Winter skincare should be as distinct from summer skincare as the seasons themselves are. What do you think? While it makes reasonable that the changing seasons should cause us to reconsider our daily beauty routines, many of us are likely to use the same exfoliators, cleansers, toners, and moisturisers all year. Perhaps we use a little more of one and less of the other in the winter. Here are suggestions of natural beauty skin care.
After all, who really cleans out their bathroom beauty shelf or makeup bag every three months to replace it with new seasonal products? We may find it too time consuming to consider a new seasonal routine, or we may avoid purchasing new things to save money.
Winter skincare problems are exacerbated by lower levels of light, less exercise, diets heavy in carb-rich comfort foods, and bodies wrapped in thick garments. If you play to the season’s strengths and take advantage of the extra time inside to pamper yourself, your skin will not only thrive in the winter, but will also be simpler to shape for spring and summer.
How winter affects our skin
Understanding how winter affects our skin allows us to mitigate its negative effects by selecting appropriate ingredients and treatments to feed and protect our face, body, and hair, keeping them in outstanding condition and, as a result, allowing us to feel good about ourselves throughout the winter.
This post covers some of the science underlying skin’s changing needs over the winter, as well as our top 10 natural winter skincare advice. They’re all simple to do and won’t require a whole new beauty product line to get you through the transition to spring. This is a lengthy article. Winter is, after all, the perfect time to cosy up with a good book.
If you’d rather watch, our Head of Education, Ken, walks you through our top ten tips in the video above. You’ll also see some of the natural formulas we mention and link to further down.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A WINTER SKINCARE ROUTINE?
Simply said, you must adjust your skincare to the seasons, just as you would adjust your outfit to the changing weather. The body tries for homeostasis, which necessitates the balance of our blood sugar levels, body temperature, and blood concentration, among other things. The mechanism of homeostatis could be compared to the sophisticated, computerised nerve centre of a building maintenance system.
When we are exposed to temperature variations, our bodies have its own autopilot mechanisms for preserving equilibrium. Our hair follicles rise and goose bumps appear in order to increase and keep our body’s warmth.
The cold causes capillaries in the dermis to constrict (vasoconstriction), making it less efficient at delivering oxygen and nutrients to our skin. On the plus side, our bodies will be able to conserve more heat. However, our skin takes a hammering throughout the winter months and need some external assistance to accomplish its barrier function.
Our skin is subjected to low temperatures and strong winds during the winter, which take moisture away from the epidermis. As a result, our skin might become dry and sensitive, especially on our face and hands. Periodic rawness and even severe, painful chapping can affect the hands and lips. Psoriasis sufferers may find that the harsh winter weather aggravates their condition.
The skin’s lipids, which are predominantly a mix of triglycerides, wax esters, fatty acids, and squalene, which form a protective, moisturising barrier on the epidermis, are reduced by the cold (stratum corneum). External moisturising and occlusive, barrier skincare products such as chap sticks for lips and thicker hand lotions can assist prevent trans-epidermal water loss when it’s chilly (and further dryness).
Heat, perhaps surprisingly, is also a concern in the winter. The humidity level inside our hot-house interiors is reduced, which is beneficial for keeping skin moist. Winter heating, as well as the cold temperature outside, contribute to flyway hair and dry skin.
As you can see from this little summary, it is critical that we alter our skincare routine in the winter to assist our bodies’ natural systems. Below, we’ve outlined some natural winter skincare recommendations for caring, caressing, and nourishing our skin all winter long.
TOP TEN WINTER SKIN ADVICE
1. FOR WINTER RADIANCE, USE NOURISHING MASKS
Our facial skin can appear drab and pallid in the winter, partly due to the cold constricting our capillaries. Even while a brisk winter walk or other outside exercise might momentarily restore colour to our cheeks, our faces may nonetheless look wan and pale in the winter.
