Winter wonderlands might be beautiful to look at but not so pretty for your skin and hair. So, before you venture into the cold, check out the Beauty Book’s winter survival skills.
Shorten your shower time
Lingering under a hot shower is sooo comforting when its freezing outside, but did you know that after about 15 minutes all that heat starts compromising with your skin’s lipid layer that holds moisture? That’s why your skin looks crinkly and dehydrated and no amount of lotion can help. Solution? Lessen your shower time and keep the water tepid, never hot. And apply body lotion like Vaseline Intense Care Advanced Repair Lightly Scented Lotion while skin is still damp to trap moisture.
Keep a humidifier in your bedroom
Especially if you keep a heater on all night. Haven’t you noticed waking up to heavy head and stuffy nose after a night in a heated room? Combat dryness with a humidifier. If you don’t have one, try placing a wide bowl of water or wet towel in the room overnight. You’ll wake up to softer, supple skin.
Use skin oil and serums BEFORE applying moisturizer
Adding a skin oil like Kama Ayurveda Jwalini Retexturising Skin Treatment Oil or serum like Lotus Herbals Phyto-Rx Intensive Repair Anti-Ageing Serum to your skin routine improves hydration, strengthens skin cells and improves skin brightness in winter. While face creams contain just five to 10 percent active ingredients, serums can contain up to 70 percent! Just what you need for extra hydration.
Exfoliate before applying foundation
No matter how good the formula, it will look awful when applied on flaky, peeling skin. To keep skin smooth in winter, exfoliate regularly with a creamy scrub that contains gentle beads. Try Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant and then choose a moisturizing foundation with a dewy finish like Revlon Touch & Glow Moisturising Makeup. Tinted moisturizer is another great option because it's so sheer and never looks caked-on. We’re obsessing over Lotus Herbals Xpress Glow 10 in 1 Daily Beauty Cream - Bright Angel.
Show your hair some love
A weekly deep conditioning treatment like Macadamia One Healing Oil Treatment + Deep Repair Masque will make your strands sing! Especially true if you have dry, coarse or chemically treated hair. For best results, shampoo hair, pat dry and apply the treatment to damp hair. Place a shower cap over hair and leave on for half-an-hour and rinse.
Stay hydrated
Such an obvious one this, but you’ll be surprised that so many people forget to stay hydrated when the weather cools. Dry, cold air dehydrates you from within and drinking adequate water is the first step to glowing skin.
Use sunscreen
Just because the sun doesn’t feel as hot doesn’t mean you should neglect using sunscreen; UVA/UVB rays can still do damage. Instead of a mattifying formula, choose a moisturizing one like Kaya Daily Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 30 – Sun Care that maintains the skin’s hydration levels for hours.
Don't neglect your lips
Choose a lip balm that’s viscous, not waxy, so the ingredients penetrate tiny cracks on your pout. Stay away from anything with lanolin (if you have sensitive skin), and fragrance, a common allergen. Ideally opt for a formula like Sebamed Lip Defense With SPF 30 that sun protects and heals chapped lips.
