s Gentle Cycle Milky Cleanser, are the gentlest of all cleansers. The good thing about them is that they can be used on sensitive skin. The downside is that they are not suitable for removing make-up. Oil-based cleansers, such as The Ordinary’s Squalane Cleanser, are more balanced and do have basic make-up removing capabilities.
Use a thick and rich moisturizer
Protect and prevent your dry skin from further drying out by using a thick moisturizer that contains moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, and avocado oil. For example, a good moisturizer that contains soybean is Indeed Lab’s 10 balm Cream. Soybean is good for dry skin because it can increase the elasticity of the skin, making it look more youthful. The other top ingredients in this product are sunflower and jojoba, which create a shiny appearance when applied to the skin.
Use a facial oil
For those that don’t like the sticky and oily feeling of a thick moisturizer, you can try adding face oil to your routine. Face oils are a good choice because you only need to apply few drops to moisturize the entire face. Therefore, a little bottle can usually last a long time. Also, some face oils are super lightweight and can be absorbed into the skin without feeling too heavy. If you are thinking of getting one, a good face oil for dry skin would be The Ordinary’s Rose Hip Seed Oil.
Use tip: Apply your moisturizer first. Then, warm-up 1-2 drops of face oil into your palm and press evenly onto the skin.
Wash your face with only lukewarm water in the morning
If your face does not feel oily in the morning, it is okay to just wash your face with water and skip the cleanser. Many cleansers, especially those that foam, contains harsh cleansing ingredients that can further strip your skin’s moisture barrier and make it even drier. As a result, your skin would be further damaged.
Limit Your time in the Hot Shower
High heat environments can damage the skin just as much as the extreme cold. If your skin is already feeling dry, try to limit the time you spend in hot showers to avoid stressing out your skin. The high heat from the waters can irritate your skin, and make it turn red and blotchy. Even though these symptoms usually go away once your skin temperature cools down, it still can be an unpleasant feeling to have.
