It’s December, which means that many of us that celebrate the Holidays and are busy decking out our homes with all the seasonal decorations we can find! And as we are enjoying this season, the last thing we need is dry skin. Many of us who live in cold climates will experience dry skin without even trying; all of us are more susceptible to dryer skin, flakiness, eczema, and irritation this time of year.
Dry Skin Culprits
You may not know it, but aside from the weather, there are many culprits contributing to the dry skin phenomena in winter. Here are some reasons why, and skincare steps for avoiding extra seasonal dryness.
#1: Heaters & Less Humidity
When the heat comes on and the windows close, we lose a lot of humidity in the air, thus sucking more water out of the skin. If you have a built-in humidifier, it’s time to turn it up, or grab yourself a portable humidifier to put in your home to keep moisture in the air. If you only have one, put it in your bedroom so your skin has moisture as you sleep.
#2: Products & More Hand Washing
This season is notorious for being “flu season” and “cold season,” but now it’s even more elevated due to more COVID-19 variants roaming around. That means many of us are doing extra cleaning, hand-washing, sanitizing and more. And since most cleaners strip the essential oils and water from our skin (because they are doing their job of cleaning), you may notice your skin feeling and looking a little extra rough. The best thing to do is keep moisturizers and hand lotions around whenever you
are using cleaning products. Remember the best way to re-moisturize the skin is using a hydrating lotion and/or moisturizer before you go to bed.
#3: Stress
Let’s face it, it’s a magical time of year, but it is also a pretty stressful time of year. Stress exacerbates trans-epidermal water loss – a.k.a. the speed at which water leaves our skin. Extra stress can also lead to lost sleep, and anxious behaviours like drinking and smoking, which also negatively impact the skin. It is best to pay a little extra attention to your stress levels and try to relieve some of the burden away.
#4: Fragrance & Makeup
During the holidays we tend to up our hair, makeup and general beauty routines. We have parties, work festivities, and more that make us want to glow up a bit. However, it can be a drying and irritating time if our skin and hair aren’t used to it.
#5: Masks
Masks are notorious for exacerbating all skin conditions. For winter, don’t forget that this also includes wrapping ourselves in scarves, hats, gloves, and headbands when it gets cold outside. These items create friction, trap heat and moisture, which can cause fluctuations in skin pH, and trap bacteria. If you wear masks or winter gear, it is ideal to do a gentle cleanse and re-moisturize afterwards. This will help keep problems at bay.
Dry Skin Treatment
Here are some tips, backed by experts from Skin Property for ensuring hair, body and face skin stay hydrated during your glow-up.
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Hair
Make sure you’re using a priming leave-in conditioner or conditioning spray before blowdrying and styling your hair. Try to prolong your washes to every 2-3 days to ensure you’re not stripping too much oil from the scalp and hair follicles. Opt for leave-in conditioners like this one from Pantene and this one from Bumble & Bumble.
Body
My favorite thing is a good scented body wash. I am obsessed with the Molton Brown body washes – especially this one for the Holiday season. Sometimes though, gel-based cleansers can be drying on the skin. That is why I like to “cocktail” my Molton Brown with an ultra-hydrated body wash to ensure I don’t dry out. I’ll do a squirt of Molton Brown on my loofah, along with a bit of my favorite Dove hydrated cream wash. This way I can enjoy my favorite holiday scents while still soothing my body skin. Also, it is VERY important to moisturize upon getting out of your shower or bath. Find whatever moisturizer that you will use consistently. For me, I need to have a pump moisturizer right on my bathroom counter so I use it.
Face
If you’re not used to wearing a lot of makeup, your skin may revolt a bit if you start wearing it consistently. Most of us have gone makeup-less for the whole pandemic, so it may take some adjustment if you are starting up again. The best tip I have is to always cleanse and hydrate before applying any makeup. This ensures makeup has a clean palette to work on. Makeup will never look good on skin if the skin is dry or dehydrated. Also, never forget to wash off your makeup before bed. Sleeping with makeup on can ruin your eyelashes, dry out the skin, spread bacteria and make you breakout, and advance the signs of aging. No thanks.
The Gist of it
Don’t let dry skin wear you down this Holiday season. Dry skin culprits can be irritating and painful. Many of the things around us like heaters, lack of humidity, excessive hand-washing, skin and cleaning products, even mask wearing are large contributors to dryness. Opt for powerful hair, body, and face products to protect you against it. For expert advice if you live in India, you can check out the best beauty salon in Bachupally. What are your tips to relieve dry skin?
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Author: Emily Trampetti is a Master Licensed Esthetician and founder of Skin Property Virtual Esthetics provides years of experience to clients to help them achieve their best skin.
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