The time of the year when your coffee tastes better and your favorite blankets make a comeback to keep you warm is here. Winter is all about comfortably warm clothes, winter snacks. curling up every morning to get a few extra minutes of sleep. Since it’s only here for such a short period of time, it’s easy to overlook the effects it has on one of the most essential parts of our well-being, our skin.
What exactly happens to our skin during the winter?
Your skin’s main job is to keep your insides safe from whatever is outside. It does this by storing the proper amount of water needed in the outermost layer. This layer also stops toxins and germs from entering the body. When winter comes, our body temperature as well as the temperature drops. Due to this shift, moisture gets pulled from the barrier. This causes the turnover rate of skin cells to decrease leading to comparatively less skin cells occupying the same area in your skin. As a result, people experience dry and scaly skin during winter.
Paleness & Dullness
Another reason why your skin feels pale & dull during winter is due to higher pigmentation. Winters are cold, and we seek the sun. We try to get as much sun as possible during winter to feel warm. Even more because there is less heat during winter. Whereas, in summer, the sun gives off more heat and we try to avoid it as much as possible.
However, it’s important to not confuse light with heat. Sunlight in winter is as harmful as it is in summer. The UV rays in winter cause the same pigmentation it does in summer. Just because the sun gives off less heat in the winter, doesn’t mean it doesn’t darken the skin. When the radiation from the UV rays hits our skin, our skin produces a certain pigment called melanin, to protect us from the radiation of the harmful rays. This pigment darkens the skin. Thus, during winter an imbalance is formed because there is more sun exposure than summer, and more melanin being produced. The loss of moisture also makes this process worse.
What can you do for your skin?
There are many ways you can take care of your skin during winter. How you spend your winter, your skincare routine and specific food can help you stop retaining more moisture, and in turn stop your skin from darkening as much. It can also make it less dry and flaky.
1) Use sunscreen:
Since the sun’s rays make the skin dull and flaky as discussed above, the use of sunscreen, even in winter, is essential. This will stop your skin from getting pale.
2) Avoid Hot Showers:
During winter, we often opt for hot showers to fight the cold. This, however, might not be the best idea. Since our skin barrier is already losing moisture due to a shift in temperature, hot water strips your skin of moisture and essential oils. It leaves your skin dehydrated and more prone to pigmentation (darkening) and dryness.
3) Invest in a humidifier
Heaters keep us warm during cold winter evenings and nights, but they also suck out moisture from the air, making your skin more prone to dullness & dryness. On the other hand, a humidifier forces moisture into the air, maintaining the proper moisture balance in the environment. The use of a humidifier throughout the winter can lead to great results for your skin.
4) Commit to a regular skincare routine
Follow these steps in this exact order:
* Cleanse – Use a cleanser to clean your pores without stripping your face of its essential oils
* Exfoliate – To get rid of dead skin cells
* Hyaluronic acid – To refill your face with moisture instantly
* Moisturizer – For obvious reasons
* Sunscreen – To protect your skin from harmful UV rays
5) Add certain food to your diet:
Almonds – Rich in vitamins and moisturizing elements, almonds can be a great addition to your skincare diet.
Carrots – Packed with Vitamin C, carrots help collagen production and retain the elasticity of your skin. It can also help skin pigmentation at bay.
Green Tea – If you can manage to replace your caffeine intake with green tea, its antioxidants can bring great benefits. It nourishes the skin and prevents flaky skin, filines,nes and wrinkles.
Protection from the sun, moisturization during the winter & glowing skin can all be achieved with Comely’s shower gels, handmade soaps & non-sticky glycerin. All of these products come with natural glycerin. This natural element has the power to retain moisture, creating a natural barrier from harmful UV rays of the sun. Along with making healthy adjustments to your lifestyle, you can also uplift your personal care routine with Comely’s product range.