Caring for Your Body in the Colder Months The chill in the air means one thing: winter is coming. And for many of us, the change in seasons also brings changes to our body—dry skin, brittle hair, cracked hands and feet, and an itch to stay curled up indoors. Cold climate skin care is essential during the winter, when plummeting temperatures, blustery winds, and drier air can really take a toll.

In this comprehensive season-by-season guide to body care in winter, we’ll provide suggestions and tips to overcome all of your cold-weather skin woes. We’ll explore smart wardrobe choices to keep you both cozy and stylish on frigid days. Discover winter-proof moisturizers, lipid-barrier boosters, nourishing masks, soothing balms, and supercharged serums perfect for cold season skin care.

And it’s not just your skin that deserves a little extra TLC—we’ll also cover head-to-toe ideas for supporting thick, shiny strands, robust nails, and smooth feet even when the weather outside is frightful. Round out your regimen by learning little lifestyle tweaks that can take your winter skin and self-care game up a notch.

Follow along to pick up research-backed advice, product recommendations, recipe ideas, and habits to embrace the best skin—and mental outlook—of your life during the colder months. With this ultimate winter body care guide, you’ll be ready to take on the elements in style and comfort. Lets learn more about body care in winter season.

Why Cold Weather Wreaks Havoc on Skin and Hair

Why Cold Weather Wreaks Havoc on Skin and Hair Let’s kick things off by understanding exactly why our skin, hair, nails and bodies struggle so much when the temperatures take a dip. Knowing the science behind these challenges will help us overcome them!

First, the drop in humidity levels during winter pulls moisture from the skin more rapidly, making it difficult to maintain adequate hydration. Since dry air doesn’t hold water vapor well, it causes moisture to evaporate quickly from exposed skin. The atmospheric humidity in winter can get down to 10-20% versus a more skin-friendly 60% in summer.

Additionally, harsh winter elements like cold winds, snow, and ice can lead to depletion of lipids and proteins responsible for skin’s protective moisture barrier. This barrier prevents water loss and shields skin from environmental harm year-round. But cold climate skin care requires extra reinforcement as this moisture seal gets battered by winter weather. Chapped lips and raw, flaky skin ensue when your barrier becomes compromised.

To make matters worse, the sebaceous glands produce less sebum during winter. Sebum is the oil that helps keep skin soft and supple under normal conditions. Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels and slow cellular turnover, reducing natural oil production. This leaves skin drier, tighter, and more prone to showing flakiness and irritation.

Not only is moisture pulled to the surface and evaporated at a rapid rate, but lower sebum also means your skin can’t retain what little hydration is left. It’s a double whammy for dehydration!

Decreased Vitamin D3 Production: Body Care in Winter Season

Additionally, the weaker sun and shift to indoor heating lead to decreased vitamin D3 production. Often called “the sunshine vitamin”, D3 plays an important role in skin cell growth and renewal. Lower light exposure and vitamin D causes skin to thin and lose structural support over time. This can contribute to issues like skin dryness, irritation, slow wound healing, and even depression during winter.

For hair, dry air, hat wearing, and cold both remove moisture from strands leading to static, dullness, tangles, and breakage. Dry indoor air dehydrates hair strands from the inside out. Repeated temperature shifts from going indoors to outdoors move moisture in and out of the hair shaft, enlarging holes in the protective cuticle layer. This allows the hair to lose more moisture over time.

Reinforcing Skin’s Moisture Barrier

Now that we know why skin suffers without adequate moisture during winter, let’s explore ingredients and products to reinforce the moisture barrier and seal hydration into thirsty skin cells.

First on your cold climate skin care shopping list should be humectants. These water-loving ingredients draw moisture from dermal layers into the skin’s upper stratum corneum surface. Look for products containing glycerin, hyaluronic acid, honey, sorbitol, aloe vera, sodium PCA, or hydrolyzed silk protein to infuse your skin with instant hydration that lasts.

Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) are a class of compounds called ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids, and amino acids. Topical creams containing NMFs help skin attract and retain moisture in the spaces between cells by filling in cracks in the lipid barrier. This barrier reinforcement halts transdermal water loss to keep skin supple, nourished, and glowing even in dry winter conditions.

Occlusive agents provide the heaviest level of hydration by forming a physical seal over skin to prevent water from evaporating. These waxy or oily ingredients literally lock moisture into the skin’s upper layers. Shea and cocoa butters, beeswax, petroleum jelly, silicones, lanolin, mineral oil, and some plant oils are common occlusives to blend into your cold season skin care.

Hydration Helpers for Hands and Feet

Let’s now talk about caring for often forgotten areas like hands and feet. These exposed extremities bear the brunt of harsh winter elements and deserve special treatment. Fingers, toes, heels, cuticles and nails tend to become painfully dry and cracked in cold, arid conditions.

Apply occlusive salves and butters repeatedly throughout the day to provide an impermeable seal against moisture loss. Choose thicker formulas designed specifically for extremely dry skin to heal and protect cracked hands and feet. Don avocado, coconut, olive, almond, vitamin E, shea butter or petroleum-based oils and ointments. Cover hands with gloves while doing chores and outdoor activities to further shield from dehydration. At bedtime, exfoliate with a pumice stone then apply heal balms and gloves to deeply nourish nails, cuticles, palms, and heels as you sleep.

