Skincare Tips for Winter
Photo credit: Christina Kantzavelos (@buenqamino)
Here at PiperWai we love sharing news about your well being. Thanks for hanging out with us. Here's the winter scoop!For those who live in northern areas, winter is inevitable. With winter comes dryness, cold winds that whip across your face, harsh air and cold that drags on for what feels like years. Anyone who lives in this type of climate knows what kind of damage winter weather can have on your skin. If you aren’t careful, you could end up with dry and cracked skin, severely chapped lips or wind burn. Nature is intense, and she definitely does not care if you’ve moisturized or not.
Team PiperWai is used to the cold. Between us, we’ve dealt with winters in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Michigan. When winter gets underway, we know how to prepare. We’ve combined our cold-weather expertise to give you the best tips for winter skincare.
Moisturize… a lot
And by a lot, we mean your entire body. If you don’t have a giant lotion vat to jump into, then focus on your most vulnerable body parts. Your hands, neck and face are most likely to get the brunt of winter weather, as they are the two areas of the body that are exposed the most when going outside when it’s cold. It’s also common for your legs to get some dryness as well, so while it’s important to focus on those vulnerable parts, the rest of your body needs your help, too.
They key to proper moisturizing is knowing which products to use and where to use them on your body. There are thousands of products on the market, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for. (Obviously, our choice is to go with natural products.) You can learn more about moisturizer’s importance, which ones to use and how to make your own in our Summer Skincare Tips blog!
Protect your skin when going outside
As we mentioned, the dry, winter air and harsh, cold winds do a number on your skin. During the especially cold, windy days, make sure your extremities and head have the right protection. We’re not talking just warm, winter gear, though. SPF is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. UV rays can still penetrate through clouds, even if the weather is gloomy and gray. The mixture of cold air and sun can cause windburn, which produces the same side effects as a sunburn: redness and burning on your face, usually in the nose and cheek areas. If it gets bad enough, peeling skin is another, more intense side effect of windburn. The best way to protect your face is by using a combination of winter gear – scarves and hats, for example – and a non-irritating SPF. If you’re not sure which SPF is the best option to you, head over to our SPF blog to find the perfect fit.
Always carry lip balm and lotion
Keep one in the car, keep one in your bag, keep some at work, keep some at home. We are serious! These products will help keep your most vulnerable areas moisturized and protected from chapping or flaking. (OK, maybe that was a little gross, but it’s true.) If you can, find products that have SPF in them to add extra protection to your skin because, yes, you need SPF protection on your lips, too. When you carry these items and use them regularly, you will notice your skin and lips will be less dry and there will be less chapping. (Sorry, we did it again.)
Keep winter gloves on “hand” (heh, get it?)
Your hands are one of the most difficult parts of your body to protect during the winter. Sometimes, however, it can be a challenge to remember to cover them up with gloves or mittens – especially when they’re so easy to lose. You know what we mean: the one missing glove you can’t seem to find and just chalk it up to falling out of your pocket. We recommend using a coat with zippered pockets and having backup gloves in case the inevitable happens and, of course, having a backup pair just to be safe. Or you could always Kevin McCallister it and clip your gloves to your coat. Just a thought.
Hydrate and take short, warm showers
Hydration is important in general, and unfortunately, many of us aren’t hitting the recommended daily amount. We can’t stress enough how much you need hydration every day, but especially during winter months. By properly hydrating, you improve your skin’s elasticity. When you don’t hydrate enough, skin can become dry and flaky, which is why hydration in winter is just as important as it is in those hot summer months.
To further keep skin from drying out, make your time in the shower quick and efficient. Prolonged periods in hot water can cause irritation that includes dryness and itchiness. The best option for your skin is to keep your showers at a lukewarm temperature. If you don’t want to give up your hot showers, find a way to decrease your time in the shower. Do it for your skin.
Exfoliate, exfoliate!
Exfoliation should already be part of your skincare routine. If you haven’t incorporated it into your routine yet, it’s never too late to start. What exfoliation does is remove dead skin cells from the surface to reveal new skin. One important thing to remember is that depending on skin type, everyone exfoliates differently. For example, people with sensitive skin may have a different experience than people with oily skin or combination skin. Know your skin type before choosing the best exfoliation method for you. Obviously, we recommend an all-natural, gentle option for beginners and well-seasoned exfoliators. Plus, it’s easy to look up minimal-ingredient, natural exfoliator recipes to make at home on the cheap!
Curb boot stank with PiperWai
Sweaty, moist (sorry, we can’t help it) areas can cause some real damage to your skin, especially if they’re in heavy-lined boots. Keep your feet dry by putting PiperWai on the bottoms and in between your toes. This will help soak up sweat and neutralize odor, which means no smelly boots and, most importantly, no athlete’s foot. When feet sweat and traps moisture in tight-fitting shoes, athlete’s foot or other skin issues can develop. Be on the lookout for red, scaly and itchy skin that begins in between the toes and spreads down the foot. This can easily be controlled by applying PiperWai when you know you will be wearing confining shoes or boots for long periods of time. Just take a tiny bit from our jar and spread it in between your toes and on the soles of your feet.
