6 Reasons Why Your Skin Might Be Feeling Super Dry All The Time
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Winter is here and you’re probably noticing that your skin is flaking off a lot these days. During this time, the weather is dry and cold and your skin is more likely to get super dry if you continue with your summer skincare routine. There are a couple of lifestyle changes that could affect your skin quality during winter as well. If you’ve noticed drastic changes in the quality of your skin, here’s what could be going wrong:
1. You’re Not Moisturizing Enough
During the winter season you need to moisturize more often and look out for signs of dryness on your skin. Your skin’s natural moisturizing factor is a protective barrier produced by your skin that can change drastically during the winters as the temperatures drop. The layer can diminish due to various things like genetic reasons, over cleansing, environmental factors, and even aging. If this barrier breaks, it can even cause cracks in your skin that leave your skin exposed to breakouts and other skin issues (1).
2. You’re Reaaaally Into Hot Showers
Look, we get it. Hot showers feel great after a long day of just sitting indoors and working on your computer. They can help relax you before bed and can even help relieve any muscle tension. However, taking a scalding hot shower is not a good idea and it can actually cause the layers of your skin to break down and become flaky and sensitive. Super hot water is also known to cause damage to your hair follicles.
3. You Spend Too Much Time In AC Rooms
Air conditioners function by pulling moisture from the air and reducing the humidity levels present inside a room. This can leave the epidermis of your skin feeling super stretched out and dry. Overall, you will notice that your skin gets super itchy and flaky due to this. If you’re working from home, it’s a good idea to take breaks every now and then and visit a park. This can give your skin the much needed humidity and moisture content it needs.
4. You Wash Your Face Obsessively
Even if your skin is naturally oily and you tend to wash your face often, it’s not a good idea to over wash your face. If you think you can skip using moisturizer just because you have oily skin, then you are mistaken. Regardless of your skin type, it is essential that you moisturize your skin. If you have oily or combination skin, you can opt for a lightweight water-based moisturizer. Although, during the winter season, you might find yourself requiring more protection. During winters, it’s best to wash your face twice a day, once during the morning and once at night. If you exercise and sweat a lot, then you should probably wash it a little more. However, when it comes to skin exfoliation, you should restrict it to just once a week instead of twice or thrice a week as you would do during summers.
5. You Exfoliate Like You Want To Peel Off Your Face
While it is important to exfoliate at least once a week, even during winters, you must make sure you don’t go overboard and scrub your skin too much. Exfoliating can help get rid of dead skin cells that form due to having drier skin in winters. If you’re using an exfoliating scrub with granules, it is important to massage your skin in gentle strokes and not scrub it the way you would with face wash. If you’re using a facial scrub that contains acid, you need to be even more careful and moisturize immediately after washing your face. This will help protect your open pores from being exposed to the air and keep your skin free of any breakouts. You should treat your skin the same way you would treat the gentle skin of a baby.
6. You’re Not Staying Hydrated
Sure, it’s more difficult to stay hydrated during winters as you don’t get as thirsty as you would during the summer season, but that doesn’t mean you skip out on the 8 glasses of water a day rule. It’s also important to get your hydration through other means like consuming fruits and veggies that have a high content of water. There is a reason why you’re advised to consume watermelons during summer to feel cool.
At the end of the day, the only way to keep your skin looking its best is to pay attention to the amount of water you drink as well as your regular skincare routine and surroundings. With the right care, even the driest of skin types can glow and look super young. It’s also important to keep a food journal and monitor the amount of food you consume. Do let us know in the comment section down below if this article helped you out!
