Dry, Flaky Skin? Add These 5 Ingredients To Your Winter Skincare Routine, ASAP

How much layering is too much layering? These days I'm constantly layering coats on top of sweaters, moisturisers over serums, and lip balm over lip balm over lip balm. My body pretty much feels like it's slowly turning into an icicle and my skin feels parched and dry and flaky. 

If your skin also feels extremely dull and dehydrated, then you've come to the right place. We're listing down some key ingredients that you can incorporate into your winter skincare regime to bring back the radiance and moisture.

Hyaluronic Acid

We're pretty sure you've heard of hyaluronic acid in the beauty universe because it's a pretty common buzzword these days. It's a polysaccharide that is found naturally in the skin to keep it hydrated. While you can add this into your skincare regimen throughout the year, it's especially beneficial in the winter. It works as a humectant which means that it can draw and hold water to the skin's surface.

Just a word of caution while using hyaluronic acid in winters, especially if you live in a dry, cold environment with no humidity in the air. Hyaluronic acid works by drawing moisture from the environment into your skin. When your surroundings lack moisture, it will end up drawing moisture from the deeper layers of your skin -- this makes the dry skin situation worse. So always top off your hyaluronic acid with a creamy moisturiser to lock in hydration. 

 

Shea Butter

Shea butter prevents the skin from losing moisture to the ambient atmosphere where the humidity level is low because it provides a protective barrier. It will give you the best results when used as a moisturiser and not washed so that it seeps into the deeper layers of the skin. 

 

Vitamin C

When there's a skincare problem, Vitamin C is the solution. In the winter, it can improve the skin's tone and texture and help with dullness too. Use it in the form of a serum or sheet mask at night and you'll even see a visible difference with early signs of aging including a reduction in fine lines and sagging skin.

 

Ceramides

Ceramides are another great skincare ingredient to add to your winter routine. These are basically lipids that help your skin hold on to moisture while helping form its protective barrier. It is when the levels of these are off, does the skin suffer. While your skin naturally produces them, there are environmental factors that can strip them off.  

 

Glycerin

It's best to apply glycerin straight out of the shower so that your skin can drink in the water from the humidity in the bathroom. It's a humectant that is particularly great for people with oily or acne-prone skin. And the great benefit of this is that it's a really popular ingredient so chances are that many of your products will already have it.

 

So, now that you know which ingredients to look out for, we're sure your skin will appreciate the extra love you're showing it!

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