The extreme winter temperatures, especially the fluctuating ones like those we endure in Chapel Hill, are particularly damaging to your skin. A cold climate, mixed with freezing winds, leaves your lips chapped and your skin dry. So how do you fight it? Here are a few tips on how to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy, even in the harshest conditions.
Moisturize your skin
Before you even worry about whether you should be wearing a liquid or a powder foundation, the most important part of your grooming routine should be the application of moisturizer. This is your best defense against the harsh, cold temperatures and moisture-robbing winds. Using a good moisturizer like Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (great for dry skin) or Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (voted the best for oily skin) can—and will—keep your skin healthy and even. Not even the best foundation will successfully cover chapped and flaky skin. Moisturize at least twice a day (morning and evening) after cleansing.
Hydrate
While moisturizer will keep the surface of your skin looking healthy, true healthy skin begins from within. Your skin gets thirsty, so drink plenty of water. Just like in the summer, keep a water bottle with you while you’re on the go. If you think it’s too cold to drink water, or you don’t particularly enjoy lukewarm or room temperature water, drink herbal tea instead. Not only will it will keep you hydrated, but it will keep you nice and warm, too.
Prevent or treat chapped lips
Dry lips are both unattractive and very uncomfortable, and our instinct leads us to lick our lips, which only dries them out more. Instead, keep a good lip balm on hand (or in your purse) for touch ups. Make sure to avoid lip balms and chapsticks that contain alcohol, which will only aggravate the condition. Try Vaseline Lip Therapy or Burt’s Bees Beeswax lip balm, or, if you want some color, try Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. You can also remove the dead skin cells from your lips and start with fresh, smooth lips by using a light exfoliator. You can make your own exfoliating lip scrub by mixing equal parts sugar and olive oil, or making a honey-sugar paste by adding one tablespoon of granulated sugar to half a teaspoon of honey.
What else should you do?
Wear gloves! Remember that the skin on your face isn’t the only skin worth protecting. While a scarf protects your neck and a coat protects your torso, your hands are usually left to the mercy of the wind. Also, even though the days are usually cloudy and gray, you should still wear sunscreen. Or, simply make sure your moisturizer or foundation has an SPF of at least 15 in it.
Makeup: liquid or powder?
Although you could argue the pros and cons of both powder and cream/liquid foundations, there are a few things you need to remember. Silicon-based foundations are best. Avoid any talc-based products which will only dry out your skin, or worsen the dryness. Also, avoid makeup with shimmer or glitter, as it will draw attention to any dry patches on your face and can tend to look unnatural in the winter when your skin is at its palest.
Sources:
Simon and Schuster’s Tips on Home & Style
All Women Stalk (blog)
Products:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (SPF30), $14; skinstore.com
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, $24.50; bloomingdales.com
Vaseline Lip Therapy Petroleum Jelly, $1.99; drugstore.com
Burt’s Bees Beeswax lip balm, $3; burtsbees.com
Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, $14; clinique.com