Winter Skincare Essentials: Say No to Dry and Flaky Skin

The winter season is fast approaching. During cold, dry winter months, most people struggle with persistent dry, flaky, dull, and tight skin. If you don’t want to get bothered with your skin feel and appearance this winter, meet Dr. Niti Gaur, a dermatologist in Gurgaon at Citrine Clinic, and started following a tailored winter skincare regimen.

Dr. Niti Gaur shares the winter skincare secrets that one ought to know and take seriously to achieve healthy, hydrated, fresh, and glass-like glowing skin in winter. Besides stressing on skincare routine, she even advises on lifestyle modifications and best skincare treatments to address excessively dry and flaky skin.

Expert- Recommended Winter Skincare Essentials

In routine, it is generally recommended to use the following skincare products, as suited to the unique skin type:

• Mild, Hydrating Cleanser
  Thoroughly cleanse skin twice daily with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free, alcohol/surfactant-free, cream-based, milky cleanser. Choose a cleanser that contains skin barrier-supporting or hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalene, ceramides, glycerine, and natural oils.
  If you have oily skin type, go for a cleanser with salicylic acid; for sensitive and dry skin, use dew cleansing balm; and if you have normal, combination skin, consider a natural cleanser with skin brightening effects. The selected cleanser must be gentle on the skin and work to get rid of skin impurities and makeup without stripping skin of natural oils and moisture.
• Hydrating Toner/Serum
  After cleansing, on still-damp skin, use a hydrating toner. Follow this with a hydrating serum containing humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or polyglot-amic acid and barrier supporters like squa-lene, ceramides, and fatty acids.
  If having dry skin, make use of richer or layered-textured serum; for oily/combination skin, choose a lightweight serum, and if sensitive skin, use a gentle, less-scented serum. The toner and serum must help skin better absorb and lock in moisture and combat the effects of dry, cold air in winter.
• Rich Moisturiser
  Switch to a thicker, more nourishing moisturizer in winter. Apply it just after a shower or face wash to trap the surface-level moisture.
  If having dry skin, look for a cream/oil-based, rich moisturizer with shea butter, ceramides, cocoa butter, and jojoba or almond oil. If having oily or combination skin, choose a water-based, lightweight moisturizer with ingredients like niacinamide, such that sebum production is under control and skin pores are not clogged. For sensitive skin, consider a hypoallergenic, very gentle, and minimally scented moisturizer.
• Face oil or Body Butter.
  Provide intense hydration to the extremely dry and flaky elbows, feet, and knees, or other areas with emollients and butters like cocoa butter and shea butter. Apply them after moisturizer to lock extra moisture into the skin.
• Sunscreen
  Though most of the winter days are not sunny, UV rays from the sun can still reach the skin. So, skipping sunscreen application and not covering the sun-exposed areas is not right. Even indoors, it's recommended to apply broad-spectrum, hydrating sunscreen of at least 30 SPF at the end of the morning routine to protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
• Hydrating Lip Balm
  Lip skin is thin and very sensitive, more prone to chapping and flaking in winter. To keep lips well nourished and hydrated, apply a generous layer of thick, nourishing lip balm before going to bed to repair and protect the lip skin from the harshness of winter. Consider a lip balm that contains lanolin, beeswax, or shea butter.
• Hand Cream
  Just as the face easily tends to dry out first in winter, so do the hands too. So, whenever your hands dry out, use a suitable hand cream.

Must Follow Lifestyle Habits for Winter Glow

To keep skin well hydrated and healthy, glowing in winters, make it a habit to do the following:

• Use a mild scrub or chemical exfoliant once or twice a week to slough off the dead skin cells
• Restore hydration in the skin with a humidifier if you frequently use indoor heating systems
• Keep the body hydrated from the inside by daily drinking adequate water and eating water and omega-3 fatty acids-rich foods
• Avoid hot and long baths/showers

Skin Professional Approaches to Deal with Dry, Flaky Skin in Winters

To provide beyond surface-level moisturizing and nourishing of skin and repair the barrier damage, the most recommended in-clinic dry skin treatments in Gurgaon include:

1. HydraFacial- It involves cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, and infusion of the skin with hydrating serums. The removal of skin impurities and dead skin cells clears the skin deeply, allowing better absorption of hydrating serums to provide intense hydration.
2. Hyaluronic acid injectables- Hyaluronic acid is the hydration boosters that, when delivered into the dermis, restore the lost water and lipid content and repair the compromised skin barrier.
3. Barrier repair or medical-grade facial- This is a therapeutic facial where the flakes are first removed with low-abrasion exfoliation and then the skin barrier is rebuilt with infusion of hydrating serums containing lipids and serums.
4. LED light therapy or low-level fractional lasers- Such light-based treatments are used to stimulate collagen remodeling and restore evenly textured skin.

Seek Help From a Skin Expert

Winter days bring dry, flaky, dull skin. But with consistent hydration and skin barrier support provided by winter skincare essentials, a youthful, healthy complexion is possible all season long.  If you experience any skin rashes or dry skin during the winter season, seek help from a skin doctor in Gurgaon Dr. Niti Gaur. 

She provides the best recommendations, consultation, and solutions that can help one achieve healthy skin goals in winter and all seasons.

Consult her at Citrine Clinic for more details.