With winter just around the corner, the weather gods are cooling things right down *shivers*. While we are happy to ditch the extra sweat seeping into our pores, we definitely aren't ready to say goodbye to glowing skin.
To find out how to properly care for your skin through seasonal changes, we holla'd at the experts to help understand the changes in our skin and their seasonal skincare routine tips.
First things first. Know your skin type.
The best skincare routine to keep your skin happy depends on your skin type. Get up close and personal with your skin (don't be shy) and learn what happens when you're in a hot or cold climate. Knowing what irritates or dries out your skin will help you adapt your seasonal skincare routine without confusion.
We all love summer, but it can irritate the hell outta some skin types.
Why? Rising temperature and humidity can increase oil and sebum production in your skin, which is not ideal for already oily skin.
On the upside, if you have dry skin, it might feel a little less dry, and summer humidity can also increase skin hydration.1
Summer dry skin tips
Keep using your usual moisturisers, non-foaming cleansers and sunscreens. Harsh skin care products like alcohol-based toners are a no-no; they can make your skin even drier, and ain't no-body want that!
Summer oily skin tips
Your new BBF: lightweight, non-comedogenic products - especially for those with acne-prone skin. Less grease, more yay.
You want to stick to products that can control oil production, remove excess oil, and prevent black and whiteheads. Ingredients like retinol, salicylic acid, and witch hazel are your daily friends, depending on your skin condition. Foaming cleansers may also help remove excess sebum.2
Makeup tips
Mattifying foundations or bb creams with oil-absorbing agents like silica silylate can be used on top of a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
and remember to Slip, Slop, Slap.
Use sunscreen (at least SPF 30) and re-apply every 2 hours when you are in the sun for long periods.3 If your anything like us, we use sunscreen in place of a moisturiser which works well for those with very oily skin. 2
Chills. Dryness. The itch. Winter can wreak havoc on your skin, and it can get thirsty AF. If you have oily prone skin, the colder months can be more forgiving because low humidity increases water loss, decreasing sebum production and skin hydration which equals drier skin.
Good skincare care in winter is all about adjusting your routine to keep the right amount of moisture locked in.
Winter Oily skin tips
Oily skin comes in handy during winter because there are more active glands producing sebum to trap in skin moisture. Low temperatures and humidity decreases sebum production which equals to less breakouts.
So you have oily skin or acne-prone skin? In that case, you will benefit from changing the frequency of your summer-and-autumn skin care routine, which is meant for oil control and drying up pimples.
Acne medicines can be adapted to spot treatments, especially when the skin is getting irritated or flaky with whole face- application. Then, they can use non-comedogenic moisturisers with their sunscreens if the face is still dry.
Winter Dry skin tips
Skin care in winter for dry skin should definitely include an awesome moisturiser that can repair the skin's natural lipid barrier. Winter is the season for flares-ups if you suffer from eczema. Dry skin is itchy and can lead to itchier eczema flare-ups. So, be proactive and apply moisturisers generously!
Ingredients for good skin care in winter include those that lock in moisture like - argan oil, grapeseed oil and jojoba oil. Humectants like glycerin can also suck in moisture for added skin hydration.
Do sunscreens play a role in winter season skincare? Hell yes!
Just because the sun isn't beaming down on you doesn't mean those nasty UV rays can't cause damage; clouds and fog only partially block out UV rays, if at all. So, not wearing sunscreens even in winter still increases your risk of sun damage and unwanted signs of photoaging in the future.6,7
How about those chapped lips?
Little humidity during the winter months can cause chapped, cracked lips.
On top of this, if you have a habit of licking your lips (guilty as charged!), your saliva can further strip your lips of moisture, causing more dryness. Make sure you keep your lips hydrated by applying lip balms regularly, preferably with UV protection.8 Lip balms with cocoa butter can help prevent chapped lips.
Another essential tip for skincare in winter - Stick with mild cleansers. Winter decreases skin hydration, so using cleansers that can further strip the natural skin barrier can cause further dryness and unwanted irritation.
