Long cosy nights by the fireside with a glass of wine after a day of brisk winter outdoor activity.

It sounds blissful, and the shift in the season can cause many unwanted changes in our skin if we don’t make adjustments to our skincare routine. There are many reasons why skin may struggle in winter; wind chafing, colder air, a decrease in humidity, indoor heating, hotter showers and baths, heavier clothes, etc. Additionally, important proteins that maintain the barrier function and moisture in our skin decrease during winter months. All of these conditions can not only lead to dry, irritated skin but can also trigger and worsen skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris, and rosacea.

Here are ten tips to help you protect your skin during the winter:

1. Increase water intake and decrease alcohol intake to provide hydration.

2. Use emollients such as butters and oils to help lock hydration into the skin in winter. These provide a protective barrier that decreases transepidermal water loss (TEWL or TWL). Find our products with emollients here: Lyrata Bath and Body Oil, Lyrata Body Butter, Amara Hand and Nail Serum, and Sweet Winter Dream Bath and Body Oil.

3. Limit showers to 15 minutes and use lukewarm water. Having a hot bath or shower when it’s cold can be inviting, and can also strip your skin of its natural oils. Consider using a bath and body oil in the tub while bathing or as a moisturizer after showering to offset any moisture loss.

4. Use a mild, hydrating cleanser (i.e., a lotion, oil, or cream facial cleanser) that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils and that will provide some extra hydration while cleansing leaving skin soft and supple rather than tight and dry.

5. Take extra steps to exfoliate and hydrate by adding products that include a physical (rice powder or jojoba beads) or chemical (AHAs and BHAs) exfoliant and a serum that contains a hydrating ingredient such as hyaluronic acid. Exfoliation also allows your other products to be better absorbed.

6. Continue your use of sunscreen in the winter. Although the sun may not feel as warm, its ultraviolet (UV) rays continue to break down your skin cells and cause damage regardless of the season.

7. Use a face oil. This adds another layer of protection and hydration for your skin. A face oil can be used before or after your moisturizer as well as can be added to your moisturizer for a boost of hydration. A face oil made of at least one fatty oil (such as argan oil) functions differently from a moisturizer. You can learn the difference between a face oil and a face moisturizer here.

8. Use a barrier such as a balm or salve on your face before spending time outdoors, especially when it’s very windy or cold. Apply this as the last layer of your routine on lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead.

9. Use an overnight hydrating face mask. Overnight face masks often have a rich creamy consistency that provides deep moisturizing overnight and allows you to wake up with plump, hydrated skin.

10. Choose a thicker cream over a lighter lotion in winter. Thicker creams generally have a higher percentage of oils and other skin protecting and nourishing ingredients that can prevent TEWL, whereas a lighter lotion has a very high water content.

Let us know if you have any other winter skin tricks that you find helpful or if these tips were a game changer for you!