I’m a college student who actively walks across campus, occasionally running, but most of you can probably relate when I say that I can definitely feel the cold gust of air sucking all the moisture out of my face as I walk to class. Inevitably, fall is the best season for layering, appreciating the beautiful colors of fall, and indulging in a lot of holiday dinner parties. However, as the temperature keeps dropping so does humidity, and eventually the condition of our skin.
Coincidentally, changing up your skincare routine each season has been some kind of a trend in the beauty industry. That’s why I decided to list a few tips on how my fellow collegiettes’s can improve their skincare routine in preparation for winter.
Related: How to Deal With Dry Skin in the Winter
1. Marie Kondo your routine
Changing your routine for the new season doesn’t call for literally deleting all the items that do not bring joy to your life (skin), but it’s more of concentrating on the products that will benefit your skin more than others. What I’ve learned from having a long list of steps in my routine is that it’s definitely better to have a more refined routine. This will help your skin have a bit of breathing time to adjust to products being used. Your skin doesn’t always need all your steps and this Marie-Kondo-ing also includes watching what your skin needs on that day.
Related: 6 Items To Add To Your Skincare Routine ASAP
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Hydrating is definitely the primary goal of refining your skincare routine for winter. With all the harsh winds and cold temperatures affecting your skin, Allure recommends that you focus on your cleanser’s hydrating abilities. I think the highly acclaimed Glossier milky jelly cleanser which is recommended for all skin types, will definitely be a helpful base to your routine. For a drugstore version, I would recommend checking out CeraVe’s hydrating cleanser.
Related: My Favourite Face Moisturizers
3. Exfoliate…with caution
Exfoliation. You’ve seen it in multiple beauty articles and you’ve probably used it several times in your routine. That’s because your skin is exposed to harsher weather conditions, therefore, opening up the possibility of getting drier and drier skin every time. However, in winter, you should be highly cautious when it comes to exfoliating. Although your skin needs it, you only really need it a maximum of two times per week. You’ll also want to use products that don’t contain harsh chemicals that can dry your skin even more. I always try to go for natural products like my favorite, Skin Food exfoliating sugar mask line. I personally use the strawberry mask, but they also have coconut sugar, black sugar, and rice.
4. Consume beauty foods
As stated by this famous quote, “beauty comes from within.” In this context, we’re taking it in a more literal sense. We all know that different types of food have certain types of effects on our skin. For example, dairy products usually cause breakouts for most people, while a high dose of sodium-rich foods causes more breakouts for some. The contributors of WishTrend recommend that you consume healthy oils that can be found in avocados, salmon, and avocado or olive oil. Consuming foods that help regulate good body fat in your system will help in reducing the amount of acne that forms because of weather irritation.
5. Don’t skip the SPF
My last and most important tip for all you collegiates out there is to never, I say never, skip using suncream. Although the sun isn’t as harsh as it is in summer or spring, using a broad spectrum suncream with hydrating abilities will do the best job of keeping your face protected, hydrated, and away from signs of aging. I personally use Biore’s UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence with SPF 50. This Japanese produces the best, affordable, and lightweight sunscreens for me. What’s good about the watery essence is that it easily soaks into your skin, leaving it hydrated with hyaluronic acid, while still giving you time to put that on even when you’re in a rush.