Winter is upon us, and you're probably noticing changes in your hair, skin, nails, and possibly even your mental health. With these cold days and nights, our skin becomes drier, our hair loses moisture, our nails can become more brittle, and lowered moods are more prevalent.
And this year, in particular, we're coming up to two years since the start of the pandemic—and she's still going strong. So with everything we're going through, it's essential to stay tuned to your body and mind so you can make appropriate changes and try and get through winter as unscathed as possible.
In this article, I will briefly discuss some of the skin and health challenges we may face during winter; and I'll give you a skin and self-care guide for surviving winter.
Winter-Weathered Skin
Most of us tend to notice when the weather cools down that our skin is a lot drier. A combination of factors causes this.
- The air contains less humidity in winter, which causes the moisture on our skin's surface to evaporate quicker.
- We spend a lot of time indoors with dry heating, which has a similar effect as the dry, winter air outside.
- We take hotter and longer showers, which strip and dehydrate our skin.
- We don't drink as much water in the colder months.
- We don't switch our skincare to more Winter-appropriate products.
Those are the key culprits to our dry, Winter-weathered skin. So the simple fix would be to turn the heater down; use a humidifier; take shorter, colder showers; drink more water, and buy new skincare products. But these are all easier said than done.
We have our creature comforts in the winter time. Sipping on a mug of mulled red wine by the fire after a long soaking in scorching hot bath water will undoubtedly dehydrate you—but boy, does it feel good! Yet, if you can be a little mindful of your activities during winter—like upping your water intake, taking less-scorching showers, and using more nourishing skincare products—your skin will feel a lot better for it.
The Winter Blues
It isn't just our physical health that can suffer in the colder months. It's a scientific fact that our mood can drop when the weather cools down and the days become shorter. You'll also find higher depression rates in regions where the weather is cloudy, gloomy, cold, or dark for large chunks throughout the year—such as parts of Britain, Greenland, and Alaska.
Most of us can manage a few gloomy days here and there. But there is a clinical name to describe the condition where people become depressed with seasonal changes, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) (1). Have you ever experienced a noticeable mood change during too many gloomy consecutive days? You may be experiencing a form of SAD.
If you know that you're more prone to feeling sad or low during winter, it's essential to do things to boost your mood. Everyone is different, but keep reading, and I'll highlight some ways that could help you.
Skincare Guide For Surviving Winter
The first guide I will share is a skincare guide to surviving winter. As mentioned earlier, the cold weather wreaks havoc on our skin. So you must protect it with good quality products.
- Oil Cleansing
- Body Hydration
- Wearing SPF
- Sleeping on Silk
- Caring for Lips
- Wearing 100% Silk Face Mask
Oil Cleansing
Even if you have oily skin like me, this is my number one tip for winter. The cold weather can damage our skin's protective barrier, made up of three layers:
- Microbiome
- Acid Mantle
- Lipid Barrier
Many cleansers strip the skin and break down these barriers, leaving skin vulnerable to free radical damage. An oil cleanser will emulsify and melt away debris while retaining the skin barrier's integrity.
You can learn more about your skin's barriers in this article.
Try one of these:
Three Ships Nourish Lavender + MCT Cleansing Oil
Earth Harbor Sunshine Dew Cleansing Oil
Body Hydration
Some tips on keeping your body hydrated are exfoliating once or twice a week and using a hydrating lotion every day. Exfoliation will help facilitate the skin's natural shedding process that slows down during winter, so your lotions will absorb more efficiently and effectively. Using a lotion will create a barrier on the skin's surface so that moisture won't evaporate.
Try this duo:
Nopalera Cactus Flower Exfoliant + Nopalera Moisturizing Botanical Bar
Wearing SPF
The sun is our biggest nemesis when it comes to aging. Many of us don't think to use SPF in the winter, but that is when a lot of damage happens. Wearing a good quality mineral SPF will keep your skin protected without absorbing into the skin like a chemical SPF does. Here are three different options:
A moisturizer and SPF in one:
Honua Skincare Malu Day Cream SPF30
SPF that you can wear on top of your favorite moisturizer:
Earth Harbor Eclipse Sheer Mineral Sunscreen
A powdered SPF that you can mix into your favorite moisturizer:
Earthwise Beauty Farizad's Veil Sun Reflector
Sleeping on Silk
This might not seem like a skincare product but think about the sheets you sleep on right now. They're likely made from cotton or a blend, right? These fabrics are absorbent and can take moisture from your skin while you sleep. So the skincare products you just applied in your nighttime ritual can soak into your pillow overnight.
