Winter Skin Problems, Prevention & their Best Solutions
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There is no doubt that the effects of winter on your skin are considerably harsh! With the onset of the cold weather, the humidity levels in the environment automatically drop. This along with the dry heat of central heating systems and the sluggish sebaceous glands leaves your skin dehydrated.
We take you through different skin problems you may experience along with tailored solutions to refresh your skincare regime in the winter.
Dry and scaly patches
Dry and scaly patches on the skin are among other winter skin issues. it is likely for you to experience dryness in your skin in the cold winter phase with your knees and elbows being severely affected. This is largely because there are fewer oil glands present coupled with a slow cellular turnover rate. thus, resulting in dead skin cells buildup rendering them prone to dryness.
Your elbows and knees tend to experience friction throughout the day during clothes rubbing, elbow resting, leg crossing, etc. This ultimately stirs inflammation causing dry spots and hyperpigmentation in your skin. hyperpigmentation occurs usually due to the thickening of your skin, particularly being more prevalent in darker skin colors.
Solution
For maximum penetration to your skin, you need to apply cream that is rich in urea. Urea is a natural humectant that attracts moisture, softening your skin. For winter skincare tips, you may also try a moisturizer infused with glycolic acid to soothe rough patches. A shot of cortisone may be suggested for extreme conditions as the steroid lightens your skin and thins it out.
Parched hands and nails
It is natural for you to wash your hands multiple times a day for hygiene purposes. You wear gloves to keep your hands warm and prevent numbness. Similarly, gel manicures are the new thing that keeps your nail paint from being chipped. Though these are a given in any situation, what about the negative impact these moves are having on your fingers? Gel nail paints are long-lasting and also make your hands look pretty, but soaking your hands in acetone now and then can-do real damage.
Solution
To counteract the loss of moisture, we recommend doubling up on your hand cream. This is one of the winter skincare essentials. Smoothing on cream rich in ceramides forms a plate-like barrier on your skin to protect it. You can then follow up with a heavy cream such as Aquaphor before going to bed, to lock in the moisture.
Chapped lips
You often tend to ignore the fact that your lips need as much care as the rest of your skin, especially in winter. Your lips are the most delicate part of your skin and thus the cold air whipping along with the lipstick you may be wearing can dry them out. This is a common winter skin problem. The cracks that appear on your lips can be super painful and make you look rather dehydrated.
Solution
Moisturizing your lips is key. There are many options available with a plethora of lip balms in different formulations, shades, and flavors. Seek ingredients such as cold-pressed antioxidant-rich fruit seed oil and colloidal oatmeal. These offer long-lasting moisture as they rejuvenate your lips.
Protect your skin from winter by drinking lots of water every day to stay hydrated and keep your lips from chapping. Wearing warm clothing with a scarf on your neck as you step out in the cold is also essential.
Our Pick: Pinksoul’s Hello Pink Lips Balm is a great product for soothing your dry lips. Infused with beetroot and strawberry it makes your lips naturally soft and pink.
Dark spots
As surprising as it may be, sun spots also appear in the cold winter months when there’s hardly any sun. Fortunately, this is also a great time for you to work on them so they can fade since you won't be spending much time outdoors.
Solution
To get rid of this mild UV damage on your skin, you can use retinol pads twice a week. This will help in skin exfoliation to facilitate cellular turnover. Remember to smear on lots of sunscreen when you are using retinol products as they tend to make your skin very sun sensitive.
You can also opt for a laser treatment. Fraxel is one such series of three fractional laser treatments that eradicate sun spots, creased skin, and broken capillaries in a short time.
Our Pick: Bright Booster Serum by Pinksoul works 30x to fade dark spots that occur on your skin due to sun exposure. Having been infused with turmeric, citrus, and rose extracts it activates your skin renewal process igniting your natural glow.
Arm bumps
Have you ever noticed those chicken skin-like tracks on your arms? Before you pick on them, we would like to warn you that they aren’t pimples! These pop up due to a genetic condition called keratosis pilaris. This is the protein buildup within your hair follicles that causes those raised bumps.
Solution
It may be rather tempting to attack these pesky bumps with a grainy scrub, eradicating them away. However, chemical exfoliants would be your best bet. A moisturizer comprising lactic acid would also be effective. Lactic acid does not only exfoliate your skin but also acts like a hydrating humectant encouraging it to produce healing ceramides in your skin.
Though these bumps are mostly skin color, they may also accompany some redness at certain times. This inflammation can be calmed by layering your skin with one percent hydrocortisone cream under an exfoliant.
Razor bumps
Shaving is rather risky despite what time of year it is. However, consider dragging a blade on your excessively dry skin. not only will it be painful it will also let bacteria into your skin causing razor bumps. This will be a rather unpleasant experience!
Solution
To tackle the issue of razor bumps, we suggest you use an exfoliating cream scrub before your shave. You may then use a moisturizing gel for shaving and slather some body lotion right after.
Cracked heels
No one gets to look at your feet in the winter and this might as well give you the excuse to skip your monthly pedicure. However, this certainly does not mean that your heels won't crack either. They may begin feeling like sandpaper rather soon!
Solution
For situations like these with hardened heels and calluses, we suggest soaking your feet in warm water followed by rubbing a urea-infused cream. Once your skin is thoroughly moisturized, you may then proceed with buffing with a foot file. This will give you baby-soft feet.
Our Pick: Miracle balm by Pinksoul is a true miracle worker to treat cracked heels. It contains heavy moisturizing ingredients that work as a balm on your skin.
The final verdict
As the temperature drops, you don’t only need to smear on more moisturizer but also make a few tweaks to your skincare regime to keep your skin protected till the summer. You may have to invest in lactic acid, glycolic acid and urea enriched skincare products to retain maximum moisture in your skin. Similarly keeping a lip balm handy at all times is also essential to keep your lips from chapping. Chemical exfoliants and balms must be stocked up to tackle your winter skin till the weather lasts!