7 Tips to Bring Your Winter Skin Back to Life

In the summer, it’s easy. Your skin feels radiant and is positively glowing 24/7. Then, as soon as the harsh winter air rears its ugly head, it is nothing but dry, cracked, sensitive skin that has you running to the pharmacy for new remedies every week.

There are ways to help you survive the winter season in one piece, and some of them are much simpler than you’d think.

1. Humidify

Considering it’s the dry chilly air that’s giving your face a beating this winter, cranking up the moisture makes perfect sense. Investing in a humidifier will make all the difference. During the winter, the moisture from your skin evaporates into the air much more easily than during the warmer seasons. Most humidifiers can be found fairly cheap and can also help your itchy, irritable skin and clear up your sinuses at the same time.

2. Lay Off the Hot Showers

We know how enjoyable a long, hot shower can be on an icy day, but it’s actually stripping the natural oils from your skin and will end up drying it out. So keep your showers as short and as cool as endurable. Always opt for a shower over a bath, because those can be even more damaging. When in the shower, use less soap and be sure to exfoliate occasionally.

3. Don’t Forget to Moisturize

This one sounds like a complete no-brainer, but it’s insanely important. Apply moisture lotion as soon as you can after stepping out of that lukewarm shower, and don’t be stingy throughout the day. Your skin deserves to be moisturized multiple times during the day and before bed to keep you from itching all night. Some of the best ingredients to look for when picking a moisturizer are lactic acid, urea, lanolin, glycerin, dimethicone, petrolatum, and mineral oil.

4. Try an At-Home Facial Mask

There are a ton of ingredients that you can find in your own pantry that will keep your face from feeling dry, cracked and itchy. Take some time to try a few out, no matter how silly they may sound. Bananas, milk, oatmeal, yogurt and more will rejuvenate your face in no time.

5. Wear Protective Clothing

A big issue we all face in the wintertime is the harsh wind chill we meet whenever stepping outside; a wind chill that strips our bodies of moisture. So bundle up in your cutest scarves, earmuffs, and gloves to protect your precious skin.

6. Load Up on Herbs

This one will probably come as a surprise to most, but there are actually a ton of herbs that will work wonders on your skin. Fresh herbs have lots of benefits for skin health, ranging from tightening your skin’s tissue, soothing your skin, helping fade acne and scars, and fighting dryness. Let’s just say aloe vera isn’t just for after sunny days at the beach, and chamomile is more than a type of tea. Other helpful herbs include witch hazel, calendula, and lavender. You might even want to consider growing your own herbs; it can even be done indoors and is also boasted as a huge stress reliever.

7. Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen

This is such a natural habit during the summer when we’re laying out in our bikinis soaking up the warmth, but it’s brutally rejected during the cooler months. Just because the warmth isn’t radiating doesn’t mean the sun isn’t out to get your skin. This tip is more precautionary than anything, but it’s vital for your skin’s overall well-being. Use a daily sunscreen that’s light on your skin.

Implementing just a few of these tricks into your daily routine can make the winter a lot more bearable and will keep your skin feeling like new.