The dry, humid air that comes with the cold autumn months can wreak havoc on your complexion – usually in the form of red, dry, flaky skin on your hands and face. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent chapped, dry skin before it starts. Phoebe Waller, beauty writer for Bustle, emphasized with her readers who struggle with season-related skin problems saying “dry skin on your face…might leave you feeling a little less confident than usual,” in her article How To Deal With Dry Skin In The Fall, According To The Experts.
Bustle encourages its readers to be proactive when it comes to their skin care: “Instead of waiting for dry skin to attack, why not build a barrier against it before it reaches its worst stage?” Bustle provides great skin care tips by interviewing some skincare “experts about how to deal with dry skin in the fall, so you can help keep your skin feeling moisturized and looking great.”
Wash with Lukewarm Water
One expert interviewed by Bustle is Dr. Debbie Palmer, and NYC dermatologist. Her first skincare tip helps prevent dry skin on hands. There are numerous hand creams and moisturizers that help with dryness, but one of the best solutions for dry hands, is to avoid dry skin in the fall and winter is to avoid washing your hands with hot water. Instead, opt for lukewarm water. Palmer explains “washing with hot water removes natural oils from the skin and can cause skin to become drier.”
After Washing, Apply Moisturizer
Once you have washed your skin with lukewarm water, trap in the hydration by applying a moisturizer soon after.
Related Article: 4 Winter Skincare Secrets >>
The Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin Contains Ceramides
A lot of people want to know what the best moisturizer for dry skin is. Bustle suggests moisturizers containing ceramides, which are lipid molecules, found on the top layer of skin. Ceramides can form a protective barrier for the skin that traps in moisture.
The best cleanser for dry skin contains Glycerin
Glycerin cleansers can also help prevent dry skin from occurring during the winter. Glycerin is another ingredient touted to retain water in the skin.
Avoid skincare products containing alcohol
A lot of skincare products, especially the cheaper ones, contain alcohol, a known culprit for drying out skin. Be conscientious of the ingredients contained in the skin care products you use during the fall and winter, especially makeup remover wipes, which often contain alcohol.
Keep hand cream and lotion…Close at hand
Bustle believes that convenience increases consumption, so keep a hydrating moisturizer or or hand cream nearby during the colder months. “Keep your hand cream on your desk, in your purse, or near the sink that you wash your hands in.” Advises Dr. Palmer to Bustle. “Convenience can lead to increased use.”
Use A Humidifier: Your Skin will Thank You
Bustle introduces its next skincare expert “Dr. Hadley King, dermatologist at SKINNEY Medspa,” who tells Bustle “Fall and winter weather with their cold temperatures, low humidity and brisk winds, along with dry heat from heaters, can really dry out our skin.” She explains, “to combat this it is important to add as much moisture to our skin as possible. Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night, as well as in other rooms where you are spending a lot of time.”
Related Article: Inexpensive Winter Skin Care Products
Don’t Spend Too Much Time Bathing or Showering with Hot Water
Just as washing your hands with hot water can exacerbate dry skin, bathing or showering in hot water can have the same effect. Bustle again quotes Dr. Hadley King who advises people “Don’t spend too much time in hot baths or showers because, counter-intuitively, this will also dry out your skin.” Dr. King suggests that during the winter months people “take brief lukewarm showers no more than once per day and use gentle soap substitutes such as Dove or Cetaphil cleanser. Dr. King reiterates “immediately afterwards, even before your skin is dry, apply emollients to lock in the moisture.” Bustle asks Dr. King for some recomendations for gentle skin care products: “for the body I recomend Eucerin Professional Repair Extremely Dry Skin Lotion. This contains a mild acid so it gently exfoliates while it moisturizes, which allows the moisture to penetrate better.”
Prevent Dry Skin by Exfoliating Bi-Weekly
Exfoliating is great for the skin in numerous ways –helping it stay fresh and hydrated is one of them, especially when the weather changes and the days become dryer and colder. Bustle explains “In fall, outside cools down but the air dries out and heaters turn on, so dry skin requires a different approach for the season.” So what do the skincare experts suggest? “Start off with bi-weekly gentle exfoliation during your shower (exfoliating too often will dry out skin even further). Then, turn up the hydration factor applying richer face and body creams daily.” Remember the best time to apply moisturizer is right after bathing or showering to trap the moisture in.
Microdermabrasion is excellent for season related dry skin
At-home exfoliation is good, but a professional facial, like microdermabrasion from your local skin spa is a great way to get rid of dry skin during the fall and winter. Bustle quotes a skincare expert saying “Fall is the time for invasive treatments after the hot, unforgiving summer. In the fall – after summer, people have a lot of dead skin, damage to the surface of the skin, and discoloration…I recomend trying microdermabrasion…[it uses] the strongest mechanical extractions and on top of that we use acid to penetrate deeper in the skin to take care of discoloration and hydration.”
Learn more about microdermabrasion here >>
Certain skin care products can make dry skin worse
For men and women who suffer from acne and dry skin, Dr. Hadley King explains Bustle readers “During the dry, cold months you may also need to decrease your use of any drying or potentially irritating products for acne or anti-aging.” Specifically, skin care products using salicylic acid for treating acne, retinoids, or benzoyl peroxide. Dr. King further explains: “you may need gentler products during these months, such as Aczone 7.5% gel, a good alternative for treating acne that is less irritating than a lot of other acne options.”
Keep Hydrated
One simple way to help keep your skin moisturized during the fall and winter is to drink plenty of water. Bustle advises readers to “keep up on your water intake…because even though the temperatures cool down and you don’t feel as thirsty, our bodies still require water for hydration.”
Schedule A Consultation
If you are serious about keeping your skin looking healthy and hydrated during the dry skin season Bustle suggests you “schedule a consultation or a basic facial, so an esthetician can recomend products based on the skin type and its condition. A lot of people are using the wrong products, which can actually harm the skin.”
