Oct 28th 2021
Yes, winter skin is a thing, and just as you naturally swap out your cotton T-shirts for cozy, wool sweaters when the temperature drops, so should you adjust your skincare routine.
Cold, blustery weather is notorious for stripping the skin of moisture, leaving it uncomfortably dull, tight, and dry, and a 2018 study in the British Journal of Dermatology appears to have found a reason why. It turns out cold air makes outer skin cells shrink, causing a protein that normally helps keep the skin barrier healthy and robust to degrade. That deterioration leads to moisture loss, and eventually, the dry, scaly texture many of us experience during the winter.
Star Moisturizers
How to avoid playing the scales? First, look for humectants, which replenish moisture to the skin’s outer layer by drawing in water from the environment (as well as from deeper layers in your dermis). Topping the list are hyaluronic acid, a powerhouse molecule that can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, and glycerin; studiesshow that both are excellent at repairing dry skin and improving overall appearance. To combat dryness, apply a serum that contains one or both of these humectants (like SeeMe Beauty’s Smooth Out Recovery Serum), before moving onto your next step: an emollient-rich cream.
Lock Them In!
Now that you’ve drawn in moisture, you want to soften your skin while also locking in that precious water before the cold air (and indoor dry heat) pulls it back out. Choose a cream that contains emollients, lubricating compounds that fill in cracks to smooth skin, as well as occlusives, which create a protective layer and trap water. For the emollients, try ingredients like avocado oil (found in SeeMee Beauty’s Call Me Hydra Cream) and squalene. For the occlusives, choose from some of the best, which include silicones like dimethicone (also found in Call Me Hydra Cream).
Soon there’ll be no sign of that Hazy Shade of Winter on your skin.