Winter is approaching and though this season has its own charm, it could wreak havoc on your skin and hair. Cold, breezy conditions can leave your skin and hair dry, itchy, and irritated. Artificial heating systems can also zap moisture from the air, causing dullness, itchiness in skin and hair. You need to take extra care to combat the effects of winter on your skin and hair.
To keep your skin and hair protected through the seasonal changes, make some easy changes to your everyday routine. Instead of spending hours stocking up on endless beauty products, all you need to do is to follow smart strategies that can protect your skin and hair against the cold and keep you covered through the entire season. Here are 7 easy-to-follow hair and skin winter tips:
Winter Skin Care
- Apply Moisturizer: Be it summer or winter, follow a daily skin moisturizing regimen to maintain healthy skin. The ideal time to apply moisturizer is right after your bath. Choose the right product as what kept your skin healthy during summer may not work during winter. The key to healthy and glowing winter skin is using mild skin care products. You can consider investing in a humidifier for your home – it will add moisture to the dry winter air and help keep your skin hydrated.
- Shower in Lukewarm Water: Taking a hot shower can be soothing in the biting cold, but it’s not good for your skin. Hot water dries out the skin quickly by stripping it of its natural oils, causing cracks and winter eczema. Use lukewarm water to shower and wash your face. Apply a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides to prevent dryness and protect your skin’s natural oils.
- Don’t Step Out Without Sunscreen: Though the winter sun may not appear as strong as summer sun, its harmful UV rays can still cause damage. Apply sunscreen or a moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more before you step out.
- Don’t remain in Wet Clothes for too long: After walking and playing in the snow, change your wet clothes as soon as possible. Wearing wet clothes for a long time can irritate your skin and cause itchiness.
- Don’t Over-exfoliate Your Skin: Though exfoliation helps in getting rid of dead cells, you need to be careful not to overdo it in winter. Your skin barrier is already compromised due to the dry and cold weather and over-exfoliation can cause skin damage. Depending on your skin type, exfoliating once a week is sufficient to boost skin regeneration and better absorption of skin care products.
- Eat Right And Healthy: To prevent dry, itchy skin, eat foods that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as walnuts, flax, and tuna. Fatty acids form part of the skin’s natural moisture retaining barriers. Include foods high in water content that will help hydrate your skin from the inside out. For essential nutrients, eat nuts and fruits. To support the healthy production of collagen and elastin, eat foods rich in vitamin C and zinc.
- Stay Hydrated: The skin tends to dry up in winter. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water can keep your skin hydrated.
Winter Hair Care
- Don’t go outdoors with wet hair: Stepping out with your wet hair in cold weather can damage your tresses. Cold weather can increase the risk of breakage and make your hair color fade faster. The best solution here is to wash your hair at night before going bed so that it’s dry by morning. While using a blow dryer, make sure to dry the undermost layers first.
- Avoid washing too often: Washing your hair too often in cold season can lead to a dry, flaky scalp and brittle hair. Shampoo every 2 to 3 days if you have straight hair and every 4 to 5 days if you have curly hair. After shampooing, apply a coat of deep conditioner on your strands starting from the mid-length to prevent them from becoming frizzy. Use a deep conditioner at least once a week to protect your hair from the harsh climate.
- Set your indoor temperature to moderate: The combination of winter’s chill and dry central heating can be extremely dehydrating and high temperatures can cause dry, dull or brittle hair. So keep your indoor temperature moderate.
- Use extra moisture: To protect your hair against cold weather damage, use an appropriate moisturizer and add extra hydration to your hair. Some experts recommend using a nourishing oil into your weekly hair care routine to restore moisture.
- Avoid over-styling: To minimize the hair damage, avoid over-styling your hair using tools like hair dryers and curling irons in winter. The heat from these tools can dry out your hair and scalp, and increase risk of hair damage.
- Cover Up: To shield your hair from the harsh weather, cover your head when you step out. Using a woolen or silk wrap is important to avoid hair breakage. Make sure it’s not too tight or else it will restrict the circulation in the scalp.
- Trim your tresses: To keep your hair healthy and reduce risk of dry, split ends, trim your tresses every 6-8 weeks.
Following these skin and hair care tips will keep your hair strong and healthy during the harsh winter season.
