Understanding Winter’s Impact on Your Skin
You may notice changes with your skin from season to season which is normal! Cold weather, lower humidity, and indoor heating can strip moisture from your skin, leading to dryness and a compromised skin barrier. Below, we're sharing our top tips for combating dryness and protecting your skin to help you craft a winter skincare routine that works for you.
Common Winter Skin Concerns
- Dehydration: Loss of water content in the skin can result in dull, flaky skin.
- Sensitivity: A weaker barrier makes your skin prone to irritation and redness.
- Chapped Lips: The thin skin on your lips is particularly vulnerable.
To combat these issues, you need a routine that balances hydration, protection, and nourishment.
Tip 1: Choose a Hydrating Cleanser
A good cleanser is the foundation of any skincare routine. In winter, it can be beneficial to switch to something more gentle and hydrating as harsh cleansers can strip the skin of essential oils, worsening dryness.
Tips for Effective Cleansing:
- Wash with lukewarm water as hot water can dry out your skin.
- Pat your skin dry with a soft towel (avoid rubbing).
Tip 2: Get a More Hydrating Moisturizer
Lighter weight moisturizers may not provide enough hydration in the winter months so you may opt for a richer moisturizer to help lock in moisture and repair your skin barrier. Our face butter, formulated with Amazonian botanical ingredients offers comprehensive skin nourishment, hydration, protection, and rejuvenation.
Key Ingredients in Quotidian's Velvet Face Butter:
- Bacuri Butter: rich in antioxidants that protect against skin damage, provides intense moisture and skin softening, helps improve skin elasticity, and contains anti-aging properties
- Cupuacu Butter: deeply hydrating with long-lasting moisture retention, high in fatty acids that nourish and protect skin, improves skin's elasticity and flexibility, may help reduce signs of aging, provides natural UV protection
- Pracaxi Oil: high in oleic acid, providing deep skin hydration, contains antimicrobial properties, helps reduce skin inflammation and scarring, supports skin cell regeneration
- Tamanu Butter: powerful skin healing and regenerative properties, reduces appearance of scars and stretch marks, natural anti-inflammatory agent, promotes collagen production, can help treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis
- Ucuuba Butter: anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, supports skin healing and regeneration, high in fatty acids that improve skin barrier function, helps reduce skin redness and irritation, provides natural antioxidant protection
Tip 3: Don’t Skip SPF
SPF is essential even in winter! UV rays can penetrate clouds and windows, causing long-term damage to your skin. Opt for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30, and make it the last step in your morning routine.
Why SPF in Winter?
- Snow reflects up to 80% of UV rays, increasing exposure.
- UV damage from daily sun exposure contributes to premature aging and hyperpigmentation.
Tip 4: Exfoliate (Gently)
Exfoliation is key to removing dead skin cells, but overdoing it can compromise your skin barrier. Use gentle exfoliants like lactic acid or enzymatic scrubs once a week to reveal smoother, softer skin.
Types of Exfoliants to Avoid:
- Harsh scrubs with large particles (e.g., walnut shells).
- Overly strong acids that can irritate dry skin.
Tip 5: Incorporate Face Oils & Hydrating Serums
Face oils provide a protective layer that seals in hydration and nourishes dry skin. They also provide additional benefits and leave your skin glowing!
Our face oil, Dewy, offers a multi-targeted approach to skin health, providing rejuvenation, protection, healing, and cellular support through natural, potent botanical extracts.
Dewy works to deliver antioxidant protection, inflammation reduction, skin regeneration, tone evenness, moisture retention, and anti-aging properties - all powered by pure, natural ingredients.
Key Ingredients in Quotidian's Dewy Face Oil:
- Rose Hip Oil: rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, supports skin regeneration, helps reduce hyperpigmentation, improves skin elasticity
- Tamanu Oil: powerful skin healing properties, reduces scarring, anti-inflammatory, supports wound healing
- Green Coffee Bean Oil: high in chlorogenic acid, reduces skin inflammation, supports skin brightening, provides antioxidant protection
- Turmeric Oil: powerful anti-inflammatory, helps even skin tone, reduces acne and skin redness, antioxidant properties
- Ginger Oil: improves skin circulation, reduces inflammation, supports skin healing, enhances skin radiance
- Lemon Oil: brightens skin, helps control excess oil, provides antibacterial properties, supports skin tone evenness
- Lavender Oil: calms skin, reduces skin stress, supports wound healing, antiseptic properties
- Vitamin E Oil: powerful antioxidant, supports skin moisture retention, helps protect against UV damage, promotes skin healing
- Bakuchiol: natural retinol alternative, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin texture, less irritating than synthetic retinol
Tip 6: Moisturize Everywhere Else - Full Body, Lips, and Hands
We often prioritize our face skincare routine but it's important to also take care of the rest of your skin, the largest organ of the human body!
Tip 7: Stay Hydrated and Humidify Your Space
Skincare isn’t just about products; your environment plays a huge role. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, and consider using a humidifier to add moisture to the air, especially in heated indoor spaces.
Winter Skincare FAQs
Can I skip moisturizer if I use face oil?
We suggest using them together for optimal hydration.
How often should I exfoliate in the winter?
Stick to once a week to prevent over-exfoliating.Should I change my routine completely for winter?
You don't need to! It depends on what your skin is showing you that it needs. If it is dryer than in other seasons, then we suggest to adjust key products (like moisturizers and cleansers) while keeping the rest of your routine consistent. Both Dewy and Velvet can be used year-round.
Winter doesn’t have to mean dull, dry skin. By following these steps and incorporating high-quality products, you can keep your skin hydrated, healthy, and glowing all season long.
Ready to elevate your winter skincare routine? Explore Quotidian Skincare’s natural, hydrating products here. New to Quotidian? Check out our Mini Duo!