Especially in winter, for skin care, special moisturizing is important – especially for dry and itchy skin. Moisturize appropriate skin care products, which can be somewhat more greasy in winter than in the summer months. However, it is also important to have sufficient humidity in rooms, because dry heating air dries out the skin even more. Here are tips for skin care in winter.
How to keep your skin healthy in winter
Consider the following 9 tips for stressed skin and hair in the cold season:
- Reduce stress on the skin. Do not shower too often or too long – and not too hot. Use shower gel or soap sparingly and only on the parts of the body with evaporation (underarms and pubic area). Water itself has a cleansing effect and is quite sufficient for daily shower.
- Take a bath no more than twice a week. The water temperature should be between 32 and 35 degrees Celsius. Oil baths are gentler than bubble baths, especially for dry skin.
- To avoid excessive stress on hair and scalp, mild shampoos such as baby shampoo are suitable in winter. Also make sure to blow dry your hair only lukewarm.
- Extreme cold can cause fine cracks, especially on the hands, which increases the susceptibility to inflammation. Therefore, hands and nails should also be creamed and protected with gloves. Jojoba oil is particularly suitable for a nourishing hand massage.
- Care for dry and chapped lips with a greasy care stick. Oils and beeswax are especially good for lip care in winter.
- In the evening, the skin is particularly receptive to care substances. Therefore, cream the body at the end of the day.
- Do you suffer from dry mucous membranes, use a nourishing nasal spray, for example, with chamomile or dexpanthenol. Make sure, however, that the nasal spray is suitable for continuous use, because conventional sprays can lead to nasal spray addiction!
- You should also make sure that you drink an adequate amount of fluids. Nutritionists recommend a daily drinking amount of about two liters.
- In case of persistent problems, itching and inflammation, consult a dermatologist. He can determine the reason for the discomfort and make a recommendation for targeted treatment.
Hot feel-good drinks for the cold season
Not only problem skin needs extra care
In cold weather, the body is designed to store its heat – for this purpose, the blood vessels contract. As a result, the skin gets less blood flow and stops producing oil at low temperatures. Therefore, special skin care is especially important in winter. The only skin that does not necessarily need extra care in winter is oily skin. If you are prone to pimples and blackheads, it is best to protect your skin in winter by applying cream more frequently rather than switching to a greasier product, otherwise your skin problems may also worsen.
The right skin care products in winter
In principle, it can be quite useful to adapt the skin care to the season. Since night creams are richer, respectively contain more fat than day creams, it can already be enough to use the night cream also during the day. An alternative are rich cold protection creams, which protect the skin from drying out. Otherwise, one should avoid watery creams and pay attention to a firmer consistency. Gels, which contain lipids, are light and yet re-lubricating and thus represent an optimal winter care for the skin.
When skiing do not forget sunscreen
Winter UV radiation is still often underestimated. Even if the Christmas vacations are spent in the Alps instead of the Caribbean, the skin must be protected from the sun. The higher the mountain, the more aggressive the sun’s rays, which are additionally reflected by the snow. So if you go skiing or snowboarding in the mountains, you should not do so without sun protection factor 30. Special sunscreens designed for winter also contain substances that protect against the icy wind. Besides the ears, the lips are particularly sensitive to the sun. Therefore, do not forget the balm for the lips with additional sunscreen or UV filter.After an icy day on the mountain, infrared heat can also be beneficial because infrared rays boost circulation.
Problem skin in winter
People who already tend to have problem skin or suffer from a skin disease, such as neurodermatitis, have a particularly difficult time in winter. To avoid constant tightening and itching, special care creams with panthenol or urea are recommended. Since oils provide more skin moisture, water-in-oil emulsions are particularly suitable for the face in winter. Peelings and facial toners with alcohol should stay in the cupboard until spring. Instead, the skin is happy to receive nourishing moisturizing masks. The skin also reacts rather stressed to thick scarves and turtlenecks – that’s why you can calmly apply cream to the neck and décolleté more often in winter.
Irritated eyes in winter
Not only the skin is exposed to higher stress in winter, also the eyes often suffer from the cold temperatures and the dry heating air. Red, itchy and burning eyes are often the result. Wearers of contact lenses are usually particularly hard hit. Anyone who has eye problems in winter should ensure a balanced room climate: Regular ventilation, indoor plants and a bowl of water on the heater help to ensure that the air does not become too dry. If the complaints last longer, it is advisable to use eye drops, which replace the missing tear fluid.