When winter arrives, it’s tempting to hit the snooze button and let your skincare routine slide. But the cold weather and dry air can wreak havoc on your skin, so now is not the time to hit snooze on that beautiful face. Thankfully, maintaining healthy, radiant skin through the winter doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s less about making changes or adding steps and more about a few simple things to avoid, like these five bad winter skincare habits:
1. Not Exfoliating
Neglecting to exfoliate your skin is one of the worst things you can do in the winter. Exfoliation is important all year round, but it’s especially crucial in the winter when your skin is more likely to be dry and flaky.
When you don’t exfoliate, dead skin cells build up on your skin’s surface, leading to a dull, uneven complexion. Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells, improving skin texture and appearance, unclogging pores, and preventing breakouts. Use a gentle exfoliator a few times a week to slough away dead skin cells and reveal healthy, glowing skin underneath.
2. Wearing Heavy Makeup
Another bad habit to avoid is wearing too much makeup in the winter. Livening or covering up your dry, flaky skin with foundation and concealer is tempting, but heavy makeup can make your skin look worse. It can lead to clogged pores and breakouts and make your skin look dull and lifeless. Rather than layering the foundation like there’s no tomorrow, opt for a light foundation or BB cream, and use a hydrating primer before applying any makeup.
3. Not Moisturizing Enough
Another common mistake people make in winter is not moisturizing enough. Your skin needs extra hydration in the winter due to the cold, dry weather, and moisturizing helps to protect your skin from becoming dry, irritated, and flaky.
Be sure to use a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type and apply it liberally throughout the day. Also, look for a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid or glycerin to lock in moisture.
4. Skipping Sunscreen
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can skip sunscreen! The sun’s UV rays are just as strong in the winter as in the summer, meaning UV rays can still penetrate through clouds and damage your skin. Furthermore, snow reflects sunlight, which can intensify the UV rays and increase your risk of sun damage.
All said, it’s important to apply sunscreen of at least 30 SPF every day, even if it’s cloudy or you’re not spending much time outdoors.
5. Using Hot Water
Another winter skincare no-no is using hot water when cleansing your face or body. Hot water can strip natural oils away from your skin, leaving it dry and irritated.
To keep your skin hydrated and healthy all winter long, stick to lukewarm water when cleansing your face in the winter, use gentler cleansers that won’t dry out your skin, and avoid spending too much time in the shower or bathtub.
Kickstart this Winter with Radiant Skin!
As the weather gets colder, these habits can leave your skin especially vulnerable to dryness, drabness, and irritation. Fortunately, there’s a treatment that can help combat all of these problems: an IPL facial. IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, a gentle yet effective treatment that uses short pulses of light to improve your skin’s overall appearance and health. IPL facials can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, brighten dull skin, and improve discoloration.
And because the procedure is non-invasive and requires no downtime, it’s the perfect way to pamper yourself before the holiday season. So if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to revive your skin, schedule an IPL facial at Purefico today!
