Winter Skin Relief Tips

We all know winter weather brings with it low humidity, less moisture, and that all leads to drier skin. What can you do to support your skin during the cold weather? Read on for our winter skin relief tips:

1. Take lukewarm showers: Extremely hot showers, even though they feel good when it's cold, strip your skin of its natural oils. Shorter showers or baths are best.

2. Use moisturizing soap: Soaps or shower gels with moisturizing ingredients, such as oatmeal, chamomile, aloe vera, olive or coconut oil, or shea butter--creamy soaps like this will help moisturize your skin by locking in the moisture with beneficial fats. Avoid harsh ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), because it'll strip your skin of its moisture.

3. Moisturize your body: Apply body lotion on slightly damp skin to trap the moisture. You may want to switch to thicker formulas with ingredients like ceramides, shea butter, or hyaluronic acid over light lotions.

4. Check your facial products: You want every product you use to be moisturizing. Avoid ingredients like alcohol and SLS, which are drying. Aim for cleansers that are gentle and say they're moisturizing, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides. You may need to switch your facial moisturizer to a thicker formula during the winter--your light, daily lotion may not be enough, especially if you're out in the elements. Again, hyaluronic acid is good, as is jojoba oil. Serums with niacinamide and vitamin C are good for year-round skincare and will help prevent irritation. Remember that retinol and other anti-aging products can be drying, so consider adding more moisturizing serums or add a light layer of lotion followed by a thicker formula if needed. (Wondering about serums and antioxidants? Learn more here.)

5. Protect your hands: Hand sanitizer and washing your hands often can be drying, so make sure you're putting lotion on your hands regularly and cuticle oil on your nails to retain moisture. If they're really dry, try petroleum jelly at night with some cloth gloves to give them an extra boost. Hand masks in slip-on glove form followed by lotion and cuticle oil can also work wonders. Don't forget to bundle up and put on your winter gloves when you head out the door.

6. Ditch the cutesy lip balm: Let's face it--some of those pretty lip balms aren't very moisturizing. Thick formulas with ingredients like lanolin add moisture and protect your lips from the elements. If your lips are really dry, try a gentle lip scrub followed by lip balm and an overnight lip mask. Petroleum jelly and coconut oil are good home remedies.

7. Get a humidifier: Dry air can wreak havoc on the body, so consider investing in a humidifier to add moisture back into the air.

8. Hydrate: This one isn't new--we preach about water intake all the time! Make sure you're drinking plenty of water--you may need to up your intake when it's dry, so you're hydrated from the inside out.

9. Get your beauty sleep: Again, this isn't a new tip, but sleep does all sorts of wonders for the skin, so make sure you're prioritizing your rest.

10. Try a facial: Salon Patrice offers calming, moisturizing facials that can help rebalance your skin barrier.

We hope this helps give your skin some much-needed relief from the dry winter air. Find our list of facials and skincare services here, or call (815) 223-8643 to schedule an appointment.