In the depth of winter, it can be difficult to keep your skin looking fresh and glowing. Dry skin conditions can become worse, and if you are prone to acne and breakouts, you may notice that these become worse too. Here are some tips that can help you take the best care of your complexion at this time of year.
Avoid long hot showers
It might be tempting to linger in a hot shower on cold winter mornings, but this is bad news for your skin. It can strip out the essential oils, leaving it feeling tight and dehydrated. This makes dry skin even worse, and it can exacerbate sebum production to compensate for the loss of moisture. This makes acne breakouts more likely.
Short showers of five minutes or cool baths are the kindest option to keep your skin soft and healthy in wintertime.
Use the right moisturisers
It’s important to moisturise regularly, even if you do have oily skin. Choose products that are labelled non-comedogenic, as this means that they will not block your pores. If your skin is drier, it may be tempting to use thick heavy creams, but in fact it can be more effective to apply your usual cream in two or three thin layers.
Check your vitamin D levels
The level of sunlight we are exposed to is lower in winter, and it is estimated that almost half of people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D during the winter months. The official government advice is that everyone should consider taking a vitamin D supplement during winter. This can help your skin, teeth, and bones to stay healthy.
It’s also possible to up your vitamin D levels by including oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, and eggs yolks and red meat in your diet.
Use gentle cleansers rather than soap
Avoid harsh perfumed soaps, especially on your face. Either use soaps that contain moisturiser, or switch to cleansers, which are gentler on the skin. Wash your face no more than twice a day, and limit exfoliating your skin to once or twice a week.
Gentle exfoliation is helpful to remove dead skin cells and keep your skin looking fresh, but overdoing it will irritate your skin in winter.
Keep up with your exercise routine
In winter, it is easy to become less active as the colder weather makes it more tempting to curl up on the sofa rather than get out and about. We all know that exercise is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system and it is also a great boost for mental health. It also helps to keep our skin healthy, by increasing blood flow.
Good circulation means that essential nutrients and oxygen are being carried to your skin, and this all helps to keep it looking fresh and dewy. Exercise also helps to reduce stress, which is a known acne trigger, so you may notice that your skin breaks out less.