Hello there,
The much awaited season of the year is officially here. Coats, jackets, colourful cardigans & stylish scarves! And the season of parties! Makeup on fleek! Truly the season of merry, isn’t it? Amidst all of this, knowing some common mistakes while caring for your skin this season can help save time and trouble, and keep your skin happy through the demanding weather. Here's how to stay clear of the top 5 most common winter skin care mistakes:
- If it doesn’t feel dirty & sweaty, I don’t need to cleanse twice a day:
Like in any other season, cleansing is the first step to good skin even in winters. Just because it is winter, pollution & dust in the air doesn’t disappear. And the skin cell renewal process carries on as usual. To add to this, when you slap on layers of cold cream, your skin only attracts more dust. So cleansing is an absolutely must! You could opt for a milder face wash in winters. And if your skin is very dry, pick a cleansing lotion that moisturizes along with doing the job of cleaning up! And definitely avoid soap.
- I don’t need a toner in winter:
Another common misconception we all seem to have is- toners are needed only during the hot parts of the year. Most of us skip this step in winter again out of fear of it drying out our skin. But toning is important to keep your skin in good shape- quite literally- it helps shrink those pores! So, instead of giving this step a miss altogether, in winter, opt for an alcohol-free toner. You could also use rose water as toner, as rose water has hydrating and clarifying properties and is also non-drying in nature. Learn more about the basics of toning.
- One cold cream is all I need:
What's good for the face ain't necessarily good enough for the body. Body creams have the chief function of moisturizing the skin (read our post on humectants), while face creams, besides moisturizing, ought to be an important source of antioxidants, vitamins and other essential nutrients to delicate facial skin. And preferably use a different cream for the day & night. Most night creams have skin-reconstructing and repairing properties, along with hydrating elements. So it’s advisable to invest in a good night cream. Also, if you’re looking to add a serum to your daily skincare routine, winter is the best to time to start!
- Exfoliation is not for winters:
Yes, we know that scrubs tend to dry out our skin. But avoiding exfoliation is not the answer. Unless you remove the layer of dead cells in your skin, your moisturizer will not be able to penetrate and do its job well. A mild scrub or a good face mask is important to be used at least once a week in winter. This will not only keep your skin healthy but also restore the glow! Learn all about exfoliation.
- Sunscreen is for summer:
This is the biggest and most common misconception among women - "sunscreen is only required when it’s hot & sunny outside and not needed in winters". Well, sunscreen is SUN protection not HEAT – protection. It offers protection against the sun’s harmful rays which cause tanning, melasma, early signs of ageing, uneven skin tone, patchiness, dryness and even skin cancer. So why stop using sunscreen in winters?
In summer we make an extra effort to keep our skin sun protected by using a scarf to cover our face or by wearing glares. But in winters we enjoy sunshine and love to find warmth in the little sunny spaces we may find through the day. What we’re forgetting is, the sun’s rays don’t change in winter- it still very much has the UVA and UVB rays. This is also the reason why we find our skin tone growing a shade darker during winter. So no matter what you do, don’t stop using sunscreen. Use a moisturizing day cream with SPF so that you don’t need to use 2 separate products for your face in the day.
That’s a wrap! We know you have made at least one of these beauty bloopers at some point in your life. Let us know in the comments if you have anything to add to this list! Be good to your skin. Happy winters!
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