Devanjana Mukherjee, Khabri Media
While you all love to enjoy the chilly weather and get all cozy in bed, it’s also quite important to take good care of your skin.
Pic: Social Media
The much-awaited cold months of the year are here. While you all love to enjoy the chilly weather and get all cozy in bed, it’s also quite important to take good care of your skin. Your wardrobe isn’t the only thing you should switch come winter: Your winter skincare routine needs a shakeup, too. Short of an entire overhaul, you may just need a few simple swaps and additions. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
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With colder months comes a change in humidity, exposure to indoor heaters, and blustery winds that actually can make skin feel drier and look duller. This time, we’re not just talking about your face, but your hands and feet. If you leave your hands and feet unattended, the skin will start to dry and get itchy.
In order to guard against cold weather-induced concerns like dryness and flaky skin, you may need to make a few adjustments to your winter skin-care routine. Thankfully, dry air won’t require an entirely new, luxury regimen — all you need is a few dermatologist-approved recommendations to keep you and your skin covered until spring.
Tips for Flawless Hands and Feet
- Ideal Winter Cleansers: For starters, you need to have a good idea of how your skin reacts throughout the year. While foaming, bubbly cleansers are fun to apply, they’re not doing your skin any favors. You need to be careful to use more gentle cleansers and richer moisturizers.
- Shower Time and Temperature: Resist the urge for a long, hot bath. Prolonged contact with hot water can strip skin of its natural moisture, leaving you even drier. Immediately after the shower, while your skin is damp, apply rich moisturizers to lock in hydration.
- Dry Brushing: If your skin is flakier than usual, try dry brushing, a ritual that involves rubbing your skin with a brush in a light, circular motion. The mechanical action works wonders and is one heck of a self-massage.
- Gentle Exfoliation: While exfoliating can help brighten the skin by removing dead cells, overdoing it can disrupt the outer skin layer, leading to dryness and irritation. Exfoliate once per week, and advance to twice weekly if you can tolerate it.
- Layered Winter Care: Just like you layer clothing to keep warm in cooler months, your skin needs the same to prevent over-drying. A good rule of thumb is to layer lightest to heaviest which is applying toner, then serum, followed by thick mosturizer.
- Covered Hands and Feet: Covering the hands and feet can help prevent the cold dry air from touching the skin, thus preventing unnecessary dryness as it is one of the thinnest layers of skin on our bodies and prone to get damaged easily.
- Avoid Heaters/Blowers: Dry heat from a heater can also have effects similar to dry cold air on one’s skin. A humidifier on the other hand maintains the moisture levels in your surroundings so that flakiness caused due to dry skin can become a thing of the past.
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8. Cuticle Oils: Small wear and tears can be a lot painful if you don’t take good care of them. Always use good cuticle oil to prevent the winter-damage and bacterial infection on them. The skin around your nails is as important as your nails and so you must take proper care of it. (TIP: Buy tried and tested cuticle oils here)
Winter Skin Care Dont’s
- Bathing or taking a shower with hot water may feel very comfortable in the winter cold, however by doing so, you are robbing your skin of the natural lipid barriers that help retain moisture.
- Synthetic fibres can irritate the skin when sleeping in a heated environment. An easy way to remedy is by wearing cotton-flannel based clothes that has a smooth & soothing effect on the skin.
- Using bathing or beauty products that have a high Sulphate content can be detrimental to your skin in winter. Most over the counter solutions for dry hands & dry feet are gel or cream based products.
- The base layer of makeup should only be applied once the dead, flaky skin has been removed using an exfoliation procedure. rather than layering or blocking skin with excessive makeup. (Tip: apply your makeup by patting gently rather than rubbing it, if you have dry skin)
- Caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, soda prevents the skin from retaining moisture, thus drying it out. One way to counteract the adverse effects of caffeinated beverages is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
Home Remedy for Hand and Feet Skin Care
- Coconut oil : A natural moisturizer, coconut oil can be applied directly to your cracked hands. When covered with gloves, the dry hands can improve within a few weeks.
- Avocado Fat : Half a mashed avocado, 1 tablespoon of olive oil & 1/8th cup of sugar can help exfoliate the dead skin away while moisturizing the skin revealed. This combination can do wonders for dry hands & dry feet.
- Homemade Cold Cream :A combination of beeswax, virgin olive oil, rosewater & lavender essential oil can be used as a cold cream & moisturizer when you’re on the go.
- Vitamin B3 : Vitamin B3 has the ability to increase the production of Ceramides and fatty acids, which are key components of the skin’s outer protective barrier. Once the barrier is strengthened, the skin itself is better equipped to keep moisture in.
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Prevention is as important as treatment. Wear gloves and warm socks when heading out into the cold to shield your hands and feet from harsh winds. Additionally, choose footwear that provides insulation and protects your feet from the chill.
Support your skin health by incorporating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and E, and antioxidants into your diet. These nutrients play a crucial role in maintaining skin elasticity and fighting off free radicals that can contribute to dryness.
With a proactive and holistic skin care routine, you can ensure that they remain soft, supple, and comfortable throughout the season. From hydration, gentle cleansing, exfoliation, layering, rich diet and protective measures, these steps will help you embrace winter with confidence, knowing that your skin is well taken care of.
