Brr, it’s Cold Out There

Here are some tips for your skin and hair - MP Edition 017

Winter is wonderful for many reasons: it’s the season of layering, roaring fires, and white wonderlands, but it’s not helping your hair or skin. The cold snaps, gusty winds, and snowfalls can be super harsh on both your hair and skin So we’ve rounded up the best beauty tips for winter that will get you through this chilly season.

Dry skin in the winter

When the temperatures drop, your skin needs some extra loving. The cold, dry air outside and heaters and fires inside can dry out and dehydrate your skin, leaving it feeling itchy, red, and irritated, and at times, raw and cracked. It can even make eczema worse. 

Here are some tips to help you regain some of the natural moisture in your skin:

• Use a humidifier: A humidifier will help increase the moisture levels in the air. Also, as tempting as it is to blast your heater as soon as you get home, try to keep it at a low or moderate temperature to avoid drying out the air as well as your skin.
  
  

• Avoid scalding hot showers: Listen, we all know how good it feels to take a nice, hot shower or bath when you get in from the cold but it’s not doing your skin any favors because hot water will strip your skin of its moisture like nobody’s business.
  
  

• Use a gentle soap or cleanser: Opt for one that's free of artificial fragrances and harsh chemicals as they’ll further irritate your skin. A quick test is if your skin feels tight after cleansing, it is not right for your skin. Using a good cleanser should make your skin feel soft and supple. Our Clean Wash is gentle enough to use on the rest of your body without irritating your skin.
  
  

• Dry brush: Dry brushing will help you exfoliate your skin by sloughing off dead skin cells and getting your circulation flowing.
  
  

• Moisturize as soon as you’re out of the shower: Apply a rich moisturizer as soon as you get out of the shower or bath to help seal the moisture in your skin. And don’t forget about your feet! They tend to crack and peel more in the winter so make sure you moisturize your soles and toes as well.
  
  

• Pucker up.Lips are often the first to dry out, crack, or peel in the winter. Make sure you choose a lip balm with SPF to keep lips super soft. Burt’s Bees’ Lip Balm is a classic savior in the winter months.
  
  

• Avoid irritating fabrics: Wool can keep you nice and cozy in the winter but the itchy fabric may also further irritate your skin. Avoid having it directly touch your skin with a buffer like a cotton T-shirt in between.
  
  

• Change up your diet: Load up on hydrating foods such as those rich in fish oil, omega 3’s, and flaxseed. And drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol as it will dehydrate you.
  
  

How do I keep my face hydrated in the winter?

And because our faces are extra sensitive in the winter season, we’ve rounded up our top tips for keeping your face safe from winter as well:

• Use a serum: Serums complement moisturizers and help deliver hydration deep into your skin. Look for one with hyaluronic acid to get maximum hydration and to plump up your skin. We like Pai’s Instant Calm Redness Serum, SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, Vintner's Daughter’s Active Essence Serum, or Dr. Barbara Sturm's Hydrating Serum.
  
  

• Steam first: Steaming helps open up your pores to allow your hydrating products to penetrate deeper and work more effectively. There are at-home facial steamers you can buy, or you can do the ol’ bucket of hot water and towel over your head trick.
  
  

• Use a winter moisturizer: Richer moisturizers are best for the winter months to help combat dry skin. Opt for a cream, oil, or ointment like Vaseline in the winter because you need a moisturizer that’s more heavy-duty than the lotions you use in the summer. And don’t forget SPF even during the winter months.
  
  

• Add dermaplaning to your next facial: Dermaplaning is a treatment where an esthetician uses a blade to gently slough off dry, dead skin and peach fuzz. It sounds much scarier than it actually is. It’s completely painless and helps your products absorb and work better.
  
  

Dry hair in winter

Dry skin is obvious in the winter but did you know that the cold weather also wreaks havoc on your hair as well? Just like skin, your tousled tresses need protection from the cold to remain soft, shiny, and healthy.

How can I protect my hair in winter?

• Shampoo less: In the winter, your scalp is already drier than normal, overwashing will lead to an itchy, flaky scalp and even slow down hair growth. Use dry shampoo to keep the oiliness at bay and your hair fresh in between washes. And when you do shampoo, keep the water temperature lukewarm to keep from stripping even more moisture.
  
  

• Avoid hot tools: During the colder months, allow your hair to air dry and style it au natural as much as possible. The heat from blow dryers, straighteners, or curlers will further dry out your hair, removing moisture and increasing breakage.
  
  

• Wear a hat: Just as you would bundle up in the winter, wear a hat to help shield your scalp and hair from the harsh elements of wind, rain, and snow that can dry out your hair real quick.
  
  

• Don’t go out with wet hair: For the love of god, don’t do it. Not only will you likely catch a cold, wet hair is more prone to damage than dry hair. The water in your strands freezes which then causes breakage.
  
  

• Get trims on the regular: Snipping off the bottom half an inch of hair every four to eight weeks helps keep your hair healthy and fresh, getting rid of dry split ends.
  
  

• Treat yo’ hair: Keep your scalp moisturized in the winter because it needs some extra loving. You can restore some of the moisture lost and repair dry, damaged hair with an oil-based hair treatment, a night serum, or a leave-in conditioner. The latter will help smooth over any flyaways, which is a surefire sign of dryness. We love the MoroccanOil Treatment or John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir
  .

With these cold weather beauty tips, your hair and skin will thank you this winter.