Tips on how to transition your skincare routine from summertime fine to winter maven.
Here in the PNW the temperatures are rapidly getting colder, which means the air is dryer which ultimately means *cues dramatic music* our skin is getting dryer too! Summer time is meant for lightweight moisturizers and cleansers to keep your skin from melting off in the heat. Winter is just the opposite. We need thick moisturizers, cream cleansers and layers of skin goodies to keep our skin properly hydrated during these cold temperatures. In this blog post I’m going to help you figure out a few options for winter appropriate skincare to help keep your skin moisturized an soft all holiday season.
CLEANSERS
The first step in any skincare routine should be your cleanser. And while summer months and summer heat are great for a more lightweight gel cleanser, a great alternative to that would be an oil cleanser or a cream cleanser. For all my combo oily people out there, an oil cleanser will likely serve you better than a thicker cream cleanser. Oil cleansers are made with light non comedogenic oils that will not only remove makeup and debris off you skin but also keep us hydrated without stripping your natural oils! If you’re on the more dry side of the skin spectrum, then a creamy cleanser will likely be better for you. Cream cleansers come in many shapes and sizes but the overall power punch of these come from their ability to gently remove dirt from our skin while still soothing the look and feel of dry skin. Hashtag #winning!
TONERS
EVERYONE, and I do mean everyone, should be using a toner after washing your face. Toners come in many forms and can be used to target soooo many actions. Because these can get so specific, I won’t recommend any specific one. My personal favorites are either exfoliating timers or hydrating toners to keep the skin soft. But, catering to your skin type in this category is best, and watch your skin flourish while your not so savvy friends skin withers in the weather. (But good friends plug awesome blogs, like mine, to their friends. *winks*)
MOISTURIZERS
Moisturizers are probably my favorite part of my routine. Mainly because it means I’m done but there’s nothing quite like the feeling of freshly washed and moisturized skin right after you get out of the shower. During the summer months I’m a big fan of gel moisturizers with humectants in them because they’re light but still hydrating due to the ingredients that will draw moisture out of the air (think hyaluronic acid). During the winter though, a thicker emollient or occlusive will likely be a better suited option for most people. Emollients are the products used to soften and lubricate the skin, popular emollients include squalene and jojoba oil. Occlusives are also very important during the colder months because those are the ingredients that will lock in any moisture and keep it from evaporating off the face. Examples of Occlusives include Shea butter and cocoa butter.
Overall, the main thing we all should be thinking of is moisture moisture moisture during these cold months. Many people suffer from dry and cracking skin during the winter but they don’t have to! Swapping out you regular routine for a more tailored winter skin routine will help your skin flourish in ways you may not have seen before. Which of these tips have helped you and your winter time skin the most? Let me know in the comments, or tag me in your testimonies on IG @quinceecamilleartistry or Twitter @qcartistry.
