Chapping, cracking, dryness or even burns: the cold can do a lot of damage to your skin. Thankfully, there are ways to adapt your beauty routine to limit the damage! Here’s a quick how-to with 5 tips.
The benefits of cold protection creams
When the temperature drops, humidity levels drop, too! That means our skin dries out more easily and the layer of oil and water that protect our skin against aggression is less effective. The result: greater risk of redness, irritation and discomfort.
To correct the situation, it’s important to choose day and night products that really help your skin retain its moisture so it doesn’t dry out. Look for thick, rich, creamy products that feature nourishing and thirst-quenching ingredients, like vegetable oils, shea butter, ceramides and hyaluronic acid. For optimal absorption, apply your products to freshly washed skin that’s still moist.
If your skin is particularly sensitive or damage, choose a super moisturizer (like a cold cream), that offers deep repairing properties for the affected areas and protects your skin from the cold. It’s also a good choice for rough-skin areas like elbows, knees, heels and hands.
GIVE YOUR CARE PRODUCTS A HELPING HAND
Looking for a more intensive nourishing treatment? Apply a little serum to your face before you use your moisturizer. It will help boost the effects of your care products and increase your skin’s ability to protect itself.
If you want a healthy looking complexion despite the weather and the lack of sun, you can always add a booster to your morning routine! Choose a product enriched with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. Apply four or five drops after you wash your face and your complexion will have an unseasonably beautiful glow.
Protect your cheeks from the cold: tips and products
Sometimes all it takes is a strong wind to dilate the blood vessels on the cheeks, and suddenly, we feel the irritation. To prevent this type of reaction, protect the face's delicate skin with a special soothing skincare product. One good choice is a "cica" balm (the name is derived from centella asiatica, a key ingredient in K-beauty products). Rich in minerals and emollients, this treatment calms inflammation, repairs lesions caused by extreme dryness, and creates a protective shield. So, it’s good to keep it handy at all times!
PROTECT YOUR HANDS
Cold weather means chapped, cracked and irritated hands. To prevent this, try applying an ultra-moisturizing cream before putting on your gloves when you go out! And make sure you always have some handy (pun intended) for use after you wash your hands. The chemicals in tap water can often dry out your skin!
Another good trick is to apply a generous layer of moisturizer to your hands just before you go to bed and wear gloves to help ensure maximum absorption.
DON’T FORGET THE SUN
We don't think about it so much when the weather’s below zero, but the effects of the sun’s rays are still being felt! In winter, your skin runs two particular risks:
• Double exposure. Although less intense in winter, UV rays still reach our bodies (even through the clouds)! Even worse, the snow in winter reflects up to 80% of the sun’s rays, compared to 25% for water and 10% for earth. That means our skin is exposed on all sides, and it’s less protected than in summer because our tan, with its protective pigments, has long since disappeared.
• Premature aging. When the UV rays reach our unprotected skin, they damage skin cells and interfere with proper regeneration. As a result, our skin dries up and begins to sag, wrinkles deepen, and pigment spots can appear in the most damaged areas.
The moral of the story? We should never leave the house without protecting our faces with a product that contains moisturizers and has an SPF of at least 30 that counters both UVB and UVA rays! It’s our best way of fighting premature aging of the skin while staying safe!
Remember: your lips are part of your face, so don’t forget to protect them with a rich balm!