SSBS #007: WINTER IS COMING. Save your skin!
Gooooood morning!
In today’s newsletter we are going to talk about something I’m really passionate about - adjusting your products and skincare routine for colder weather!
Ok, that may not sound that exciting to you, but it’s something that happens every time the air starts to get colder, my clients reach out and say, “I’m feeling more dry, I’ve got whiteheads/blackheads/etc popping up. Should I try a different line?”
More often than not, my answer is NO, we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bath water, but oftentimes what we DO need to do is tweak things a bit, or add in one or two products that will help retain moisture and strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
Why does our skin tend to dry out and get more sensitive during the winter/fall?
I’ll tell you. During the colder months, we start to heat up the air inside our homes and buildings, which can suck moisture from the air and in turn from our skin.
We tend to drink less water because we aren’t sweating as much, which leads to dehydrated skin.
Oftentimes we’re still using the same products we used during the summer when we naturally produced more oils and our skin was more supple.
We may see not only facial dryness, but our lips tend to be drier, our scalp, our hands and the skin all over our bodies can suffer as well! I’m here to tell you, you’re not destined to be scaly and flaky until next spring/summer, there are definitely tweaks you can do to help your skin!
Now, take my hand, and let’s dive in.
#1 Consider your Cleanser:
Your cleanser can be one of the most impactful cold weather switches of all.
During the warmer months, due to heavier moisture content in the air, sweating, and other factors, most of us, depending on where we live, aren’t necessarily going to be dealing with dry skin issues.
For the most part, many of my clients, and myself included, are working in more clarifying and exfoliating cleansers in the summer to combat excess dirt and oil production.
However, when temps drop and dry, warm, central air kicks in, most of us will need to make sure we are using a more moisturizing cleanser.
I usually stick exclusively to my oil cleanser and also work in my cleansing balm on really dry days for an extra dose of moisture in the cleanse step. Easy peasy.
#2 Maximize your Night Moisturizer:
You can protect your moisture barrier and prevent water loss through the skin at night by upgrading your night time moisturizer routine.
Think about it. At night you’re spending 7-8 hours asleep in bed with the heat on, this is prime moisture loss time if you aren’t careful. Consider switching from a night time lotion to a cream, which has a thicker, more protective consistency to protect against moisture loss.
ALSO, if you already use a cream during the night OR you just want to up the ante extra on moisture loss prevention, I’d highly highly suggest adding 2-3 drops of your favorite facial oil. Facial oils are liquid gold.
Facial oils deliver essential vitamins and antioxidants to your skin, and help form a protective barrier that keeps dirt, pollution, and other toxins OUT, and moisture IN. They can also balance oil production, even for oily skin, as long as you choose the right oil!
#3 Lips, Hands, Body and Scalp, OH MY:
Skin is all over your body, not just your face (WOW GROUND BREAKING INSIGHT JESS LOL). That means that your face isn’t the only area that will need extra love!
Love your lips a little more: Consider using or making your own lip polish to gently exfoliate this area. I also LOVE slathering up on a really high quality lip balm during the day and night. I love these limited edition ones with hyaluronic acid in them, or these which are ultra thick and moisturizing.
Handle with care: Our hands are gonna chap. They will. And the best thing we can do is switch to gentle hand cleaners, gentle hand sanitizer, and extra nourishing hand creams. I am SLATHERING my hands up before bed every night like a greased chicken, and I am not ashamed.
Body-ody-ody-ody: Just like our face, our body is going to go sahara def con 500 on us. Biggest things here are to consider gentle exfoliators, both physical (think dry brush, pumice stone, body scrub), and chemical (like this limited edition overnight body resurfacer). The other consideration is to, and I’ll say it again, GREASE YOURSELF GENEROUSLY. I switch from a body lotion to something like a balm, a butter, or an oil for more intense moisture.
Scalp is gonna scalp: I’m running out of clever titles here clearly, but the point is, you’re probably going to see some scalp dryness as well. I always always always make sure i’m using my scalp scrub at least once a week - it’s both exfoliating and moisturizing and my head thanks me for it.
#4 Drink Up Buttercup:
I know I don’t need to, but I’ll say it again - don’t stop drinking that water just because you’ve stopped sweating as much!
We are so tempted during the winter to not consume as much water during our day because we feel like the need isn’t as high because the only reason we’re sweating is because we’re wearing turtlenecks indoors. WRONGGGGGG.
Our body still desperately needs that hydration from the inside as does our skin. And as an added bonus I want to say that your body will use that water even more efficiently if it’s paired with electrolytes and minerals.
I STILL consume about ½ to 1 full packed of electrolytes in my water every day even during the winter and it makes a world of difference. Don’t stop drinking friend! Two of my favorite electrolytes are LMNT and Needed (use the code MODERNMAMAS for 20% off!).
#5 THE BIG KAHUNAS:
Alright, you’re on board with the basics, but if you want to go the extra mile, I have some extra credit homework for you. We’ve got three other things you can add to or adjust your routine with to optimize winter skin health, let’s dive in.
Cold Water Showers: EEEK. I know. THE NERVE OF ME TO SUGGEST IT. I’m not saying I like it, I’m just saying our skin LOVES IT. A recent article on thederm.com stated, “When hot water comes in contact with your skin, the outermost layer of your skin (the keratin cells) become damaged. Essentially, the hot water is stripping your skin of natural moisturizers and healthy skin cells that aim to protect the fragile skin beneath from the outside world.”
In short, if you can at least flip to cold water if you wash your face in the shower, you’ll be doing your skin a world of good. It’s hard, I know, but you can do it friend.
Humidifiers: Pull out that trusty cool mist humidifier from storage and just let ‘er rip at night time friend. Like I mentioned, especially at night, our skin is at risk for moisture loss due to central heat that is sucking moisture from everywhere it can find it.
One way to combat that is to pump moisture into the air while you sleep. Again, it might sound a bit extra, but if you especially live in a naturally drier climate, this can be a game changer for you!
Sunscreen: I know I know, it’s the winter and this feels DUMB, but it’s true. Just because it may be overcast or cold outside, doesn’t mean our skin isn’t being subjected to regular sun damage.
If you’re spending regular time outdoors, it’s especially important for you to have some sort of sun protection on your face whether it’s a physical barrier (hat, scarf, etc.) or a product. My two favorite daily spf products are this one and this one, and I use them year round!
I really really hope this short and sweet list helps prepare you for colder weather because WINTER IS COMING. And now you will be the lady on the block with the glowing goddess skin no matter the weather!
You’ve got this, and if you feel like you’re still stuck, you can always hit REPLY here, and I’m happy to help troubleshoot!
We’ve also created a fun, quick quiz for you to take to rank which Winter Skincare Must Haves you might be needing most in your routine right now - click the image below to see what your results are!
TL;DR:
You need to tweak your skincare and habits during the colder months
Start with changing up your cleanser and moisturizers
Don’t neglect your lips, body, hand and scalp - you’ve got skin there too!
DRINK THE WATER, DANGIT.
Level up with cold showers, humidifiers, and sunscreen.
See you again next week friend. We’re going to be tackling the polarizing topic of GREENWASHING and how companies use it to dupe you into buying their products. Don’t worry if you’ve ever fell prey to this - these companies spend millions of dollars not to make their products safer, but to make you THINK they are. It’s not you, it’s them.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
Like this type of content? I share tips like these in my weekly newsletter: