Winter is coming, which means that the temperature and humidity are about to drop way down low. For the skin, winter usually brings with it dryness and irritation, especially if you spend a lot of time in artificially heated environments or outside facing the elements head-on.
Maintaining a bright, healthy look in winter can be a challenge, but with the right winter skincare routine, your skin will thrive!
We should also give the cold season some credit where it’s due: The lower UV index (and most people’s tendency to stay indoors) means there’s less risk of sunburn, so you can get adventurous with powerful skin treatments that might be too sensitizing in summer.
With all that in mind, here are our best tips on how to transform your skincare routine for winter, to combat dryness and maintain your glow.
1. Switch to a Gentler Cleanser
Consider switching the cleanser you use for your winter skincare routine. Face washes are meant to remove oil-based impurities from the skin, and the formula that’s perfect in summer might be overly drying in winter.
The ZO Balancing Cleansing Emulsion and ZO Hydrating Cleanser are our favourite winter face washes. They’re ultra-mild and soothing, with a creamy and moisturizing texture and ingredients that support the skin barrier. They’re effective for all skin types but are ideal for dry and sensitive skin.
2. Prevent Dry Winter Skin With Moisturizer
You should already be moisturizing in summer and autumn, but if you haven’t… Now’s a good time to start! In winter, artificial heating dries out the air, which can cause skin dehydration. The wind can also chafe and irritate the skin. Keeping your skin moisturized will fortify it against the harsh seasonal onslaught.
We carry a few phenomenal moisturizers for winter skincare! For dry skin, we love the ZO Hydrating Crème, Alastin Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer, and SkinMedica® TNS® Ceramide Treatment Cream. They’re loaded with barrier-repairing ingredients that keep the skin strong and resilient.
If your skin is a little oily, even in winter, the ZO Skin Health Renewal Crème delivers deep hydration in a light, non-greasy texture. For skin somewhere in between, you can’t go wrong with the ZO Recovery Crème.
3. Keep Using Sunscreen
Sunscreen often gets forgotten as winter rolls around. Even with low UV, there is still significant penetration of UVA rays. While UVA doesn’t cause sunburn, it still plays a key role in premature aging. In other words, if you’re interested in keeping your skin smooth, even-toned, and wrinkle-free for the next few decades, it’s important to wear sunscreen all year round!
Have a look at our selection of the best sunscreens for every skin type and unique need, to find a formula you’ll enjoy using in winter. Your winter sunscreen can also be a source of hydration, skin-nourishing ingredients, and protection from other skin stressors like pollution and blue light!
4. Try Slugging
Have you heard about slugging yet? It’s all the rage on TikTok, and it’s one of the rare skincare hacks that we approve of here at Discovery Laser. It calls for applying a rich, thick balm or ointment as your last skincare step at night, after serums and moisturizer.
This unique winter skincare tip will seal in an immense dose of moisture, so it’s perfect when your skin is at its driest and most compromised. If you want to try it at home, look for a thick, moisture-sealing balm like our Alastin Skincare Soothe + Protect Recovery Balm.
5. Try Exfoliation
Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin from the surface, and it’s an important aspect of basic skincare especially if you’re dealing with skin texture or flakiness.
In your winter skincare routine, exfoliation can help keep your skin soft and supple, and it can help you achieve skin goals like wrinkle reduction or pimple prevention a little faster.
If your skin is quite thick and hearty, the ZO Exfoliating Cleanser and ZO Exfoliating Polish are excellent options that combine gentle physical exfoliation with thorough chemical exfoliation.
If your skin is a little more dry and sensitive in winter, the ZO Skin Health Exfoliation Accelerator boosts the skin’s own shedding of dead skin with gentle glycolic and lactic acids, while keeping the area soothed and fortified with green tea and chamomile.
If you know your skin needs some surface renewal, but you’re nervous about over-exfoliating at home, you can always visit us for a targeted, professionally-applied chemical peel tailored to your skin’s unique needs.
6. Get That Skin Treatment You’ve Been Dreaming About!
Finally, here’s our favourite winter skin tip: Go out there and get the clinical treatment you’ve been considering.
In the summer, heat, sweat, and sun exposure can make the recovery from a treatment like CO2 laser a little less comfortable. In winter, it’s easy to keep your skin protected and out of the sun, so it’s the perfect time to seek out a skin transformation. Whether you’ve been meaning to treat acne scarring or soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles, there’s a procedure that can help.
Laser hair removal is another popular treatment that’s much easier to start in the wintertime!
Our team at Discovery Laser would love to help you achieve your skin and beauty goals. By the time spring rolls around again, you could face the world renewed and rejuvenated.
Get in touch with us and let us know what kind of winter transformation you have in mind!