On the other hand, silk does not absorb moisture like other fabrics. It's naturally hypoallergenic—allergy sufferers can rejoice—and it is also antibacterial and biodegradable.
Another feature to look for in your silk bedding is silver ion-technology. It's where silver ions are woven into silk to create a passive acne-fighting treatment while you sleep. This is proven to help with breakouts and acne inflammation.
Full sheet set:
Fait avec Coeur 30 Momme Pure Organic Luxury Silk Bed Sheet Set
Silk pillowcase:
Fait avec Coeur 30 Momme 100% Silver Ion-Infused Silk Pillowcase
Caring for Lips
Our lips can become incredibly chapped and dry throughout winter. So an excellent way to combat this is to do a weekly exfoliant on your lips. This will remove any dead and dry skin and nourish and hydrate the delicate skin.
Try this:
Wearing 100% Silk Face Mask
For those who are a little more cautious of germs during flu season, or perhaps you work in healthcare, a silk face mask will help keep you protected while also being gentle on the skin.
Silk is not a medical or surgical-grade material, so wear it underneath the polyester and plastic fiber surgical masks that are often harsh and irritating on the skin. Silk also helps with preventing breakouts.
Try these:
Fait avec Coeur 100% Silk Face Mask
Self-Care Guide for Surviving Winter
Now that we've covered skincare let's address self-care.
- Drinking Tea
- Buying Natural Fiber-Fabrics
- Moving Everyday
- Staying Social
Drinking Tea
I'm not talking about the sweetened teas from the gas station. I'm talking about brewed tea made with leaves, fruit, flowers, herbs, and spices. Tea—like green, white teas, and berry teas—has incredible antioxidants. If you're not aware, antioxidants are what protect our bodies and cells from oxidative damage, like sun damage and pollution.
Certain teas can also help your immune system, like formulas with echinacea and olive leaf extract. A warm tea helps dilate blood vessels, which can help ease sinus congestion and other cold and flu symptoms we often get during winter.
Try these:
Earthwise Beauty Exquisite Teas
Flying Bird Botanicals Herbal Tea Lovers
Plum Brilliance Natural Herbal Tea
Buying Natural-Fiber Fabrics
Something you may not have thought about is the fabric of your blankets. Most blankets we purchase are often made with a blend, like cotton and polyester. Polyester is plastic, and while it can be warm (and unbreathable), it's completely unsustainable and could be harmful to your health.
There have been studies done on the safety of using synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fabrics, like polyester, are exposed to chemicals in the production stage, and those compounds can remain in trace amounts in our clothing and linen. While there have not been extensive studies done in this area, a few studies suggest that synthetic fabrics can be harmful to our health (2,3). In another study with dogs, they put the pups in polyester fabric clothing. After wearing the fabrics consistently for 24 months, the dog's sperm count and sperm motility had decreased and showed degenerative changes (4).
Instead of using synthetic-blended blankets, opt for a 100% Silk Blanket. As mentioned earlier, silk has many features, such as being hypoallergenic, antibacterial, non-absorbent, and biodegradable. It's also one of the softest fabrics on Earth, perfect for snuggle time by the fire.
Try this:
Fait avec Coeur 100% Silk Blanket
Move Everyday
In winter, it's so easy to just curl up into a ball and stay there until spring arrives. But this is a one-way ticket to Sad Town. So practice movement in any way that feels good, and do it every day. A few of my favorite things to do that get the body and muscles moving are:
- Yoga or Tai Chi.
- Walking or Trail Hiking.
- Getting a Lomi Lomi or Thai Massage.
- Active or mobility stretching.
- Be outside - even if it's cloudy and gloomy, you still get a dose of vitamin D, which is crucial to our health.
Being Social
This one might be a no-brainer, but maintaining a social life during winter is not always easy. With the cold nights, many of us prefer to stay home. But this can create isolation and is something that we want to avoid.
Being social doesn't have to cost money, and it doesn't need to be extravagant. You can host a cheap dinner, like Korean Hotpot, a Pinot and Paint event, or a movie night.
When the seasons change, always stay tuned to how you're feeling. Although winter can be arguably the most damaging, loneliest, and depressing season, it doesn't have to be. Maintaining your social life, taking joy in the little things, like sipping tea by the fire wrapped up in the world's softest fabric, will ensure that you enjoy the season for all of its cold and glorious wonders.
Emma Jade has been a trained esthetician for over 15 years. She is a sustainable skincare writer, educating and building awareness around proper skin health that doesn't cost the Earth.
Some of the products promoted in our blog are from our online store. Many others are brands we have researched and found to be great examples of sustainable, ethical, and innovative brands in their field, and we don't profit from mentioning them in our blog. #CollaborationOverCompetition
