You know it’s the dead of winter when no amount of even your favorite moisturizer or face oil will totally eliminate your dry skin. Harsh cold and winds all winter long can really take their toll — a survey from CeraVe actually found that 83% of people notice changes to their skin during the season, with 69% citing dryness as their biggest concern. As spring finally comes around, how can you kick the flakiness and tightness of your skin to the curb and start anew?
Here are five simple steps you can take to help your skin recover from a long, hard winter and return you to glowy glory. In fact, you should see a difference in about a week.
1. Stop taking long, hot showers.
I know, I know, this one pains me too as someone who loves nothing more than a piping hot shower that steams up the whole bathroom. But as good as they feel, they are not great for your skin.
“Hot water strips away natural oils and weakens your skin barrier. As a result, you have this tight, itchy feeling,” says Olga Skydan, M.D., dermatologist and certified cosmetologist for Luvly. “To undo the damage, switch to lukewarm water and cap showers at five to 10 minutes. After you’re done with the shower, pat your skin dry, and while it’s still slightly damp, lock in moisture with a body cream that contains shea butter or glycerin.”
2. Sleep with a humidifier in your room.
Nighttime is your skin’s prime time to repair itself, so give it plenty of humidity to work with through the wee hours. Skydan says running a humidifier in your room overnight will help your skin renew itself faster.
3. Upgrade to a satin pillowcase.
And don’t go to the trouble of applying great skin care and turning on your humidifier just to let a cotton pillowcase suck all the moisture right back out of your skin. “I recommend you check your pillowcase. Cotton pillowcases absorb moisture from your face, so swap them for silk or satin,” Skydan suggests.
4. Opt for chemical exfoliants over physical ones.
Gritty exfoliants are satisfying to use — they remove all the flakes and dry patches you can feel on your skin pretty quickly. That said, when your skin is already in a delicate state, they’re likely too harsh for it.
“Physical exfoliants with rough particles can create micro-tears in your skin and damage your moisture barrier,” says Skydan. “Instead, use enzyme peels, which dissolve dead skin cells without harsh scrubbing. I suggest looking for peels with natural enzymes. They gently slough off dead skin and boost cell turnover. Use them once a week for dry skin and twice a week for oily skin. If your skin feels extra sensitive afterward, layer on a peptide serum, which helps healing and prevents irritation.”
Speaking of…
5. Layer on products with plenty of ceramides and peptides.
Skin care that boasts ceramide and peptide-heavy formulas are the ones to reach for right now, Skydan says, as these will help repair your skin barrier’s health after a long, dry winter. “Find a moisturizer packed with ceramides and apply it twice a day. For best results, apply a peptide serum first, let it absorb for a minute, then follow with your ceramide cream to seal everything in. It works overtime, but you will see the results if you keep it consistent for a week,” she says.
Here’s to rehydrating your skin as you head into spring, and showing up as the healthiest, glowiest version of yourself.
