Why Your Skin May Look Worse in Winter, and What You Can Do About It

You may have noticed that when it gets to winter, your skin starts looking a little bit worse for wear. Discoloration, patchiness, redness, blemishes, texture, dryness – the list goes on. Your skin may even feel a bit damaged. It isn’t uncommon, but it can be annoying and lead to feelings of self-consciousness that nobody should have to deal with – in this blog we’ll explain why this happens and what you can do about it.

What happens to skin in winter?

1. It gets dryer
Just like at the height of summer, the skin is more prone to drying out – in winter, this comes about because of cold air outside, dry air (central heating) inside and the change in temperature when you move from one space into the other. The upper layer of the skin (epidermis) will struggle more and more to hold onto moisture, drying out and flaking.

2. Skin gets thinner
Exposure to the outdoor elements in spring and summer gradually makes the skin a little bit thicker during those seasons, to protect itself and retain moisture in the heat. In winter, there’s no such issue, which actually leads to an issue of its own – skin begins to break down as it perceives that the heat problem is no more.

3. It's exposed to the cold
The cold outside weakens the skin barrier, and so does dry skin. The skin barrier normally protects the skin from UV rays, pollution and damage. The cold breaks this down, leading to damaged skin in the winter.

What can you do about it?

1. Hydration
Hydration is even more important in winter. Use a richer cream than in summer, if you notice your skin feels less moisturised than normally. Our Soothing Night Cream contains mango seed butter oil, urea and shea butter, for ultra-hydrated skin. Better hydration also means a stronger skin barrier. Also, when we think of hydration, we usually think of moisturisation of the skin. Don’t forget the inside too! Internal hydration is just as important as external – you may be less inclined to drink cold water in winter. If so, drink lots of herbal tea or hot lemon water.

2. Change Your Cleansing Routine
Or, at the very least, just tone it down a little, in winter. We don’t recommend cleansing with harsh toners or face washes anyways but, especially in winter, you should be more mindful about maintaining the vital natural layer of oils on top of the skin. Our 3 in 1 Balm Cleanser contains oat kernel extract, sweet almond oil and shea butter, for a deeply hydrating cleanse.

3. SPF
This wouldn’t be a Rosalique article if we didn’t mention how massively important SPF is! Keep up the SPF, especially as your skin will be thinner and skin barrier weaker in the colder months. You will need extra protection. Rosalique has an SPF50, which provides daily protection year round.

4. Barriers
Physically protect your face with a big scarf or high collar. Especially if you have sensitive, rosacea-prone skin, your skin will respond strongly to the transition between the cold and the dry heat of the outside and inside, so you want to make the change as gentle as possible.

5. Cover-up
Looking for a little bit of cover-up to even out your winter complexion? You can use a small amount of Rosalique as the perfect tinted moisturiser, to tone down any uneven or high colour on the face and create a more even, smoother skin tone. Bring on that winter glow!

Cold, dark winter months don’t have to be the end of great skin! Just follow these simple handy tips and you’ll be glowing all year round. Use Rosalique and see the difference today!