There are so many things to enjoy during the winter months, from the holidays to snuggling by the fire and playing in the snow. However, the cold winter months can wreak havoc on your skin – often leaving it dry and cracked. No worries. You don’t have to hide indoors this winter. Instead, use these 5 essential winter skin care tips to keep your skin healthy, hydrated and moisturized.
This post is sponsored by Lunchbox and Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion. All views and experiences expressed are my own.
5 Essential Winter Skin Care Tips
Stay hydrated. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Drinking water helps your skin stay hydrated and looking young. Water is essential for your overall health, and the signs of someone who isn’t staying properly hydrated is noticed in dry, sometimes cracked skin.
Use a humidifier. If your heating system doesn’t have a built-in humidifier, it’s important to place a portable humidifier somewhere in your home. Running a humidifier during the winter months is an absolute must for me. The bedroom is a perfect place to use a humidifier, since you are hopefully spending 7-8 hours a night in there sleeping. Adding extra moisture into the air will help prevent dry skin in cold winter months.
Take shorter showers and avoid hot water. Taking a steaming hot shower after being out in the cold air might sound oh-so tempting, but the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually strips the skin of its natural oils, which leads to a loss of moisture. Dermatologists say that a warm shower, lasting no more than 10 minutes long is optimal for winter skin care.
Use creamy cleansers. Avoid drying shower gels and soaps containing harsh detergents such as ammonium lauryl sulfate and triclosan. Instead, stick to mild face and body washes — the milkier looking, the better.
Moisturize and moisturize some more. Apply a good moisturizer such as Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion at least twice a day. Post shower and bedtime are optimal times for applying lotion, also after spending extended periods of time outdoors. If you are like me, your hands and feet get especially dry during the winter months. I find myself applying lotion to my hands several times throughout the day, and at night I slather the lotion onto my feet and pull on a pair of socks.
Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion is clinically proven to heal dry skin in 5 days.
I recently agreed to take the #VaselineChallenge and use Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion for 5 days, to experience for myself the healing and moisturizing qualities of this lotion that I have been hearing so much about. I typically experience all-over dry skin, along with cracking and peeling on my hands during the winter months. Using Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion for the last week has helped a lot, especially on my hands which seem to bare the brunt of the winter weather. The improved results are undeniable!
As someone with sensitive skin, I prefer a fragrance-free lotion like Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Lotion. I should also note that this is a non-greasy lotion, that quickly soaks into your skin leaving it feeling supple and healthy. I’m most definitely a fan of this healing moisturizer.
Will you be taking the #VaselineChallenge yourself?
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
January 12, 2015 at 4:03 PMI have been using Vaseline for years. My skin gets wicked dry in the New England winters.
Tanya Coffman says
January 12, 2015 at 5:57 PMThis is perfect for this time of year when everyone’s hands are dry….and my heals are cracking! Thanks!
Krystal says
January 12, 2015 at 6:26 PMI don’t have to worry about this as much as some (I live in southern Florida). That being said, my skin does tend to get more dry in the winter months.
Nina Say says
January 12, 2015 at 6:45 PMI need to start moisturizing. I noticed last week my skin has been super dry and it does not look or feel good.
Liz Mays says
January 12, 2015 at 8:44 PMIt’s really hard to keep my skin moisturized when I go up North. I’m a long time user of Vaseline for my dry skin though.
Elizabeth Copeland says
January 12, 2015 at 9:25 PMMy elementary aged boy just started his annual winter eczema flare. Thanks for all the reminders for how to help calm it quickly.
Courtney says
January 12, 2015 at 10:01 PMThese are fantastic tips!!!! I love Vaseline products!! Such good quality 🙂 never let’s me down when my skin is sucking at life during the winter 😉
Tonya C says
January 12, 2015 at 10:48 PMThanks for sharing this especially now with it being so cold right now. Skin is so dry. Looking for a new lotion. Will give this one a try for sure.
Nicole says
January 13, 2015 at 12:29 AMI love Vaseline products. They work well and they aren’t fragrant so they don’t irritate my skin.
dogvills says
January 13, 2015 at 12:31 AMAwesome tips, vaseline products are amazing during the winter for dry skin!
