Like you in any given relationship, your skin wants consistency. For this reason, as you may have noticed, winter and skin don’t quite mix. The quick changes in temperature and humidity between fall and winter, mixed with hotter showers and higher at-home heating, are enough to feel palpable changes in your skin and can affect your overall skin health. And stepping from one to another quickly (as most of us do) puts our skin through adjusting to multiple ‘microclimates’ a day. So how do you keep your skin chill in the cold? Key word: routine consistency. We break it all down below.
The products
The right serum
If you were on a desert island (you wouldn’t be experiencing winter, but) you’d only really need to bring a trusted serum. Serums’ high concentrations of ingredients and deep penetration make them the most impactful skincare step. For the cold, focus on finding a serum that’s ultra hydrating against dry air and comforting against harsh temps.
Ours is not only formulated with our most impactful, nourishing ingredients, but is custom, leaving room for your winter-specific skin goals, like ‘hydrate’ with hyaluronic acid, and ‘calm/soothe’ with aloe.
A real-deal moisturizer
You might notice the moisturizer you’ve been using feels less impactful when your skin is begging for more moisture in the dry climate. Listen to what your skin is saying, and go harder on hydration. A good way in is with custom moisturizer. For face, we have three format options, recommended to you based on where your skin is at, currently. For this reason, we highly recommend re-taking the skin quiz with the new season– you can save your old formula for later if you’re not ready for a refill– so that you’re matched with the right format for your drier skin. On top of that, you’ll specific skin goals to your formula that give you more moisture, like ‘hydrate’.
For body, our body lotion is customized by your unique skin moisture level.
The adjustments
Less-fun showers
It’s fantastic for your mental health to scorch yourself in the shower, but not so much for your skin, for that same reason of harsh microclimate transitions and lack of consistency. In the coldest months, keep your heat range at a medium level. This way, your ready-to-absorb skin will take in less deeply-penetrating hot water, which only ends up drying it out. Use a custom body wash so that you’re getting the amount of moisture you crave from your products, as well.
No lollygagging
Get in the habit of moisturizing immediately upon getting out of the shower (like, within a minute), when your skin is moist and ready to absorb your custom moisturizer.
Repetition
Your skin is scared and being put through the wringer. Make your routine be the thing your skin can rely on in these trying times. Think: less is more. Find quality products that meet your skin’s needs and use them over and over, until the cold months subside (and probably again, after that).
The outcome
A healthy skin barrier
Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin and functions as a protector against what’s outside (harsh weather, dryness, wind) and for what’s inside (hydration, healthy pH, nutrients). It’s first in the line of fire in the winter months, and is an important tell for how the rest of your skin is doing– healthy skin barrier, healthy skin.