Makeup tips? Instead of mattifying makeup, shift to cosmetic products that can give you that "dewy look" to make your skin glow-tastic. Oils like avocado and coconut with higher comedogenic ratings can be used if you have dry skin. On the flip side, oils that are non-comedogenic (less likely to clog pores) like hempseed oil are great options for those with oily and acne-prone skin.
Up next... winter to spring skincare
The weather is warming up, days are sunny, and we feel our social life slowing creeping back, but the nights are still a little chilly. This is when you can start to adjust your skincare routine back to your summer routine.
If you have oily skin, you can slowly cut back on the lightweight moisturisers or limit the application at nighttime. You can also start re-applying products for oil control on the whole face. The acne skin care routine can stay as usual (easy-peasy). For dry skin, you should still use moisturisers as you do in winter. But, you can move to lightweight moisturisers as summer approaches, and the weather gets warmer.
After the sweltering summer heat comes the crisp autumn air. Refreshing! Nows the perfect time to start winter-proofing your skin because, with the dropping temperature and humidity, your skin can begin to get dry again. If you have oily and acne-prone skin, now might be the time to gradually ease out of using skin care products for oil control and acne. Stock up on your fave moisturisers, especially if you have dry skin; trust me, your skin will thank you for it.
Happy skin = happy life.
Understanding how weather can affect your skin should help you decide on the best skin care products that suit your skin type, lifestyle and budget. If you are unsure how to properly care for your skin through seasonal changes, holla at your dermatologist for a more in-dept assessment of your skin.
Share your newfound knowledge with your buddies or holla at us with any feedback; we love to hear from you fave skinfood lovers.
The above tips were written with advice from out fave dermatologist Kathleen May Eusebio-Alpapara MD FPDS FPADSFI
1. Qiu H, Long X, Ye JC, Hou J, Senee J, Laurent A, Bazin R, Flament F, Adam A, Coutet J, Piot B. Influence of season on some skin properties: winter vs. summer, as experienced by 354 Shanghaiese women of various ages. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2011 Aug;33(4):377-83. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2494.2011.00639.x. Epub 2011 Mar 8. PMID: 21382055.
2. Baumann L, Cosmetieuticals and Skin care in Dermatology. From Kang, S., MD, MPH, Amagai, M., MD, PhD, Bruckner, A. L., MD, MSCS, Enk, A. H., MD, Margolis, D. J., PhD, McMichael, A. J., MD, & Orringer, J. S., MD. (2019). Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. pp 3803-3817
3. Diffey BL. When should sunscreen be reapplied? J Am Acad Dermatol. 2001 Dec;45(6):882-5. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2001.117385. PMID: 11712033.
4. Meyer K, Pappas A, Dunn K, Cula GO, Seo I, Ruvolo E, Batchvarova N. Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Facial Skin With and Without Acne. J Drugs Dermatol. 2015 Jun;14(6):593-601. PMID: 26091385.
5. Young AR. Cumulative effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin: cancer and photoaging. Semin Dermatol. 1990 Mar;9(1):25-31. PMID: 2203440.
6. Battie C, Jitsukawa S, Bernerd F, Del Bino S, Marionnet C, Verschoore M. New insights in photoaging, UVA induced damage and skin types. Exp Dermatol. 2014 Oct;23 Suppl 1:7-12. doi: 10.1111/exd.12388. PMID: 25234829.
7. Lee CH, Wu SB, Hong CH, Yu HS, Wei YH. Molecular Mechanisms of UV-Induced Apoptosis and Its Effects on Skin Residential Cells: The Implication in UV-Based Phototherapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2013;14(3):6414-6435. Published 2013 Mar 20. doi:10.3390/ijms14036414
8. Fonseca A, Jacob SE, Sindle A. Art of prevention: Practical interventions in lip-licking dermatitis. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2020;6(5):377-380. Published 2020 Jun 5. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.06.001
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