Some tips and product suggestions for uncomfortable dry winter skin

I generally have oily skin. While this comes with its own problems, fortunately I don’t get that itchy dry feeling that comes with dry skin very often. Apart from this time of year. Going from the cold sunny outdoors into dry heated indoors really messes up the skin’s moisture balance. This leads to uncomfortable chapped skin and lips. Not nice. Flaky skin and makeup don’t pair well, something must be done.

I have compiled some tips and products that might be of use.

10 Tips For Dry Winter Skin

1. Get a Humidifier– I got this ultrasonic humidifier for the baby’s room in the hope that it would make her sleep. It didn’t work, so now it’s by my bed keeping my skin moist and plump during the night. It’s the lack of humidity in a central heated house that will dry the skin, so the humidifier will help combat that dryness. (A humidifier will also help your sinuses to battle viruses, not glamorous, but then there’s nothing fabulous about a runny nose).
2. Lip Balm– Well, duh, your lips are dry so use a quenching balm to keep the thin lip skin from losing moisture.

   

   Lansinoh nipple cream is a firm fave of mine. It comes in a decent sized 40 ml tube and is made of 100% pure Lanolin.  Lanolips is very similar- medical grade Lanolin. If it’s good enough to protect sheep from wind, cold and rain, it’s got to be good enough for my poor little lips. The Kiehls Lip Balm is tinted and has SPF. SPF is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. Carmex is an old school classic, it soothes itching with camphor and menthol and contains moisturising cocoa butter. I’ve read that Carmex in a tub is better than a tube for some reason. Tip- Apply your lip balm before washing your face to prevent face wash from removing natural oils.

3. Avoid boiling hot water– Don’t have a very hot shower or rinse your face with really hot water, it’ll make dryness worse. It’s nice though, a hot shower, BUT DON’T DO IT.
4. Treat dry eyes– Recently I have woken up with dry eyeballs. Ugh! Basically I find it hard to blink in the morning without it feeling like someone has sprinkled sand in my face in the night. I’ve been using Optrex ActiMist Spray and it sorts this right out.

   

   Optrex Eye ActiMist contains  vitamins and lipids to stabilise the eyes natural tear film. You spray it onto closed eyes and it’s most refreshing.

5. Beef up your facial moisturiser– This is the time of year to switch to a richer face cream. Put down the dehydrating products containing Retinol, Salicylic acid and Alcohol and replace with something more nourishing. An oil based cream or face oil will help to seal water in.

   

   I’m very fond of Ren and their Revitalising Bight Cream smells amazing and absorbs in seconds.

6. Body moisturiser- I asked my dry skin sufferer of a husband and he reckons Bio oil is the biz for body moisturising. The Hemp range by The Body Shop has serious moisturising properties.

   

   The Body Shop does a full range of super moisturising Hemp products. They have a light pleasant fragrance which is neither masculine or feminine. Hemp is Marijuana isn’t it? Only just realised that.
   Slather on your creams immediately after jumping out of the shower or bath, when your skin is all watery. You can even moisturise before bathing if your skin is really not responding to moisturiser.

7. Hand Cream– Apply hand cream after every time you wash your hands. A good way to really soften dry chapped digits is to slather on Vaseline and wear gloves overnight (any gloves would do). Olive oil is a great hand moisturiser, it’s handy to use after doing the washing up.

   

   Products which will soothe tight dry winter skin- A scented hand cream like this Clarins one might be fine, if you need something with a bit more oomph then Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream is fantastic. The Lanolin ointments I mentioned above work great for hands too.

8. Layer up the skincare– Instead of just chucking on a thick cream onto dry skin try spritzing with a mineral rich facial spritz, like Avene Thermale Facial Spray. When the skin is still moist, apply your usual serum then the moisturiser on top. Your face will be soaking wet but give it 5 minutes and the skin sort of drinks in all the products.
9. Drink plenty of water– You should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Eek, need to get on that.
10. Supplement your diet– Eat plenty of oil rich foods- nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut for example (not chips). Nuts and seeds are really good for skin, containing Selenium and Vitamin E. These are powerful antioxidants preventing sun damage and aging. Just 4 Brazil nuts contains your daily dose of Selenium

Essentially you’re trying to get moisture into the skin and then seal it in with emoilients. There’s a fair while until the sun comes back, time to switch up that skincare and snuggle in. I hope you have enjoyed these tips for easing dry winter skin.

(This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I get a tiny bit of money if you purchase something after you click on the link. I may have received some of the products for consideration but mostly they are paid for by me)