Because we don’t want to deplete the epidermis of its natural oils by using washing or buffing exfoliators to remove dead skin at this time of year, applying a specifically formulated mask is one of the finest ways to both cleanse and brighten our faces. However, we must select the appropriate mask.These more indulgent oil-based masks don’t have to be greasy to work as cleansers. Anhydrous, moisturising masks with micronized, dried particles of beneficial clays and antioxidant-rich superfruit extracts are possible. We’ve created a nourishing and cleansing mask recipe that’s perfect for a once-week pampering session and can be made at home.
2.WHEN CLEANING IN THE WINTER, BE CAREFUL.
Substitute softer emulsion-based cleansers and toners for any harsher, sebum-stripping cleansers and toners. This is to guarantee that you don’t deplete the skin’s lipids or upset the natural ecosystem, which is already stressed by winter weather and dry interiors.
Emulsion cleansers are available in a number of forms, from washable gel-to-milk and foaming lotions to standard cream cleansers with varying viscosities that can be removed with cosmetic pads or a moist face towel.
Micellar water is another helpful tool for mild washing. In the summer, you might have thought of it as part of a quick, all-in-one cleanse, tone, and moisturise routine, or as a great travel companion. Micellar waters, on the other hand, are useful in a winter skincare routine since their little oil content cleans the skin while their bigger water proportion is pH neutral and can moisturise. Moisturize while your skin is still damp after applying a micellar water to seal in the moisture.
3. WASH IN WARM LUKE WATER
We don’t mean taking a lukewarm or cold shower, though you are welcome to do so if you dare. In the winter months, it’s tempting to take a long hot shower and wash our hands and faces with a good splash of hot water. When your hands are exposed to harsh weather, they become drier and more prone to chapping, and if they are severely inflamed, they can become very rough and sore from one day to the next, especially between the fingers. To avoid depleting your face and hands of their lipids, wash them in lukewarm water and moisturise them right away.
By increasing blood flow in the skin’s capillaries, cooler water at the start and conclusion of a shower – alternated with warmer water – can assist boost overall circulation. If you don’t want to spend time in the bathroom on cooler days, in-shower lotions can help you get your body care done faster. In-shower lotions are emulsions that are applied to damp skin in the shower after washing to help lock in any remaining water.
4. EXTRA CARE FOR YOUR LIPS
If you use lipstick on a daily basis, your lips should be more protected because you are putting a lipid layer. Do you know what goes into your favourite lipstick, though? For some eye-opening information on mainstream colour cosmetics, check out our shownotes and podcast on green makeup. Lipsticks are often made out of petrolatum and mineral oils, as well as natural soft and hard waxes and oils such as coconut, jojoba, and castor, lanolin, and colour pigments. Petrolatum forms an occlusive, barrier layer on the skin to prevent moisture loss, but it has no utility as a nourishing, moisturising lipcare ingredient.
We’re developing a colour cosmetics course for the future at Formula Botanica because we know that makeup, particularly lip care, can be vibrant and nourishing when made with natural oils, waxes, and extracts from various fruits and berries, as well as other botanicals in powdered form and as glycerites. All of these substances are healthful and make excellent additions to a homemade lip balm.
Apart from colour, lips need some TLC and maintenance in the winter before we add an outer protective and nourishing layer. They might get dry and produce small stringy patches of skin, making them feel scratchy. A gentle lip scrub that also moisturises your lips will offer you a smooth base on which to put that colour layer.
5.USE FACE HYDRATING SERUMS
In the winter, it’s natural to reach for thicker, oilier moisturisers to help our hands and faces. Their nourishing emulsions with thicker textures are great for safeguarding our skin from the elements during the winter.
To combat the winter blues, layer a serum under your regular winter moisturiser to give your skin a nutritious boost. There are no one-size-fits-all serums, so research which type and active components can boost your skin’s performance. Serums are used to treat specific skin conditions or kinds, such as dryness, hyperpigmentation, and aged skin. They give the skin with moisturising and barrier-strengthening effects, as well as antioxidant and reparative capabilities.
