Say Hello to Healthy Winter Skin

Whether you’re gearing up for ski trips, hunkering down for quality time indoors, or riding the wave of holiday festivities, winter brings on a host of new challenges for your skin. Adding a little extra TLC to your daily skincare routine can help you maintain a healthy-looking glow from head to toe this season—and well into the New Year.

Check out these winter skincare survival tips:

• Keep calm, cleanse on (gently). Since harsh winds and cold climates can dry out skin, leading to cracks, inflammation or visible redness—‘tis the season for soothing skincare. Swap out harsh, and abrasive soaps for cleansing products that gently remove makeup and nourish chapped, red-looking skin without stripping its essential moisture.
• Beware the steam bath. When the weather outside is frightful, it’s tempting to crank the water temp to high—but long, hot, steamy showers can strip skin of its natural oils and moisture barrier. The skin-friendly solution: Cleanse your face and body with warm (not scalding) water.
• Slather before you snooze. The best time to quench dry skin on your face, hands, lips and body is right before bed. Make moisturizers, overnight creams and anti-aging products part of your nightly skincare routine this winter, and wake up to a more luminous, younger-looking you.
• Give dry skin a hand. Our hands are among the hardest working (and often most neglected) body parts, so they tend to look older than our faces. All that added exposure to the elements can make hands even more vulnerable in winter. Rather than let your hands give away your age, you can moisturize, brighten skin tone and improve the appearance of crepey skin and wrinkles with REDEFINE Hand Treatment Regimen with SPF 30.
• Keep the SPF coming. Even on cold, blustery days, the sun can still do damage through the cloud cover (or snow flurries). No matter your age, ethnicity, or local climate, your skin needs protection from UVA and UVB rays. Before heading outdoors this winter, apply a broad spectrum sunscreen. If you plan to hit the slopes, take extra care to use higher SPF and reapply every two hours since UV radiation increases at higher elevations.
• Air on the moisture side. Staying cozy inside has its perks, but dry, over-heated rooms can further dehydrate skin, leading to cracks, inflammation and visible redness. Help counter skin dryness before it strikes by setting the humidity level in your home to 40 percent or using a humidifier to boost moisture levels in the air.

Start following these tips today and keep your skin looking smooth and radiant—no matter where the winter takes you.