Expert recommendations: 7 Tips on how to nourish your skin during winter

Winter has officially arrived! We all eagerly wait for this time of the year, don’t we? The chilly weather radiates an environment of awesomeness when we enjoy taking a sip of piping hot coffee, consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, and staying cozy.

However, winter is also a season when our skin tends to lose moisture and becomes dry. Though we apply various cold creams and make homemade remedies for glowing skin, we often avoid taking expert recommendations that eventually affect our daily skincare routine.

Here are the expert-recommended 7 tips that will help you retain the glow and nourishment of your skin:

1. During winter, you need to keep your showers and baths shorter. Remember that water does not moisturize your skin but repels oil. Long hot showers cause your skin to lose its natural oils. Use of grape seed oil, camellia flower, or jasmine oil products after your showers in winter will boost skin nourishment.

2. During winter, it's advisable to use gentle facial cleansers that retains moisture. Avoid cleansers or soap high in Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and avoid high acid content (salicylic and glycolic acid). Cleanser rich in vitamin C enriched and evening Primrose oils are good both as cleansers and also replenish essential nutrients to the skin.

3. Use of humidifiers, hydrating (rich in Vitamin C and E) at nights before sleep to target dull and dry skin and give skin a brighter and more supple appeal.

4. Formulations rich in hyaluronic acid and tissue repairing vitamin B5 gels enhance radiance, restore and bind moisture to the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant, naturally found in skin hydrates for younger-looking skin.

5. The use of activated charcoal to deep cleanse skin along with aloe vera and honey as a Body wash is essential for skin exfoliation and to remove dull appearance in winter.

6. Many people forget to apply sunscreen lotion during winters. But U V rays are still present even in cold and cloudy winters, and protecting your skin from harmful effects of skin is important. Good moisturizers in addition to sunscreens play an important dual role in dry winter months.

7. Double duty SPF (sun protection factor 32%) and boosted moisturizer (with shea butter, Aloe Vera Vitamin C enriched) can be applied as a sunscreen and moisturizer in winter when exposed to sunlight.

Dr Amar Raghu

M.B.B. S, M. S (General Surgery), M. Ch (Plastic Surgery)

Senior Consultant

Department of Plastic Surgery