At HC, we know the winter winds can be harsh on your delicate skin, so we’re here to help! With a little advice from Fitness magazine beauty director Heather Muir, here are nine tips that are guaranteed to give you that healthy winter glow.
1. Drink water!
Believe it or not, drinking water in the winter is just as important as it is in the summer. Not only does water help you maintain clear skin, it also rejuvenates your body and will help to keep you going during those cold winter months by replenishing the moisture and hydration that is lost outside and inside (heated air indoors causes skin to lose moisture, too). Women generally need 2.2 liters of total beverages per day, but stay healthy and choose some H20—it’s calorie-free, inexpensive, and easy to get anywhere! Have a glass of water with each meal and in between meals to make sure your fluid intake is on track.
2. Be Great… Exfoliate
We all know how annoying it can be to deal with dry lips in addition to dry skin. So when it comes to tough dry spots, exfoliating is just as important as moisturizing to get rid of all of the dead skin cells. Exfoliating gets you one step closer to that winter glow every girl wants. “In the winter, it’s all about moisturizing, exfoliating and giving my skin tone a subtle boost,” said Muir.
You should not exfoliate every day, usually only twice a week, but when you do, you should do it in the morning. Skin repairs itself at night, so the morning is the best time to get rid of those dead skin cells. Exfoliate first and then rinse it off with a mild face wash or water and pat dry.
St. Ives makes an award winning exfoliator called Invigorating Apricot Scrub ($4.09 at Drugstore.com) and it is great for all types of skin.
Muir suggests using the Renee Rouleau Triple Berry Smoothing Peel ($85.50 at ReneeRouleau.com). “It’s packed with antioxidants and AHAs [alpha hydroxyl acids],” said Muir. Antioxidants prevent future damage to your skin’s tissue and AHAs repair and rejuvenate damaged skin.
Everyone knows that chilly winter temperatures come with dry, cracked lips, too! The common solution is a thick application of lip balm. Even though they are less common, lip exfoliators can often be just as helpful and useful as lip balm, if not more. For a great lip exfoliator try The Lip Scrub by Sarah Happ ($24 at Nordstrom).
3. Moisturize (with SPF!)
Even if you’re not the type of girl who has a full pre-class makeup routine, you should use a moisturizer with SPF every morning in the winter! Remember, UV rays come out even when the sky is gloomy and grey. Muir says, “Sunscreen is a must—even in the winter. It’s the one factor that truly protects against aging.”
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4. Get rid of redness!
Use a heavy non-oil based cream that combats redness to get rid of the common rashes that are often caused by wind and chilly winter weather.
Atlanta makeup artist Tynisha Gibbs suggests using Oil of Olay ($10.27 at Stockn’Go) to reduce rashes and get skin hydrated and moisturized. She also suggests using Vaseline ($3.29 at Target) to work on dry, cracked skin on knees and elbows, as well as your lips.
5. Get a little color with a slight glow moisturizer.
In college, it’s common for girls to hit the tanning beds for that extra glow. Even though tanning beds are popular, they are terrible for your skin. The excessive UV rays in tanning beds can damage and age your skin, leading to skin cancer.
Using bronzers or lotion with darkening moisturizers is a much better choice for the cold winter months. For a bronze look in the winter, Muir uses Dr. Dennis Gross’s Alpha Beta Glow Pad ($32 at Sephora). The glow pad exfoliates, self-tans and contains Vitamin D. “My skin feels soft and looks sun-kissed a few hours later,” said Muir. Check out some other awesome self-tanners here.
6. Remove your makeup before bed!
We’ve all heard it before: Removing your makeup before bed is key! Muir keeps face wipes in her nightstand so she can use them in bed when she is super tired. The Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes are great for nighttime ($15.28 at Soap.com).
You’ll wake up feeling clean and refreshed in the morning if you remember to take your makeup off at night. Also, keeping your makeup on can spread bacteria onto your pillows and affect the rest of your face (breakouts, ugh!). So wipe it off, no matter how tired you are!
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7. Apply a light bronzing powder to your face!
The winter washes everyone out, so if you miss your summer glow look for a bronzer that works for you and your face! Make sure you aren’t using a darker foundation color to make up for the pale feeling, though.
Cargo also has a wonderful bronzer ($29 at Zappos.com that will add a little bit of rosiness and color to your cheeks that’s not too dark. Gibbs uses MAC bronzing powder ($24 at MAC) on her face and lotions with shimmer on her body. She also suggested Victoria’s Secret for smooth bronzers that don’t appear to be too orange ($15).
8. Use primer under makeup
Using a primer under your makeup will help protect your face during the winter. Primer prevents a cakey and flaked look that is often created when you use makeup on top of dry skin. The primer will make your makeup go on more evenly. Stila makes a wonderful moisturizing primer with SPF ($34 at Sephora)and so does Smashbox ($42 at Sephora).
9. Sleep!
Sleep is absolutely crucial to maintaining healthy, moisturized skin. Have you ever woken up after a night of a mere few hours of sleep and realized how different your face looks?
“Getting between seven and eight hours of sleep will help you look your best,” said Muir. Your body repairs itself every time you sleep, so sleep is essential to a bright complexion.
So whether you’re facing months of ice or snow or you’re just experiencing the cold temperatures, make sure to take care of your skin. You can obtain that beautiful healthy glow in the winter as long as you make sure to stick to these tips and follow a routine!