Elizabeth O. says
January 13, 2015 at 1:29 AMAh yes, Vaseline is my go-to during the winter! Really helps my skin a lot!
tammileetips says
January 13, 2015 at 1:56 AMI love the Vaseline of lotions!! Great tips for dry skin I hate how dry mine get with the cold weather and hand washing!
Rebecca Swenor says
January 13, 2015 at 3:01 AMThese are great tips for winter skin care indeed. I also have very dry hands and feet during the winter months. My heels look awful. I always have my humidifier going in the winter too. Thanks for sharing.
Jenni E. {Sweet Pennies from Heaven} says
January 13, 2015 at 9:03 AMI actually have a bottle of this. I need to buy another bottle though because the whole family is using it. These cold, bitter temperatures outside are wreaking havoc on our skin!
Terri Ramsey Beavers says
January 13, 2015 at 1:49 PMThank you so much for these tips. I’ve really got to get a humidifier, it might be the reason I’ve been sick since the start of cold weather. I live by Vaseline products. I couldn’t get through winter without it.
Lynndee says
January 13, 2015 at 2:59 PMDidn’t know about the third. My shower always takes about 30-45 minutes. 🙂 Thanks for the tips!
Adanna says
January 13, 2015 at 10:02 PMThese are awesome tips. Thanks for sharing!
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
January 13, 2015 at 10:28 PMI received some of this new Vaseline sensitive skin lotion a few weeks ago. It’s really battling my Michigan winter skin and not causing a breakout. It is much more affordable than other options that work for me.
Cherri Megasko says
January 13, 2015 at 10:37 PMUsing a humidifier is key for me. If we forget to fill it up even one night I can tell by how my skin feels the next morning.
Rosey says
January 13, 2015 at 11:30 PMCutting back on the heat in the shower is a toughie for me. I love, love, love a hot shower!
Margarita Ibbott (@DownshiftingPRO) says
January 14, 2015 at 12:28 AMWith winter in full force now, I appreciate this post so much. I LOVE Vaseline intensive care cream. It is my go to and there is ALWAYS a bottle somewhere in my house.
Jhady says
January 14, 2015 at 1:09 AMI need great skin lotion especially for winter season here in Wisconsin. It’s too cold and it’s drying my skin so much.
Manu Kalia says
January 14, 2015 at 1:57 AMThe first tips is my favorite I always keep a bottle on my bag whenever I go out or at home. Vaseline is one of the best product out there.
Lisa Rios says
January 14, 2015 at 8:42 AMVery useful post indeed! I love to use Vaseline. I am having severe skin allergic issues on my skin. I have used it and I really wondered how it gives such a great result for skin allergies. Thanks a lot for sharing this tips.
Stephanie C. says
January 14, 2015 at 10:43 AMIt has been so cold here, and I’m starting to get those red, dry patches on my hands – I think I’m going to have teo pick up some of this lotion!
Paula Shuck says
January 14, 2015 at 3:03 PMSo hard to stay away from hot showers when it’s so cold outside! My skin gets sooo dry in the winter, I definitely need more lotion.
linda says
January 14, 2015 at 4:08 PMmy skin get so dry in winter! thanks for these tips–they are much needed!
R U S S says
January 14, 2015 at 6:11 PMI live in a tropical country and I’m not so good with cold weather. My thyroid condition has made it worse for me. That’s why lotions, moisturizers, and creams are my best-est friends! I gotta try Vaseline again coz I haven’t used it in a long time.
Angela Christoper says
January 14, 2015 at 9:15 PMI always saw that Vaseline brand! I’ll try it and buy it for this good tips that convinced me thanks a lot for advice.
Kiwi says
January 14, 2015 at 11:45 PMI definitely use a humidifier for all season actually. Vaseline is a great beauty brand for moisturization!
Erica says
January 20, 2015 at 11:56 AMBoth my son and I have very dry skin so this has come in handy. I will definitely give your tips a try.
Krista says
January 20, 2015 at 9:51 PMI am a huge winter dry skin sufferer. Thank you for the information you provided.
Katarina K says
January 28, 2015 at 2:30 AMThank you for such a useful post on a cold days like these! I really have to take more care of my skin!