Serums are versatile, ranging from oils and gels to ultra-thin emulsions and even solid, pressed serums that melt as they come into touch with the skin. It’s simple to select one that not only meets your skin’s requirements but also works in tandem with your moisturiser.
6. DEAL WITH DRY INTERIORS
We associate humidity with a sticky, damp, and unpleasant winter atmosphere, and we don’t want to see evidence of it in our houses in the form of rising damp or mould. In the winter, however, extremely hot and dry environments are not good for the skin. A certain level of moisture in the air will aid our skin’s ability to maintain its own moisture rather than being drained.
Digital room humidifiers that deliver a cool, fine, invisible mist and run effectively and silently in the background monitoring the air and adjusting output to create appropriate humidity levels are available in both floor and table-top models.
7. KEEP YOUR FEET IN MIND
While our feet are rarely exposed to the weather in the winter, they are sometimes overlooked in our beauty rituals from October until spring. They can develop callouses and hard, dry skin if they are not exfoliated and moisturised on a regular basis, which can be unpleasant. Giving your feet some TLC over the winter months will save you time when it comes to preparing them for summer display.
Make the two formulas listed below for a complete foot spa at home. They exfoliate, then nurture and moisturise your feet when used together.
8.CARE FOR YOUR HAIR
If you think the sun, sea, salt, and heat only harm your hair in the summer, think again. If you want to keep your hair looking healthy during the winter, you’ll need to step up your haircare game. With its frigid winds and dry, heated interiors, winter takes a toll on hair.
Wearing a cap and getting regular trims to remove split ends are two simple, sensible ways to protect your hair in the winter. Hats, on the other hand, can irritate the scalp and cause sweat to accumulate. To help the scalp breathe better, wear silk-like caps. Obviously, wet hair should not be worn outside in the cold.Icy temperatures can cause split ends by freezing the ends of wet hair.
To avoid stripping protective oils, use gentle shampoos and wash hair in warm, not hot, water. Hair conditioning is especially important in the winter. For a deep conditioner and a hair mask, try the recipes below. Look for pre-shampoos with rich oils and butters that can be applied to wet hair before cleansing. Apply them, wrap your hair in a warm towel, and relax while you bathe in a relaxing bath.
9.KEEP IN MIND THAT BODY CARE IS NOT JUST FOR THE SUMMER
In the winter, it’s easy to rush through showering or bathing, especially if your bathroom is cold. However, remember that skin health is more than just a healthy complexion. Dry skin on the shins, feet, and elbows, while covered for the most part during the winter, can be a source of concern and will take time to repair as spring approaches. In addition, winter might be party season, and we may regret not exfoliating, body brushing, and moisturising our bodies more frequently.
Scrubs are more than just exfoliators for removing dry, flaky skin. They can reduce the appearance of cellulite by stimulating circulation with chemicals like mineral salts and caffeine. Body polishes are similar to scrubs, but they contain finer particles and are designed to leave a moisturising layer on the skin even after washing. Your skin should feel silky smooth after a polish.
In the winter, body butters come into their own, providing excellent skin moisture. Choose whipped recipes that are less heavy and oily if you prefer lighter body butters. After showering, apply to damp skin to seal in moisture.We have a number of fun, uncomplicated solutions to try at home to treat dry, dull skin that hasn’t seen daylight or breathed fresh air in months. We also have some fantastic natural wax options to add to your body butters.
10.ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS DURING THE WINTER, AS WELL
Our third suggestion is to do as the Nordics do and go outside, nearly regardless of the weather, for some much-needed exercise and fresh air. Even if it’s only a short, brisk stroll, dressed for the weather and with your skin protected and nourished utilising some of our product formulations above, exercise can do wonders for your skin – and well-being. The capillaries will expand and work harder to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin’s outer layers, giving it a healthy glow. Remember that proper skincare is about more than just products. You’ll feel better about yourself if you get out and about, and your skin will reward you for it.So get out of the house and try Nordic beauty’s simplest and most affordable secret tip.
