When the weather cools down, the air dries up. Regardless of your skin type, that dry air can wreak havoc on your face, body, hands and feet. From red, dry patches to flakiness and chapped lips, few are immune to the many woes that come with cold climates.
But Mother Nature is no match for the determination of top beauty manufacturers. If you're desperate for a solution, there are helpful skin care products worth checking out for cooler temperatures.
In this article: Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream and O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream.
Common skin issues aggravated by cold air
Because dry winter air lacks the humidity required for your skin to maintain healthy moisture levels, four issues may worsen in winter without the intervention of skin care products.
- Chapped lips: The lips harden in spots, peel and sometimes crack.
- Dry skin: This leaves the skin with rough patches that may scale, itch and crack.
- Eczema: This causes rough patches and rashes that scale, crack and swell.
- Psoriasis: This can lead to painful dry, cracking skin with rashes and scales that itch or burn.
What makes winter skin issues worse?
According to the Mayo Clinic, you could exacerbate your skin's issues by making five common cold-weather skin care mistakes.
- Too much heat: Heating your home feels great, but it can dry the air and your skin.
- Excessive bathing: Bathing too often can strip your skin of necessary oils. Try to cut bathing down to once per day.
- Environment: Exposure to cold weather and low humidity dries your skin.
- Harsh soap: Many standard hand and body soaps strip your skin of oils essential to maintaining healthy moisture barriers.
- Medical treatment: Various medications and treatments can dry your skin.
Winter skin care products for your face
If you're looking for ways to rescue your face, consider updating your routine with these skin care products:
- Lip scrub: This granular formula can help you polish away dry, peeling skin.
- Lip balm: Moisture-rich lip balms can soothe and heal your ailing lips.
- Cleanser: Switching to a moisture-rich facial cleanser helps you avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils with every wash.
- Serums: These high-impact formulas help you get results quickly with intense ingredients that remove dry skin.
- Eye cream: The skin around your eyes is especially vulnerable to winter weather. Extra-rich formulas can restore and protect it.
- Moisturizer: Ultra-hydrating facial creams can help you lock in moisture as they heal and restore your fragile winter-wrecked skin.
- Facial humidifier: This can open your pores and restore moisture to your thirsty skin.
Winter skin care products for your body
These helpful winter skin care products are worth checking out to restore your hands, feet and body:
- Hand moisturizers: When standard lotions stop working, reach for fast-acting repair creams and intense balms to revive your dry hands.
- Foot creams: There are highly effective products made just for your feet that can help restore and remove cracked heels and thickened skin.
- Body scrubs: Exfoliating twice a week can help remove excess layers of dry skin, priming it to reap the benefits of your moisturizer.
- Moisturizing body washes: Cleansing your body with a wash that doesn’t strip essential oils from your skin and can help lock in moisture.
- Body creams: Thin lotions are no match for rich body butters, shea moisturizers and dermatologist-recommended products that have what it takes to revive your dry skin.
Best skin care products to buy as temperatures drop
Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
This gentle cleanser is excellent for winter skin care, but those with normal to dry skin can use it year-round. It removes dirt and oil without stripping your face and has clean ingredients free of parabens, phthalates and other harsh chemicals.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
This phenomenal moisturizer strengthens your skin's natural moisture barrier with healing ingredients, such as beetroot, vitamin F and coconut extract. It's ideal for those with normal, dry and combination skin.
Sold by Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty
O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream
This night treatment for your hands can help you heal parched and cracking skin in as little as one application. It's nongreasy and a must-have for winter skin care.
Sold by Amazon
Handmade Heroes Gentle Lip Polish
This vegan coconut lip scrub can gently remove dead skin from dry, peeling lips and leave them refreshed and restored. Its ingredients are vegan and free of fragrances, parabens and other synthetic chemicals.
Sold by Amazon
Kate Somerville Retinol Firming Eye Cream
This rich cream is clinically proven to moisturize the skin around your eyes as it improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's a powerful treatment that protects your delicate skin.
Sold by Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty
Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Serum
This serum fights the buildup of dead skin cells as it hydrates your face, removes dark spots and evens out your complexion. It's cruelty-free and great for all skin types.
Sold by Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream with Pump
This essential winter product is dermatologist-recommended and contains the lipids needed to restore and maintain healthy moisture levels. It's ideal for those with dry skin, as well as those with eczema- and psoriasis-prone skin.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Tree Hut Exotic Bloom Shea Sugar Scrub
This vegan scrub is ultra-hydrating and contains rich ingredients, such as hemp seed oil and shea butter, to restore your skin as the sugar scrub polishes away dead skin. It also has lavender oil to soothe irritated, itchy skin and relieve stress.
Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
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Ella Scott writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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