Don’t give your skincare routine a snow day. Here’s how to deal with dry winter skin

Guest Written by Kelsey McGillis

As you’re waiting for Spring through these seemingly endless winter months, your skin is probably growing equally as irritated as you are. The days have become shorter, colder and windier (especially for my fellow Canadian readers) and your skin can seem like it’s rebelling against you. If you’re noticing that your skin has become dry, dull and all-around irritated, don’t worry… you’re not alone.

As humidity levels fall during the winter months, your body’s rate of water loss increases, unfortunately leaving parched skin in its path. Water loss paired with the already harsh climate makes for a brutal combination. Add that to the tendency for us to become lazier in the winter months, and skincare routines can often go down the drain.

Fear not, the necessary changes to take your skin from problematic back to normal can be as simple as tweaks to your existing routine. The always trustworthy Dr. Lisa Kellett shared her professional advice in an interview with Global News, advising a two-part solution to dry skin.

First, a change in your regular lotion can be key. Kellett advises to “Switch from a gel-based moisturizer to a cream-based moisturizer to decrease that transepidermal water loss,”. In other words, the goal is to seal the skin from water loss, keeping your skin glowing from the inside out.

A second quick fix to flaky skin can be switching from showering to taking baths. Many people find baths to be less drying, and bonus points for adding oil to your bath for an extra element of moisture.

A final word of advice from Dr. Kellett: sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! “[People] confuse temperature with UV exposure,”says Kellett. As short and cold as the days may seem during the winter, the sun can cause skin damage year round. Sunscreen and SPF lip balm are your friends in preventing skin cancer and aging, no matter the season.

Don’t forget about your skincare routine in these cold months; any small change can make a world of difference to dry and damaged skin, whether you switch to a new moisturizer or a new bathing routine.

To read the entire Global News article including Dr. Kellett’s advice please click here.