, 2 min read
Cold air holds less moisture, and indoor heating takes even more. Add wind on the walk to work and long hot showers at home, and your skin spends winter losing water faster than it can hold on to it. The answer is not a whole new routine, just a few small adjustments.
Cleanse less in the morning
At night, cleanse as usual to remove the day. In the morning, your skin has only been on the pillow, so a splash of lukewarm water is enough. Skipping the second cleanse keeps more of the skin’s own oils where they belong.
Layer instead of switching
You do not need a heavier cream for winter. Keep your usual one and add a layer:
- Serum on damp skin, as always.
- Your usual cream.
- One or two drops of restorative face oil pressed on top, or mixed into the cream in your palm.
The oil slows down water loss without the heaviness of a thick winter cream, and you can stop using it the day the weather turns.
Look after your hands and body
Hands are washed more often than any other part of the skin and are the first to crack. Keep a tube of hand cream by every sink, and use it after each wash, not just when your hands already feel tight.
For elbows, knees and heels, keep the body balm by the bed. A thin layer every night does more than a thick one once a week.
Small habits that help
- Shorter, cooler showers. Ten minutes at a comfortable temperature, not a hot soak.
- A humidifier in the bedroom. Even a small one makes a difference overnight.
- Sunscreen anyway. Winter sun is weaker but it still ages the skin, and snow reflects it straight back at you.
