19 Amazingly Simple Winter Beauty Hacks
Winter winds, cold weather, and low humidity can wreak havoc on the skin’s barrier. Once this damage occurs, issues like redness, irritation, and dry flakey skin become common. The good news is with a few adjustments to your daily and weekly beauty routine; you can avoid the majority of dreaded winter beauty woes. Here are 19 amazing simple winter beauty hacks to protect you and keep you feeling your best all winter long.
Simple Winter Beauty Hacks
Avoid Long Hot Showers
As good as it feels to take a hot shower on a cold day, one of the best things you can do for your skin is to turn down the water temperature. Shortening the length of your shower is also very helpful. Hot water strips away the natural oils on the skin, leaving it more susceptible to drying out.
Avoid Harsh Soaps
Harsh soaps are another thing that strips the natural oils from the skin and damages the skin barrier. Generally, but especially in the winter, it’s best to skip bar soap. Traditional bar soaps don’t include many moisturizing ingredients, and they have high pH levels, which dry out the skin easily. Instead, wash with a gentle body wash with lots of skin-hydrating ingredients.
Exfoliate Regularly
Once or twice a week, exfoliate your whole body with an exfoliating mitt or body scrub. This will help eliminate the buildup of dead skin cells that result in rough, scally, and dull skin. Another big benefit of regular exfoliation is that moisturizers and body oils will have an easier time soaking into the skin.
Moisturize While Your Skin Is Still Damp
After stepping out of the shower, apply a thick cream or body oil while your skin is still a little damp. This will help lock in moisture from your shower. During the harsh winter months, moisturizers containing ceramides like Cerave Moisturizing Cream help restore and maintain the skin barrier.
Add A Layer Of Aquaphor
If you have any rough or scaly areas of skin, apply Aquaphor or vaseline to further protect and seal in moisture. It will also create a barrier to protect your skin from high winds and harsh winter weather.
Moisturizing Socks
Feet often become dry and cracked during the winter months. To help keep feet soft, every night before bed, slather on a thick moisturizer (if your feet have cracks, add a layer of Aquaphor). Then cover your feet with socks to seal in moisture. You can also read here how to keep your feet ready for summer all winter long.
Pay Extra Attention To Your Hands
Washing your hands throughout the day is a must, especially during cold and flu season. But that definitely takes a toll. Applying hand cream once a day isn’t enough, either. Instead, keep a small hand cream in your purse, at your desk, and in your car so you can remember to apply it constantly. Using cuticle oil at least once a day will also help to keep your nails in top shape.
Go Easy On The Alcohol
Because alcohol is a diuretic, it will dehydrate you and worsen symptoms of dry skin. It also increases inflammation in the skin and may worsen other skin diseases, like eczema and psoriasis. Cutting back on the frequency and amount you drink will significantly improve your skin.
Drink Lots of Water
It’s much harder to remember to drink enough water when it’s cold outside. But drinking enough water every day is essential to keeping your skin hydrated. A good goal is to aim for at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.
Skip The Shampoo
Washing your hair strips it of its natural oils. Doing this too often will lead to dry hair that is more easily damaged. If you really need to wash your hair more than once a week, try skipping the shampoo and only use a hair conditioner instead.
Avoid Protein
When it comes to hair treatments, it’s best to go easy on the protein treatments. Protein treatments should only be used on damaged hair, but even then, they can be very drying. When used on hair that does not require protein treatments, it causes dryness and breakage.
Overnight Hair Masks
Deep condition your hair at least once a week. Leave a deep conditioning, hydrating hair mask in your hair overnight, and rinse it out in the morning.
Hot Oil Treatments
At-home oil treatments are an easy way to add much-needed moisture to your hair. To get the most out of the treatment, heat the oil in the kitchen before applying it to your hair. (Test it first to make sure it’s not too hot). The heat and warmth of the oil open up your hair’s cuticles, allowing it to soak up the oil more effectively.
Boost Your Conditioner
Amp up the hydration power of your rinse-out conditioner by adding a small amount of oil. Coconut and Jojoba oil are both good options for hair care.
Oil Your Ends
If the ends of your hair are very dry, you can apply oil daily or as needed. Rub a small amount of oil, like a pea-sized drop, between your palms, then smooth through the ends of your hair. This will help reduce fizz, breakage, and split-ends
Oil Up Daily
Using a face oil as the last step in your skincare routine will help seal in moisture and keep your face hydrated all day long.
Add A Hyaluronic Acid Serum To Your Routine
Because hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000x its weight in water, it is one of the best things you can use on your skin for added hydration. Apply a small amount to your face while it’s still damp, and then follow that with your face cream and oil.
Mist and Repeat Throughout The Day
A hydrating moisturizing spray can be your best friend during the winter. Keep one with you to mist your face throughout the day. It will impart instant hydration and a luminous glow.
Invest In A Humidifier
Humidifiers help protect the skin by replenishing moisture in the air and keeping the humidity at an ideal level (around 40-60%). The best option is to keep one in each room you spend a lot of time in. But at the very least, use one in your bedroom while you sleep at night. Not only will your skin benefit from this, but it will also help reduce the occurrence of nose bleeds and chapped lips.
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