Top Tips for Healthy Winter Skin

At Electrolysis by Alison, we are happy to share our top tips for healthy winter skin. After all, for many reasons, this winter is likely to be more difficult on us all. But that doesn’t mean we have to allow dry or chapped skin to be one of those reasons. Whether you are in the middle of an electrolysis program, or preparing for one in the new year, it’s important to keep your skin in great condition. Here are our favorite ways to keep on top of our skin health when the nights get longer!

Protecting Your Skin in the Cold

The winter is notorious for stripping skin of its natural moisture. The general dryness of the air and the preponderance of indoor heating can lead to dry patches and chapped lips. 

• Thermostat in moderation: Don’t heat all of the moisture out of the air in your home or workplace. Your skin will hate the dry air. If you can, keep your thermostat between 68° and 72°F for a compromise between comfort and humidity.
• Shower sensibly: It’s tempting to crank up the shower temperature to warm your bones up. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help your skin at all, and can harm its ability to retain moisture. A lukewarm shower is much better for your skin’s health than a hot shower. No matter how many time you wash your hands this winter, don’t use piping hot water. If your hands are red from the heat after washing, that’s a red flag.
• Use the right soap: Many soaps on the market have great germ-busting powers, but also exacerbate issues with itchy or dry skin. To minimize this problem without compromising on hygiene, look for unfragranced products. Many irritants are actually only in cleaning products for fragrance purposes. If you can find a product that moisturizes as well as reliably cleanses, hold it tight and never let go.
• Cold means cream: Different skin care products often work better for different times of the year. Cream-based, gentle cleansers are generally the best option for protecting your skin in the winter months. Avoid toners and astringents if you’re experiencing a cold winter, especially alcohol-based astringents.
• Don’t forget to moisturize: It’s more important than ever to wash your hands. But it’s also important to moisturize your hands after the soap washes away your skin’s natural oils. If you’re cleaning or washing dishes during the winter, gloves can help prevent you getting that dry winter skin everyone knows and hates. If your face is getting dry, consider a face wash which incorporates hyaluronic acid, since it can pull hydration to where your skin needs it the most. 
• Sunscreen for snowy slopes: Counterintuitive as it might seem, snowy landscapes mean it’s more important than ever to slap on suncream. Snow reflects the majority of the sun’s radiation back up at you, magnifying its effect. Even if your skin is feeling cold, it can still be soaking up enough UV radiation to do damage.

How to Get Rid of Dry Skin

Different skin types experience different challenges in winter. If you’re prone to dry skin, make sure that you’re working exfoliation into your skin care routine at least on a weekly basis. Products containing glycolic or salicylic acid are helpful for getting rid of dead skin cells and keeping the rest of your skin healthy. Cool, dry, windy weather may make the thin skin of your lips chap or peel painfully, but exfoliation can help here too, as well as lip balm. Use lanolin, vitamin A, and vitamin E to protect exposed skin from damage. Coconut oil is a great way of reducing the dryness of skin, especially when applied before bathing. Add skin-friendly oils to bathwater to help your skin preserve moisture usually lost through bathing. Examples include: 

• Argan oil
• Tea tree oil
• Rose oil
• Rose hip oil 

Creams and ointments are the heavy artillery in the war on bad winter skin. Thicker and more moisturizing than lotions, they can be very effective on your body. However, given that your face is both exposed to more pollutants, and produces greater quantities of sebum (skin oil), it is generally a bad idea to use very thick, pore-clogging products such as petroleum jelly on your face. It’s a better idea to choose non-fragranced creams that contain noncomedogenic ceramides. A suitable prduct will avoid blocking pores and contributing to breakouts, while it still adds moisture to skin.

Beauty Tricks to Get You Through Winter

Winter presents many great fashion opportunities. However, remember that cold-weather fabrics such as wool can be abrasive to skin. Especially when skin has already been irritated, such as dry patches, caution is key. Use light materials for layers in direct contact with your skin, then wear woolens on top of them. When layers get wet, as they might from rain, sleet, or even snowball fights, they should be shed as soon as possible. Wet clothes can cause skin irritation and itchiness, especially when rainwater is involved. All rainwater is acidic to some extent, and bad for your skin in sufficient concentrations.