How Winter Affects Our Skin?

Want to learn more about How Winter Affects Our Skin? Whether you love or hate winter, one thing’s for sure: it’s tougher to keep our skin healthy during the cold season. But why and how exactly does winter affect our skin?

Knowing the answers to this question will help us take care of our skin better. So, without further ado, let’s explore what winter does to our skin and what we can do about it.

3 Ways Winter Affects Our Skin

Other seasons are notably less problematic but the winter chill and winds can certainly do a number on our skin. When winter’s harsh weather arrives, we need to be prepared to counteract any potential damage.

What kind of damage are we talking about?

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1. Dryness and Dullness

When the temperature drops, your skin’s ability to keep itself hydrated is weakened, causing dry, dull, red, and sometimes even itchy skin. Remember that your skin can produce more oil when the weather is hot and humid like in the summer. It’s the complete opposite during winter.

Cold stressors and an overall dry environment can cause your skin to get irritated and damaged quickly.

What can you do to counteract dryness and dullness? Supplement your skincare regimen with heavier moisturizers. These may not be the ideal products during the heat of summer but when things become drier and colder, it’s time to bring out the big guns.

Another possible solution is to get a humidifier to counteract the air’s dryness. 

2. Reduces Microcirculation

Our skin is home to a vast network of capillaries that support healthy circulation and regulate body temperature. When temperatures drop, the capillaries tighten and the blood flow is lessened.

This is why it’s important not to stay outside in freezing temperatures for too long. If you must spend time outdoors, duck inside a properly heated place as often as you can to warm yourself and get your microcirculation working properly again.

3. Worsens Acne

Since the colder weather can cause your skin to become flaky, you end up with more dead skin than usual. 

And where does all this dead skin go? Most will end up clogging your pores. If your skin can’t breathe, it can cause a breakout, triggering and worsening your acne.

Acne can also be exacerbated by comfort eating — something we’re more prone to during the end-of-the-year season. 

How can we combat acne? Products with exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acid can help. They may trigger dryness though so make sure to layer on a moisturizer after.  

Conclusion

It’s often been said that the best defense is a good offense. This is no less true during winter. As chilly winds arrive and nights become longer, our skin is more likely to become dry, dull, have more pimples, and can suffer from reduced circulation. 

The best way to fight it is by keeping skin extra moisturized, exfoliating if we experience breakouts, and trying to minimize the time we spend outside, especially if it’s too cold.

With adequate measures, we can do away with cracking, dryness, inflamed skin, and other complications brought on by winter.

 

References:

https://www.innoaesthetics.com/the-impact-of-cold-weather-on-skin/

https://www.dermatologymohsinstitute.com/blog/is-your-skin-cold-weather-ready

https://www.healthline.com/health/winter-dry-skin

https://www.theskininstitute.org/winter-weather-and-your-skin/

https://www.dermalogica.com/blogs/living-skin/what-you-need-to-know-about-cold-weather-and-skin