Winter Skin Care Tips Shifa Sheerin Ansari

As much as we love the season –‘winter’; we must not forget that winter brings dryness. Extra
clothes are worn in this weather to protect ourselves from the harsh cold, extra care is taken by
the mothers as they thrive to keep their young ones indoor. In the midst of the extra care and
prevention; we must not ignore the needs of our delicate skin. Our skin is the outermost layer
to cover all the vital organs of our body. The outer layer must not be ignored. Rather it should
be taken extra care of. This outer layer which is recognized as skin is exposed to the harsh cold
and it turns out be dry and dull which makes us look lifeless. The skin must regain the lost
moisture due to the dry weather which is not the case in summer. In summer the humid
environment lets the skin absorb its moisture properties and makes it look full of life.

Skincare has always been a concern from the past century to present. Women specially are
more concerned regarding their skincare as women of all the centuries are very much into
beauty and appearance. Who doesn’t want a healthy looking skin? Who doesn’t want a skin
that looks like a flower- fine-looking, fresh and flawless? We all do! You must have noticed that
your skin gets duller and dryer when winter arrives. It is because to the lack of humidity in the
environment. The environment takes away moisture from wherever it gets. The moisture in our
skin also evaporates away! This means we need to have more extensive skincare regime in
winter season.

In this piece we will focus on how to protect our skin in winter season. Regardless of the
weather these steps will help achieve flawless, fresh and fine-looking skin.

1. Cleanse: The first step of the skincare rule is to cleanse your skin. The main rule is to
make sure you cleanse your skin twice daily. Our skin rejuvenates during night time
when we sleep. Skins needs to breathe to recover. There are face washes and cleansers
with moisturizing or hydrating properties that will help in maintaining the ph balances
and retain the moisture of your skin and cleanse at the same time.
2. Exfoliate: Exfoliation is the second step of the skincare. It is as important but need not
to be done on a daily basis. Twice a week is enough if you are an outgoing person but if
you stay indoor most of the times, exfoliating your skin once a week is enough.
Exfoliation helps in clearing out the dead skin cells and helps in keeping your skin
younger looking. But make sure you don’t overdo. Never use physical scrubs that are
harsh for your skin. Never rub your skin vigorously. This will lead in skin rupture and
damage. There are chemical exfoliation and physical exfoliation in the market. If you
 have sensitive skin prefers to use chemical exfoliation. Use gentle exfoliation if you opt
for physical ones.
3. Tone: This step is ignored by most of us. If you are too lazy to take care of your skin you
may skip this step. A good toner soothes your skin and makes it livelier. Toner preps
your skin for moisturizing. Once you have used a toner on your skin your skin will be
ready for the final step.
4. Moisturize: Moisturizing your skin is the final step in the skincare steps. This step
involves using a moisturizer that may involve a lotion or a cream or a serum. A serum
helps in getting rid of the excess oil. If you have a skin that is too oily you may only use a
serum. You might want to use a lotion if you have normal skin. If you have a skin that is
too dry; I recommend you use a serum and then layer it up with a cream especially in
winter season.

Now that we are familiar with the major steps of taking care of; let us now dive into some
major tips that will help you a attain a healthier skin specially in winter season.

1. Drink a lot of fluid: Skincare is not only taken care by layering products on your skin!
Skincare is something to be achieved by staying healthy. In winter our skin becomes dull
and dry. In order to hydrate your skin make sure you hydrate your whole body. Drink as
much fluid as you can. Drinking 8 glasses of water will ensure you a younger and
healthier looking skin.
2. Eat healthy: We are what we eat. Consuming healthy foods like dry fruit, egg, fish, and a
lot of protein will help your skin to become healthier. It will help your skin to retain its
natural properties. Make sure you eat fishes and eggs more often in winter season.
Healthy body means healthy skin! Fruits, milk and protein must be included in your daily
diet.
3. Use glycerin to overcome dryness: Glycerin helps in moisturizing your skin. Mix glycerin
with drops of lemon extracts. You can store it in a bottle and place it in a dry place. Use
cotton or just use your finger tips and make your skin happy as it will become hydrated
and lively at the same time. If you are a fairness freak, your skin will also help battle
hyper pigmentation due to the harshness of cold weather.
4. Avoid products with mineral oils: Make sure you check the ingredients list you are
purchasing. The mineral oils will not only make your skin darker but also block your
pores that will result in many skin problems like acne.
5. Do not ignore other parts of your body: We tend to focus on our face more while
speaking of skincare. Never forget your hands and feet as they are equally exposed to
the harsh weather. Make sure you use a body lotion that is moisturizing enough for the
body parts. Remember that a face moisturizer is lighter than the body moisturizer. A
body moisturizer needs to be heavier so that your skin is hydrated.
6. Get a humidifier for your room: If you are serious about taking care of your skin in
winter invest in a good humidifier for your room. This will help hydrate your skin. A glass
of water inside the room can also act as a natural humidifier.
7. Use cleansers that are gentle: Get gentle cleansers that will maintain the ph balance of
your skin. The harsh face wash that has false claims that your skin will become fair
actually will only give an illusion of fairer skin for a short period of time. In reality it
brushes of your fist layer of the skin and makes it dry and lifeless. So make sure you get
a cleanser that has moisturizing property.
8. Use fragrance free products: Fragrance does not have any benefits rather is harmful
due the chemicals present to it. These chemicals are hazardous for the skin. So in winter
season when skin is prone to damage it is mindful to limit the use of chemical in the skin
products.
9. Use sunscreen even when the days are cloudy: Sunscreens are protective layer that will
help protect from the UVA and UVB rays. People consider using sunscreen only when
the sun is out. But you must not stop using sunscreen even when the days are cloudy.
The sun rays are always out in the daytime. The clouds cannot help to protect us from
the UVA and UVB rays unfortunately hence the must not ignore the sunscreen and
always use it in the daytime.
10. Avoid staying in the shower for longer period: It’s tempting to take long hot showers
when it’s shivering cold outside. But it’s never a good idea as hot showers will dehydrate
your skin. It will strip away the natural oils from your body. It is better to keep your
shower time as short as possible. Do not let your body become dehydrated. Also avoid
taking shower with too hot water. Mild lukewarm water is a better option. This will not
strip off the natural oils from the body.
11. Essential oils a boon for your skin: Essential oils are the flavors extracted from plants.
These oils are like heavenly boon for your skin especially in the dry winter days when
your skin is striving for hydration. Essential oils like lavender, lemon, and so on will help
hydrate your skin and also rejuvenate your skin in the long term. Peppermint Essential
Oil, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Jojoba oil and Almond oil are the
most commonly preferred essential oils that are recommended.
12. Serums: Extra moisturizing is necessary in winter season. Using serum beneath your
moisturizer for dry skin beauties is a wonderful idea. It will help retain the moisture of
your lotion or cream. The serums get absorbed easily and hydrate in the deepest layer
of the skin. It penetrates easily into the skin unlike other moisturizer types like oils,
creams and lotions.
13. Limit exfoliation in winter: As much as it is necessary to exfoliate your skin; but it is not
recommended to exfoliate frequently in summer as it will make your skin dryer. It is
 recommended to exfoliate once in a fortnight to avoid dryness and dullness. Too much
exfoliation will result in stripped skin.

These tips are easy and handy. A careful check on your skincare regime will help you
prevent from the early signs of aging and also from various skin problems like acne, rashes
and pigmentation. You cannot limit yourself indoors. Even if you do not hang out much; you
will still be exposed to the winter dryness even when you are indoors. It is better to take
these precautions to help you achieve a flawless, beautiful younger looking skin.