10 Simple Ways to Battle Dry Winter Skin
These easy, everyday changes will help keep your skin moisturized all season long.
1. Keep your hand cream handy.
Your hands tend to get especially dry during the winter. We say: There's no such thing as too many tubes of hand cream. You can keep them on your desk, in your bag, and on your nightstand. And use a moisturizing cream that really works, so you don't have to constantly reapply it throughout the day. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) recommends Eucerin's Intensive Repair Extra-Enriched Hand Crème.
2. Only wash your face once a day.
In the humid, sticky summer weather, you can wash your face twice a day. But in the winter, switch to just washing at night so you don't dry out your skin. You can also try replacing your face soap or wash with a cleansing oil that's extra gentle on already roughened skin.
Related: The Biggest Mistakes You're Making Washing Your Face
3. Use a moisturizing body wash.
This definitely helps, especially if you're a little lazy when it comes to putting on body lotion.
4. Don't take super-hot showers.
Very hot water can exacerbate dry skin, so shower in water that's warm or even lukewarm.
5. Moisturize twice a day.
No matter the season, everyone should be applying a sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF in the morning. If you don't already use a nighttime moisturizer, now's the time to add one to your daily regime. Try one of our top-tested products, like Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer with SPF 30 or Lumene Illuminating Anti-Age BB Cream with SPF 20.
Related: 7 Surprising Ways You're Aging Your Skin
6. Tone down the retinol.
Retinol can cause dryness and irritation, especially combined with already dry weather. If you're set on using strong ingredients like retinols, apply them every other night or even less frequently.
7. Don't forget the rest of your body.
As soon as you get out of the shower, while your skin is still slightly damp, apply a body moisturizer. The GHRI recommendsAveeno Positively Ageless Skin Strengthening Body Cream.
8. Don't forget your cuticles either.
While a hand cream can help dry cuticles, it's better to add a cuticle-specific product to the mix. Cuticle pens are a cinch to apply and mess-free.
Related: Eat These Foods for Gorgeous Skin
9. Humidify.
The heat that keeps you warm in your home is also very dry, and because the windows are closed, it stays trapped inside. Use a humidifier to add moisture back into the air.
10. Wear gloves and a scarf when you're outside.
The biting wind and cold can wreak havoc on your skin. Bundle up!
- By Mary Clarke, Good Housekeeping Research Institute
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