Winter is here again and this means that most of you are about to experience changes on your skin. The cold weather and low humidity during winter can make the skin dry, and itchy among other things. Having your skin go through any of the above can sometimes be quite irritating. The cold weather and low humidity strip your skin of moisture leaving it dry. And if you don’t follow a good winter skincare routine, your skin might take a turn for the worst like cracking and bleeding due to a lack of moisture.

Some people prefer hot water baths while others prefer lukewarm water baths. Although taking a hot water bath during winter makes one feel good, it is not advisable as it strips away the natural oils from the skin and dilates the blood vessels making your skin to lose moisture.

Below are some winter skincare routine tips that can protect your skin

Exfoliate

A lot of people tend to forget that the skin needs help in getting rid of excess dead cells as they can prevent moisture from getting in the skin. Get yourself an exfoliating mask for your face and hands.

Hydrate from the inside out

Eating foods such as melon, cantaloupe, kiwi, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and most importantly drinking water can go a long way in hydrating your skin. Taking Vitamin C and Zinc also helps in collagen and elastin production, which keeps your skin healthy. You can also drink fruit-infused water to keep yourself refreshed and hydrated.

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DIY masks

For your winter skincare routine, you can simply opt for DIY masks using ingredients from your home such honey, avocado, yogurt, olive oil, bananas, almond oil and a host of other natural foods.

Avoid acne flare-Up

You should try as much as you can to avoid clogging your skin pores. Avoid greasy skincare products which contain a lot of oils and instead, opt for a lighter moisturizer.

Cover up your skin

As one gets older the amount of natural oil in the skin reduces. This makes the barrier in the inside and outside of the skin to breakdown hence reducing the channels of transporting moisturizer into the skin. Wearing sunscreen and covering up your skin will prevent this and also your skin from drying out and becoming irritated.

Limit shower time and temperature

During winter it is obviously cold and taking a long hot shower or steam-bath seems like the right thing to do since it is so enjoyable. The truth is that it is not advisable and your skin only needs about 5 to 10 minutes at most in that shower. Make sure the water is not hot before taking a shower and limit your shower time. This will maintain the levels of natural oils in the skin. This also applies to washing your hands.

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Overnight moisturizer

The skin is thinner in some areas on your body than on others. The thinner areas lose moisture faster and become dry, which can make one feel very uncomfortable. These areas include the hands, feet, elbow, and knees. To up your winter skincare routine game, you need to keep these areas more moisturized than the other areas and one way of doing this is by moisturizing them before going to sleep.