In between the warm toasty fires and the snowy outdoor activities like sledding, skiing, ice skating or just shoveling the driveway- winter in Wisconsin can wreak havoc on a person’s skin.
Some extra maintenance can prevent that seasonal dry, itchy and even cracked skin most of us are familiar with.
Switch up your skin care routine and pay close attention to moisture in the air, in your body and on your skin.
What works for you in the spring and summer likely won’t be as effective during the cold, dry winter months. It’s important to stay hydrated in the winter. That can really make a difference.
Take shorter warm (not hot) showers and invest in a good humidifier for the rooms in your home where you spend the most time.
Fireplaces and furnaces do a great job of circulating dry warm air, but that can lead to dry skin. A good humidifier will help replace the moisture lost when we turn on the heat. That should help your skin.
In addition to changes in your home, changing up your moisturizing routine for the winter months may be helpful as well, according to Sheena Wagner, a medical aesthetician with Plastic Surgery & Skin Specialists by BayCare Clinic.
“A great skincare routine is crucial for healthy skin,” Wagner says, “and for many people that routine has to be seasonal. My skin is different in the winter and faces more challenging circumstances than my skin in the summer. As the weather changes, especially here in Wisconsin, your moisturizing routine should too.”
Wagner recommends consulting with a skincare professional to find the right products for your skin but switching to an oil-based moisturizer in the winter or using a hydrating serum to give your skin an added boost of moisture may be helpful.
Outside of changing up your skincare routine, Wagner also recommends taking advantage of services provided by the aesthetics team at Plastic Surgery & Skin Specialists by BayCare Clinic.
Customized facials, skin peels and hydrating treatments like the HydraFacial® may also be more beneficial in the winter months.
“Occasionally skin just needs a little extra pampering that we can’t get from behavioral changes,” Wagner says. “Our team is expertly trained to evaluate your skin conditions and make recommendations for treatments and products that can help with dry, flaky or itchy winter skin.”
To recap, here is a list of our recommendations for taking care of your skin this winter:
- Stay hydrated
- Take shorter warm, (not hot) showers
- Use a humidifier in rooms where you spend most of your time
- Change your skincare routine to include more moisturizing products
- Use an oil-based moisturizer or hydrating serum in the winter
- Consider extra pampering for your skin with our aesthetic services team
Following these basic tips can help you better care for your skin this winter. The team at Plastic Surgery & Skin Specialists by BayCare Clinic can provide you personalized advice on a skin care routine and products that will work best for you. Consultations with our medical aesthetics team in Green Bay are always free.