The holidays should be a time of joy, but the seasonal impact on our skin can leave us with stripped barriers and red noses. Thankfully, your winter skin doesn’t have to bring down your holiday with these can’t-miss dermatologist tips for winter hydration!
What does skin need during winter?
You may be tempted to ditch your sunscreen routine in the colder months. But sun care is a year-round way to protect your skin from signs of aging.
”UV rays are ultraviolet rays no matter the temperature,” explains Davie, FL dermatologist Lesley Clark-Loeser, MD. ”The angle of UV ray penetration into our earth’s atmosphere may change with the seasons but they still have the ability to deliver significant damage, especially at higher altitudes.”
And it’s an easy way to double down on hydration during the winter.
Prospect, KY dermatologist Tami Buss Cassis, MD notes that options like Alastin HydraTint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 36 ($76) boost your moisture. “It’s not only a good hydrator and sunscreen, it also boasts a tinted, blurring element. I love the little extra tint it gives my skin,” she says. “It keeps people guessing that I have turned 48.”
Winter Hydration Station
If your skin tends to get seasonally dry, it’s important to take your environment into account.
“I tell people to humidify their air because if the air at home is bone dry then their skin will be dry no matter how much they moisturize,” says New York dermatologist Elaine Kung, MD. “I also suggest spraying their faces with thermal spring water before applying moisturizers.”
“Although you may be tempted to crank the thermostat high, actually keeping it at a comfortable setting is best to prevent your skin from drying further,” advises board-certified dermatologist and Epionce founder, Dr. Carl Thornfeldt. “Use daily moisturizers to hydrate and calm visible signs of redness and irritation.”
Reinforcing your skin barrier will also help fend off dryness.
“I recommend FixMySkin 1% hydrocortisone Balms to my patients with dry skin, which can be a sign of a diminished skin barrier,” adds Omaha, NE dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, MD. “It is perfect for both sealing in moisture as well as healing the inflammation from exposure to the elements.”
Pollution Protection
In the winter, our skin interacts with more pollutants, on top of the increased dryness and cold.
“Air pollution worsens because of increased fossil fuel combustion (due to higher energy usage in winter) and because dense, slow-moving cold air traps pollution,” explains dermatologist and founder of PowerYourCurls.com, Hamdan Abdullah Hamed, MD. “This means that pollution cannot dissipate as easily as it can in warmer weather, so we’re exposed to more of it, and for longer in winter, leaving us more vulnerable to its effects.”
Southlake, TX, and Monroe, LA dermatologist Janine Hopkins, MD notes that “acne, hyperpigmentation, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis have been shown to be influenced by air pollution. You really want to start your day with a potent antioxidant to combat free radicals and environmental toxins.”
Get Your Winter Hydration
