Your Winter Beauty Guide: Must-have Products to get through the Season

As you crank up the heating and move your summer dresses to the back of the closet, it’s time to rethink your beauty routine. It’s no secret that winter comes with a long list of beauty woes. The cold and dry air brings more dehydration, inflammation and dryness to your skin and hair. The increased time spent in closed, badly-ventilated spaces raises the risk of developing breakouts. And then, there’s less of the skin-friendly vitamin D to obtain from the sun.

So, to counter these unfortunate side-effects of winter, your beauty regime is going to need a little boost. But where to start? The following beauty products will give your skin, body and hair the extra TLC needed to get through the winter looking your best. Armed with this knowledge, you can hit any local or online beauty shop confident that you’re buying exactly what you need.

Supplement Your Moisturizer with a Hydrating Serum

At this time of year, a single hydrating base isn’t enough. Besides a moisturising cream, it’s also recommended to use a hydrating serum. But if you’re already using a vitamin C serum, switch to one that offers extra moisturising goodness. A vitamin C serum with additional hydrating ingredients like aloe vera or hyaluronic acid with skincare spray may be just what your beauty routine needs. You can easily find an effective hydrating serum from a well-stocked online beauty shop carrying major skincare brands. The extra layer of moisturising serum is perfect to counter the effects of indoor heating and the cold air outside.

Exfoliate Even More!

Because you’re going to apply an extra hydrating layer, it’s even more important to exfoliate in the winter than it is in the summer. In order to properly hydrate your skin, you will need to get rid of all the debris first. By exfoliating, you’re helping to unplug pores which aids the absorption of skincare products.

Additionally, clean pores are able to release natural skin oils better which also gives you a boost of hydration. However, avoid using harsh abrasive physical scrubs and instead opt for AHA-based exfoliants. In addition to helping to slough off dead skin, AHA-based exfoliants help balance the natural acidic environment of the skin which can be disrupted during the winter

Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen!

Sunscreen is essential all year-round, no matter the temperatures. But sometimes it’s so cold, that we think we don’t really need to use up our SPF. And without realising, we expose our skin to damage and pre-mature ageing. But just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean there’s no sun. There will still be days when the UV levels are dangerously high – just like during the summer. And if it’s been snowing, the reflection of the sun rays from the snow can double your risk. But even cloudy days shouldn’t be an exception since the UV rays can still penetrate through the clouds.

Change Your Lip Balm

If you’re like most women, you probably have a lip balm in every single pocket and purse. Tinted lip balm can do many things like adding a pop of fresh colour and shine to liven up those lips, however, preventing dryness isn’t one of them. And due to the strong winds and dry air, painfully chapped lips are a common occurrence during the winter. That being said, adding colour and shine to your lips won’t look good if they’re cracked and flaky. So, to correct the damage, you need to switch to a hydrating lip balm that locks the little moisture the lips have. Using an emollient balm is the best way to prevent and heal cracked lips.

Put Scalp-Care In the Spotlight

While scalp-care is rarely included in beauty regimes, in the winter it’s super important that you keep your scalp healthy and nourished. After the beating it has gotten from the harsh summer sun, once the temperatures drop and the air gets drier, your scalp is especially prone to damage. So, if you’re like most people, you’ve probably noticed itchiness and an increase in dandruff in late autumn and early winter.

So, this winter, don’t forget to take care of your scalp well! Under all that hair, your scalp is like the rest of your skin too. And that means that it can benefit from some proper moisturizing. Oils are especially good for providing hydration, however, you need to be careful as adding oil to your scalp will obviously result in greasy hair.

That being said, consider using a shampoo that contains oils that are suitable for hair care. Scalp-friendly shampoo formulas with ingredients such as argan or tea tree oil are especially effective in repairing the skin on the scalp. Plus, tea tree oil can help soothe scalp acne.

Another great product that you may want to include in your hair care routine is a scalp scrub. Exfoliating the scalp helps to thoroughly remove dead cells and product build-up which can further irritate the skin. However, if your scalp problems still persist despite introducing these changes, try switching to a gentler, organic shampoo and eliminating any hair products that contain alcohol.

Take Care of Staticky Hair with the Right Defrizzer

Can our hair ever catch a break? From being burned by the harsh UV rays in the summer, in the winter with the less moisture in the air, it gets all frizzy and staticky. Replace your usual conditioner with a leave-in defrizzing oil. Just rub a few drops through the ends after washing and your hair will sit perfectly still and smooth all winter long. You can even use this type of oil on unruly hairs long after they’re dry.

Bring Your Glow Back

Of course, as much as you try to keep your skin hydrated and fresh, there will still be days when the weather will get the best of you. So, don’t be ashamed to cheat a little and bring your glow back using cosmetics. Instead of a matte formula that can make your face look dull, opt for a luminescent foundation. This will give your skin a subtle, “lit from within” look that will remind you of your summertime complexion. If you have oily skin or find that a matte foundation works better for you, you can still create a glowing, fresh look by using a dewy setting spray on your makeup.