Winter weather can wreak absolute havoc on your skin. With the cold winter months upon us, we start doing everything we can to keep warm and cozy. Hot showers, steamy baths, and turning up the heat all sound great, right? Not so great for your skin, unfortunately. Turning up the heat actually causes more damage to your skin. With the temperature dropping and low humidity, your skin continues to lose moisture throughout the entire day. Your skin care routine needs to change in the winter, and we’ve come up with the best winter skin care tips to keep your skin looking gorgeous all year round.

1. Switch Up Your Moisturizer

In winter months, it’s all about keeping your skin moisturized and hydrated. If you live in a dry climate like Utah, you should especially consider getting a heavier moisturizer in the cold winter months. We recommend getting a moisturizer that has hyaluronic acid or phospholipids, as they lock in moisture in your skin. If your skin is extra dry year round, look into a stronger moisturizer for all months of the year.

Tip: Apply moisturizer immediately after showering. Applying moisturizer while your skin is damp will really help lock in hydration and keep it at the surface of your skin all day long.

2. Exfoliate!

It’s important to use exfoliation in moderation, as it can actually strip necessary moisture from your skin. Don’t get us wrong, it’s still important to use your exfoliator! This is because your skin cells tend to turn over more slowly in the winter, so exfoliation is important but needs to be done less frequently. Once a week tends to suffice, but that can vary depending on your skin type and the climate where you live. Talk to your skin care professional if you have questions about how often you should be exfoliating.

Tip: Use a more gentle exfoliator in order to keep your skin hydrated. This will still remove old skin cells and help your body regenerate new ones.

3. Choose Your Humidifier (Carefully)

If you don’t have a humidifier yet, now is the time to get one! We live in a desert, and the dry air absolutely takes a toll on your skin. When you crank up the heat inside it causes more problems for your skin. This hot air continues to remove the moisture from your body and continues the winter war on your skin. Sleeping with a humidifier helps your skin replenish this moisture, and will help your skin heal. If you have extra dry skin, consider slathering up on a moisturizing balm on dry areas such as your elbows, heels and knees.

Tip: Still on the fence? Dehydrated skin can lead to problems such as premature wrinkles, fragile skin, and flaky skin. A humidifier will also reduce the risk of common winter infections. What are you waiting for?

4. Drink All The Water!

This should be a no brainer, but many of us aren’t getting enough water every day. Hydration is so important to your skin! Drinking the 8 – 10oz (minimum) each day will help your skin stay supple and glowing. This is even more important in the harsh winter months, and can absolutely make a big difference on your skins look and feel. When in doubt, drink more water.

Tip: There are loads of ways to make sure you’re getting enough water. The easiest ones to remember include drinking a cup before each meal, adding flavor to your water, or drinking after each bathroom break. Find what works best for you. (Some of us just need a cute new cup to keep us motivated!)

5. Lather Up That Sunscreen

It’s easy to forget to wear sunscreen in the winter. The sun is setting earlier, we’re not outside as often, or it isn’t as bright during the winter months. Unfortunately – those harmful rays and the harsh cold wind will still damage your skin, sometimes even more than during the summer months. Sunshine reflects off of snow during winter, which can damage your skin without you even noticing or feeling it. Protect yourself and apply sunscreen year round!

Tip: Use a moisturizing sunscreen with ingredients like lanolin or glycerin, and an SPF of 30 or higher.

6. Say NO to Tanning

Seeing the sun even less during the winter months can definitely make tanning look more appealing, but it’s not worth the risks. Did you know that tan is the result of your body increasing pigmentation in an attempt to protect itself? The minimal vitamin D your skin gets from tanning does not outweigh the cost – and the potential for developing skin cancer.

Tip: Skip the tanning bed and opt for a moisturizing self tanner instead!

7. Treat Yo’self

If you want to de-thaw and de-stress this winter, consider getting a facial! Getting a facial is one of the best ways to give your skin a treat during the harsh winter months. Not only does it help moisturize your skin, but the relaxing environment can really do wonders for your stress levels. A facial can really be the perfect winter-skin pick me up.

Tip: Not into facials? Consider a weekly moisturizing or hydrating face mask instead!

Getting a new winter skin care routine can seem daunting, but in reality it’s more simple than you think! Have questions? We’d love to answer them! Give us a call or set up an appointment, we would love to help you setup your perfect winter skin care routine.

Interested in skin care? Consider turning your passion into a career at Skinworks. Reach out to our admissions staff for information about our esthetics programs and how they can change your life!

*All services provided by students under the supervision of licensed professionals.