Winter is a beautiful time of year. Holiday decorations are everywhere, things are blanketed in snow, mornings are crisp and clear, and evenings have dramatic sunsets framed against snow-capped scenery. But you may have noticed your skin doesn’t seem to keep up with the beauty during the winter months.

Wintertime can be very harsh on your skin, and you need to give it a little extra care. Your winter skin care routine should center on moisturizing and protecting from the cold, dry air. Read on to learn more about how to establish a great winter skin care routine.

How Winter Impacts Your Skin

When the temperature drops, so does the level of moisture in the air around you. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air, which can help keep your skin better hydrated. But colder temperatures can dry our your skin out, leaving your face and hands feeling chapped and raw.

If you enjoy winter sports like skiing, sledding, or ice skating, your skin may be at even greater risk. For one thing, you’ll experience windburn in addition to dehydration. And when you go inside, there’s no respite there either; artificial heaters can dry out your air indoors, too.

Moisturize

The number-one most important thing you can do for your winter skin care routine is to moisturize. As we said, cold air can dry out your skin, and even if you usually moisturize, you need to kick your routine into high gear during the winter months. You may want to get a heavy-duty moisturizer, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter.

When you’re picking a moisturizer, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalene. These will help rebuild your natural moisture barrier, locking in your hydration. To keep things simple, you may want to look for a tinted moisturizer that can also serve as a foundation.

Serum

Serums are often marketed towards older adults, but they can be a great addition to a winter skin care routine, too. They work to combat aging by promoting intense hydration and nourishing the skin. This can be important during the winter months when your skin is taking an extra hit.

Look for a serum or night cream that’s packed with nourishing essential oils. These will help give your skin an extra boost in addition to adding a layer of hydration and protection. Apply your serum between your toner and your moisturizer in the morning.

Sunscreen

Most of us associate sunscreen with summer days spent out in the heat, soaking up the rays. But it’s just as important – if not more so – in the winter, when everything is cold and dry. Even on cloudy days, dangerous UV rays come through. And since snow and ice reflect UV rays, doubling our exposure, winter days can be even more dangerous for your skin.

Get a good daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, preferably 35 or more. You may be able to find a moisturizer and foundation that also includes some sun protection if you want to really streamline your skin care routine. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to get a separate sunscreen formulated specifically for your face.

Protect from Windburn

We mentioned that if you enjoy outdoor winter sports, your skin may be in danger of windburn. Some experts say that windburn is mostly a result of sunburn, magnified by reflection off snow. But others say it’s a result of cold, dry air stripping the oils out of your skin.

If you’re a heavy-duty outdoorsy type, you may want to look into getting a specialized ski balm. It can include sunscreen and a moisturizing balm that locks oils into your face. But if you just need to go shovel the driveway, try putting some petroleum jelly on your face – after a coat of sunscreen – to protect your face.

Exfoliate

You may notice that when your skin gets dry, it gets rough and bumpy. Before you can moisturize your skin, you need to get rid of these dead skin cells. Once a week, it’s a good idea to use a sugar scrub or exfoliating cleanser to clear away dead cells and allow your skin to really glow.

But be sure to stay away from harsh peels and don’t exfoliate too often in the winter. Your skin is already vulnerable during this time. You don’t want to do more damage to it by stripping away the oils and nutrients it does have just when it needs them most.

Use Oil

It’s very important to cleanse your skin to avoid breakouts, and using a cleansing oil during the winter can be a great idea. This will help clean your face without stripping away any oils. It’ll keep your face as moisturized and protected from the elements as possible.

You can get a designated cleansing oil, but there are some natural alternatives as well. Try using olive oil or coconut oil, testing a small patch to make sure you don’t have any sensitivities first. If your skin is prone to breakouts, you may want to look for a cleansing oil that’s formulated for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Use Masks

One great way to nourish your skin and invest in your self care is to use masks. You can find sheet masks, charcoal masks, peel off masks, clay masks, or just about any other type of mask you like, depending on your needs. Try to do a mask about once or twice a week, focusing on moisturizing and nourishing masks.

In addition to caring for your skin, taking time to do a face mask can help lower your stress levels, too. Stress tends to increase incidents of acne and cause other skin problems. So take that ten minutes a week to relax, practice a little mindfulness, and unwind even if your week is insane.

Take Short Showers

It may sound odd, but taking long showers during the winter can actually damage your skin. Hot showers can sound wonderful in the dead of winter, but a shower that’s too hot could irritate and even slightly burn your skin. During the winter, your skin is already fragile, so this damage can have a bigger impact.

Try to limit your showers to five or ten minutes, and turn the temperature down. Close your bathroom door to trap the humidity in, and pat yourself dry – don’t rub – to avoid irritating and overdrying your skin. Then apply a body butter and moisturizer right after you dry off to lock in as much moisture as possible.

Take Care of Your Lips

When you’re setting up your winter skin care routine, it can be easy to forget about your lips. Sure, we may all put on some lip balm during the winter to keep our lips from drying out. But your lips deserve a little TLC during your skin care routine, too.

Don’t be shy with slathering on the lip balm, using a special nourishing variety if you live somewhere especially cold. And a few times a week, use a lip exfoliator to scrub off any dead skin. You can DIY a lip scrub with coconut oil and brown sugar if you want something cheap and natural.

Hydrate

Aside from moisturizing, the single best thing you can do for your skin (and your overall health) during the winter is to stay hydrated. Almost none of us drink enough water, and this is so important during the wintertime. You may not realize it because it’s so cold, but you lose moisture during sweating during the winter, so be sure you’re rehydrating.

Your skin is your largest organ, and drinking plenty of water is the best way to make sure it’s well-nourished and healthy. Make sure you start each day out by drinking a full cup of water, and drink another full cup before each meal. You should also drink a glass of water before you go to bed and a few other glasses throughout the course of the day.

Find Your Perfect Winter Skin Care Routine

Setting up a skin care routine in the winter is so important to maintaining healthy, beautiful skin. Your skin goes through a lot harsher conditions in the winter, and it needs a little extra TLC. Focus on moisturizing, hydrating, and protecting from the sun, and you’ll have glowing skin all winter long.

If you’d like to start building your perfect skin care routine, check out the rest of our site at Teami. We sell teas that are designed to promote your healthcare, as well as a range of natural skincare products. Check out our bestsellers and start getting beautiful skin the natural way today.