Makeup 101: Save Your Skin from Winter Weather

The cool days are officially starting, and here at Syracuse that means the cold days are just around the corner.  I can just feel the winter depression setting in, and my skin feels the same way.  My hands are already dry and eczema is surfacing.  Yeah, I think that definitely makes someone wanna hold my hand…if that someone also happens to have winter lizardy skin.

As if losing your summer bronze glow isn’t bad enough, the cold wind and weather does some serious damageto your skin. And your precious face and dainty hands get the worst of it, as they most often feel the harshness of the cold air. So how can you protect your skin without staying in your room all day? (No, that isn’t an option; professors don’t care about your skin that much.)

Below are some suggestions to get your skin back to the baby’s-bottom-soft feel of summer. No more cracking, flaking or drying out this winter, women.

Hands: If your skin is only mildly dry or you just want to prevent it from happening, a thick cream will do the trick.  Try L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream or Bliss’ High Intensity Hand Cream. And keep that stuff with you wherever you go; skin dries out quickly in the winter-time and you want to be prepared.

If your hands are cracky or you have eczema, you know that Cortisone ointment can be helpful but sticky.  So try mixing together the ointment with an unscented lotion like Cetaphil.  If your hands are really bad, apply petroleum jelly before you go to bed under some white cotton gloves (this both traps in all that moisture…and prevents you from making a serious jelly mess all over your bed). When you wake up it will be worth the annoyance, because your skin will be way softer. 

And if cracks are more your problem than itch and dryness, apply Newskin to cracks to keep them sealed and protected.

Face: First use an exfoliating scrub like this one from Clinique (or this delicious one from Mario Badescu!) to buff away dead, dry skin. Then use a thick lotion that won’t clog your pores to add some serious moisture. Clinique, the god of good-for-your-skin products, makes a good cream called Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. It’s my savior every winter.

If your face is really dry, try an overnight cream like this one from Boscia that will revitalize your skin as you sleep.

Eating well, taking vitamins, getting sleep and exercise (and wearing gloves!) are also always important keys to healthy skin, but sometimes you need a little more help. Moisturize ahead of time and save your skin before things get bad. And dry. And scaly.