There are many ways the winter season affects your skin, with dryness being the least of your worries. If left unattended, dry and dehydrated skin can compromise the skin’s barrier, which when damaged, tends to let in pollutants, and let out moisturise. As a result of the essential hydration leaking out of your skin, it gets dryer and starts to peel or flake off. This is accompanied by a feeling of tightness, itchiness, little breakouts on the skin and inflammation. All of which comes in the way of maintaining healthy skin during the cold months.
Here are some easy tips to protect and replenish your barrier to avoid flaky skin this winter…
- 01. Pick skin-restoring ingredients
- 02. Supplement your diet with Omega-3 fatty acids
- 03. Layer your serum with a thick cream
- 04. Exfoliate, but gently
- 05. Target flaky patches with a facial oil
01. Pick skin-restoring ingredients
Using the right moisturiser can do a world of difference for your skin. To prevent your skin from flaking during the winter, use skin-restoring ingredients like ceramides, glycerine and hyaluronic acid to get the job done. A potent formula like the Pond’s Super Light Gel Oil Free Moisturiser With Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin E will leave the skin supple, smooth and hydrated.
02. Supplement your diet with Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are in fact ‘good’ fat and help your skin produce natural oils to nourish from the inside. Fish oil and flaxseed oil capsules are some of the richest sources of essential fatty acids that can help keep your skin’s lipid barrier healthy from the inside. Proper dosage can make sure your skin stays smooth and flake-free for the whole of winter.
03. Layer your serum with a thick cream
Use this trick, especially for dry, flaky patches on your skin. Dab on some hydrating serum like the Lakme Absolute Skin Gloss Reflection Serum and layer it with a thick, creamy moisturiser like the Pond's Moisturising Cold Cream to lock all that nourishment in. Like it or not, products do tend to evaporate from your skin, especially during dry winter days when the air sucks a lot of moisture from your skin. This simple trick will make sure the hydrating nutrients of the serum stays put on your skin!
04. Exfoliate, but gently
Exfoliating once a week can help slough off dull and dead skin cells and keep your complexion flake-free. But make sure to not overdo exfoliation as winter skin is already very sensitive and can flare-up with physical scrubs. Use a gentle scrub like the St. Ives Gentle Smoothing Oatmeal Scrub & Mask at home and pop-in for a lactic-acid peel at your favourite salon to keep your skin well flake-free and smooth all through winter.
05. Target flaky patches with a facial oil
Another trick that can help target flaky, dry patches, and is used by makeup artists extensively, is to gently rub a nourishing facial oil like the Dermalogica Phyto Replenishing Oil on targeted areas. This helps get rid of flakiness much more gently, instead of actually ‘scrubbing’ with harsh, physical exfoliants. While we are at it, we do wanna remind you to never pick and peel flaky skin forcefully.
Written by Sumona Bose on Dec 23, 2020
Sumona Bose is a writer, skincare junkie and a self-professed makeup connoisseur. Equipped with a Master's degree in Fashion Management and over 3 years of experience writing in the beauty and fashion space, her passion for learning new things has no bounds. Working closely with dermatologists, beauty excerpts, makeup artists and hairstylists, she brings you the best of all things beauty. From trending skincare ingredients to makeup looks that help you slay, she manages to bring something new (and vital!) to our readers every single time. Her hobbies include home workouts, watching foreign films and binge-watching makeover shows!