For feet, look for intense overnight masks and paraffin wax treatments to baby your soles and toes all season long. These indulgent treatments provide the deeper conditioning needed for winter extremities prone to roughness. Use once or twice a week to transform even the driest feet.

Gentle Exfoliation Prevents Buildup: Body Care in Winter Season

While softer skin requires less overall exfoliation, removing dead cells gently with the right physical or chemical exfoliant ensures hydrating ingredients penetrate optimally. Plus, it whisks away any flaky, dull patches revealing the glowy clear skin underneath.

For body exfoliation, use natural loofahs or dry brushes rather than harsh scrubs which can micro-tear delicate winter skin. Save alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like lactic or glycolic acid for summer months and switch to more gentle beta hydroxy acid (BHA) or fruit enzyme versions containing blueberry, cherry, pineapple, papaya, or pumpkin. Limit full body exfoliation like body scrubs or acids to 1-2 times per week max so as not to disturb your acid mantle.

For facial exfoliation, swap gritty grains and shells for silk protein peels containing soft jojoba beads or micro-fine smoothers like rice powder. Or use enzymes derived from papaya, pineapple or pumpkin which digest dead cells to reveal vibrant skin. In extremely cold or windy locations, skipping manual exfoliation altogether and using peel pads or lighter AHA/BHA liquid toners 2-3 times a week helps prevent stripping. Ensure all exfoliating treatments are free of alcohol, soap or sulfates year round but especially during winter.

The Importance of Sunscreen

Just because it’s cold and dreary doesn’t give your skin permission to go bare! Sun protection is crucial all year to safeguard from UV damage, aging, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer. Snow, ice and water multiply rather than reduce UV exposure.

Use SPF 30 or greater applied down to your neck, chest and hands whenever spending time outdoors. Reapply every two hours if sweating or swimming. Seek water resistant and sweat proof formulas to withstand winter play and sports. If mineral options feel too thick or leave a white cast, try lightweight chemical sunscreens instead. They absorb quickly without pilling or residue under your scarves, hats, makeup and beard!

For your lips, opt for an SPF lip treatment or balm with natural protection from antioxidants like green tea, cocoa or pomegranate rather than potentially sensitizing chemical sunscreens around delicate mouth skin. Reapply your lip balm religiously every time you go outside into the elements.

Wardrobe Choices for Warmth and Style

The right clothing choices can make all the difference when confronting harsh winter climates. Seek out tailoring tricks and innovative fabrics to keep you stylishly comfortable throughout the cold season. Here’s what to watch for:

• Layer lightweight merino wool or silk long underwear and base layers closest to skin for temperature regulating breathability and moisture wicking softness.
• Mid layers like turtlenecks, mock necks, funnel necks and cowl necks add stylish coverage without bulk. Try fine gauge cotton, cashmere or wool sweater options.
• Look for waterproof and well-insulated outer layers treated with durable water repellant (DWR) finishes or made of GORE-TEX material. These sealed seams prevent moisture from leaking in while allowing water vapor out.
• Shield extremities with touchscreen compatible gloves lined in soft fleece, cashmere or shearling plus weatherproof boots, earmuffs and headwear. Seek plush socks made of moisture wicking merino wool or alpaca wool to keep feet warm and dry inside winter boots.
• Remove restrictive closures and scratchy fabrics contacting skin directly and avoid overdressing which can lead to sweatiness. Allow for flexibility and airflow to prevent irritation.

By thoughtfully dressing in well constructed, layered winter gear your whole body stays protected and comfortable no matter how frosty it gets.

Additional Tips for Winter Skin and Self Care: Body care in winter season

Here are a few final tips for taking your winter body care routine to the next level:

• Crank the humidity. Heaters and cold air remove moisture from indoor environments as well causing dehydration. Use humidifiers and vaporizers to restore a skin-friendly 30-40% humidity inside your home.
• Eat more healthy fats and stay hydrated. Consume more omega fatty acids from fish, nuts and seeds which reinforce the lipid barrier. Staying hydrated by sipping warm teas all day keeps skin plumped up from the inside out.
• Give yourself an oil massage with antioxidant-rich plant oils like jojoba, rosehip seed, marula or olive oil. The hydration and circulation boost repairs winter skin damage.
• Take shorter lukewarm rather than steamy hot showers and baths which deplete natural moisturizing oils. Limit soak times to 5-10 minutes max. Apply body oil afterwards to seal in softness.
• Try adding skin-supportive antioxidants like vitamins C and E plus botanical oils like rosemary, green tea and red raspberry seed oil into usual creams and cleansers. Or take supplements like fish oil internally to reinforce your moisture barrier.

Sticking to this comprehensive guide of simple soothing solutions transforms lackluster winter skin and hair into enviously touchable, hydrated perfection.Consistency is key when battling the drying effects of cold weather. By incorporating cold climate skin care into your entire mind, body and lifestyle routine, you’ll be primed to put your best face and body forward all season long!

Learn more about – The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Face in the Winter: Face Routine in Winter