It’s official, winter is upon us, and that doesn’t just mean the impending doom of a sniffly nose but dry skin from blasting hot air and going outside to freezing cold temperatures. Dry lips and overall poor weather conditions aren’t good for our makeup and skin, but there are many ways for us to overcome this and protect our skin from harsh weather changes.
SPF
This isn’t just protection that is needed for the summer because the sun is out more, or you feel as though the winter sun isn’t as impactful, as the UV is extremely low. On the contrary, in the winter, the sun can still create both short- and long-term damage. UVA and UVB rays can reach through clouds even during the winter months; therefore, proper protection is needed to protect the layers of the skin from damage. SPF is an essential step in protecting the skin barrier, but is also an everyday must to ensure that you are doing your best to prevent damage and speed up ageing, sun spots and pigmentation.
We recommend an SPF of 30 or higher. They are an absolute necessity in every makeup and skin prep, even when you are staying indoors all day, as you can get harmful rays from your mobile device and after all the effort in protecting your skin every day, you don’t want it to be ruined by your phone or computer.
Gentle Cleansers
After spending a day outside in the cold winds and then back indoors to scorching hot air blasting at your skin, your skin has already been through a lot, which means you need to be kind and gentle to it at the start and end of the day. Cleansing your skin is a great way for a reset; therefore, whether you are removing makeup or it’s a step within your skin prep, a gentle and natural cleanser that isn’t dehydrating is a must. I personally just use water in the morning and then coconut oil at night, as I have dry skin naturally, I find this is the best method to remove dirt from the day and to start the day with something no more gentle than cold water.
It’s whatever works for your skin, while being mindful that you need to be kind and gentle with the face at this stage.
Lock-In Moisturisers
You want to trap all of that moisture in your skin for the day ahead of harsh temperatures and artificial heating that will inevitably dry your skin up. Whether it’s layering two moisturisers or making a point of reapplying midday to ensure that your skin is at its most healthy. As someone with dry skin, I try to layer up my moisturiser before the day begins, and that lasts all day.
This is all about finding the perfect winter moisturiser that lasts all day but also doesn’t create oily skin and build-up.
Limit Hot Showers
While that is the one thing that you want to do more than anything after a day out in the cold: get into a hot shower or bath and warm back up. But the immediate reaction your skin will have is to dry up; it’s the juxtaposition of extreme cold and then hot that doesn’t work well with your skin, but also extreme hot temperatures are never the best solution to start or finish your day.
Having a warm shower will still warm you up, but also be more gentle on your skin and hair, which reduces the likelihood of dry and uncomfortable skin. Make sure to use moisturising shower gels and soaps to further ensure your skin is hydrated. Each step is so important during harsh weather conditions, so make the most out of good products.
Dry skin when you apply makeup is the worst; you are left with patches, flakes and overall an unflawless base, which can make or break your makeup application. You could have all the best products from all the best brands, like REFY Beauty, but they won’t live up to their potential with a cracked base. While they are still helpful in evening out skin tones and help cover marks, dry skin isn’t something that makeup can fix in any circumstance, and you will have to rely on only skincare to heal dry skin for those moments.
Hydration
Summer isn’t the only month you should keep hydrated; continue the rule of 2 to 3 litres a day throughout the whole year, but as the skin is going through these months with harsh winds, doing your best to help your skin from within is great, not only as an overall skin prep but also for your overall health. Hydrated skin prevents dry skin, which, overall, is the best thing for makeup application.
Dewy Primer
If you are feeling as though your skin is dull, then you are just in need of a dewy layer to bring the glow back. It’s not uncommon to feel dull as we are losing vitamin D; this time and again, the harsh weather can have its impact. Only side moisturising – you could add a dewy moisturiser as your last skin prep step that not only brings a glow to your skin but also allows your makeup to sit seamlessly upon it. Do your research and find a dewy primer that is good for both makeup and skin.
Lip Buff & Balm
Dry lips are some of the most uncomfortable and irritating things that occur, especially as someone who experiences this throughout the year, especially during peaks of summer and winter. I find that dry skin can sometimes be inevitable and with that you need to prep the lips for a new day with a lip buff, which removes dead skin and dry areas from the lips and then apply a nourishing lip gloss or balm over your lips with a soft lip liner is not only a perfect winter lip but it’s also providing protection from the day ahead. People neglect and forget about lip prep pretty often, but they need as much love and dedication as the rest of their face and features.
You can use several items to gently exfoliate the lips, but be sure to do it gently to not to break the skin and cause further damage. Also, finding a lip gloss or balm that can transform your lip care routine is a must. Try brands like REFY, Aquaphor and more that have several products for this.
Final Thoughts
Protecting your skin comes with mindful skin care, skin prep and makeup choices. Ensure that you’ve got a winter routine that takes care of the harsh weather and prevents damage. Don’t be afraid to spend that little extra money on products; your skin is just as important as investing in your physical or Collingwood dental health.
