The Great Indoors: How to Boost Skin Hydration in Winter

Baby, it’s cold outside! And even if it isn’t, the winter months have less light, so we tend to stay inside more. There are obvious outdoor winter worries for our skin, like the wind and cold, but also some indoor hazards, like forced air heating that zaps moisture, and a lack of fresh air and sunshine. Staying in also gives us the opportunity to practice self-love in the form of self-skincare. So, hunker down and give yourself a TLC “Better Me” day. Here are a few ideas of what to focus on.

---

What To Do About Dry, Dehydrated Skin

Is the dry skin on your legs looking (and feeling) crepey? Or is the dull, lackluster skin on your face feeling tight and uncomfortable? Here’s what to do to make sure skin feels and looks as hydrated as in more humid seasons. 

Your action plan is to first exfoliate and then completely rehydrate skin. Dead skin cells are the culprits for giving skin that unappealing flaky look. Micro-Dermabrasion Paste can be used on dry or wet skin for customizable level of exfoliation. Then slip into a bath with your favorite bath oil (remember don’t let the water get too hot!) and apply your R+F Face Mask of choice, such as REDEFINE Rejuvenation Mask, which can be used on the face, neck and décolleté. (Plan on about 10 minutes, which is the time the mask needs.) 

After the bath, slather on Active Hydration Body Replenish to banish dry, flaky skin and give your whole body immediate and long-lasting hydration. On your face, refine your pores with REDEFINE Pore Minimizing Toner and then use the REDEFINE AMP MD Derma-Roller to visibly firm skin and prep it for the next step: Active Hydration Serum. Drenching your skin in a bath of Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin in our proprietary 3D3P Molecular Matrix will leave it hydrated and luminous by attracting moisture from the immediate environment — your steamy bathroom. Then follow up with REDEFINE Intensive Renewing Serum, part of the AMP MD System, for visibly firmer skin. For more hydration, REDEFINE Overnight Restorative Cream is going to help give you a great night’s sleep because you’ll know you have total moisture helping your skin combat the elements — be they inside or out. For extra self-love, REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream will visibly firm and smooth the eye area while REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum pampers and moisturizes lips to reduce the look of wrinkles and give you a luscious pout.

---

What To Do About Clogged Pores, Oily Skin and Dry Skin with Breakouts

The winter can cause those with a tendency towards breakouts to suffer too! Here’s why. The cold weather, along with indoor heat, will cause your skin to become drier. Fighting acne with cleansers or treatments that you used in summer, perhaps high in Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid, will dry out your pimples, yes, but also cause your skin to produce more oil to compensate for the over-drying. The oil can clog pores and make your breakouts worse, especially if you have flaky skin on the surface mixing with the oil. So, even if your skin is oily and breaking out, it’s important to use a good moisturizer in winter. 

For this act of self-skincare, first start with Micro-Dermabrasion Paste that will get rid of all the dry, flaky skin on the surface. Take a warm, hydrating shower to warm up and soften the oil clogging your pores, then apply the Pore Prep Solution and get the gunk out of pores with the Pore Cleansing MD System, our newest pro skincare tool for clogged pores and blackheads. Lightly moisturize your body with ESSENTIALS Daily Body Moisturizer. For your face, start your UNBLEMISH Regimen with the Gentle Exfoliating Acne Wash followed by the Clarifying Toner. Drench your face in hydration with Active Hydration Serum, which will not clog pores or cause acne. Remember, your skin still needs moisture so it doesn’t overcompensate with oil. Active Hydration Bright Eye Complex will help refresh the eye area. UNBLEMISH Dual Intensive Acne Treatment will help clear existing and prevent new blemishes from forming. Then, to seal in moisture, RECHARGE Ultra Boost Moisturizing Treatment will help nourish and defend skin from the environment (including the dry air in your home) and not clog pores or cause acne.

Finish off your self-skincare routine with Multi-Function Eye Cream and REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum. Whether you have dry, flaky skin, or you experience breakouts, your at-home, full-on self-love spa ritual is complete!