We are always looking for the best skin care hack for winter. A few weeks ago, we asked you, our readers, for your best winter skin care hacks to combat the frigid winter chill and now we want to share what we found!
A commenter named Cece left us a bunch of cool tips, including some that we had never heard before. Here are her best tips:
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Massage your face with plain yogurt or low fat milk after cleansing
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Mix your daily moisturizer with Egyptian Magic Cream or Papaw ointment
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Use a blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B, and vitamin E for additional hydration
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Use a hot towel after your routine to allow products to penetrate deeper into the skin and use a humidifier throughout the day.
We hadn’t heard of incorporating milk or yogurt into a daily skin care routine before, so we reached out to Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic & clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, for his opinion on this tip. “Yogurt and milk contain proteins that help coat and protect inflamed skin,” he says. “They are particularly useful after sunburns and can be used as part of your daily facial regimen. Patients with skin sensitivity or rosacea can particularly benefit from yogurt and milk face treatments.”
Milk can also be used for skin brightening, which is why a number of new products on the market, particularly masks, have begun incorporating milk. We love the A’PIEU Pure Milk Sheet Masks and the Neogen White Truffle Hydramax Knit Masks.
And it’s no wonder why Cleopatra’s radiant skin was traditionally attributed to milk. Milk has enzymes and proteins which can lift dark spots and reduce wrinkles. Studies show that using milk should be fine for those with acne-prone or sensitive skin, however, due to milk’s slight acidity, super sensitive skin may not tolerate milk and as always, new products should be patch tested before they are used all over the face.
Egyptian Magic Cream is a cult favorite product in the beauty world. It boasts a long list of celebrity endorsements including Lauren Conrad, Michelle Phan, and Rihanna. This cream is formulated with only six ingredients: honey, beeswax, olive oil, royal jelly, bee pollen, and bee propolis. Honey, beeswax, royal jelly, bee pollen, and bee propolis are all ingredients that are made by bees and are extremely beneficial for the skin.
Beeswax is an anti-inflammatory as well as extremely moisturizing. Propolis, which comes from the tree resin that coats bee hives, is antifungal and antibacterial. Royal jelly, a milky substance that nurse bees produce to feed to their queen, is immune-boosting and tissue-repairing. This super moisturizing product is a winter essential if you suffer from dry skin. Whilst the comedogenicity of this product is unknown, the primary ingredients of beeswax and olive oil fall between 0-2 and at 2, respectively, and it has been known to work for those with acne and acne scarring, so it is likely safe for those with oily or acne-prone skin. Though, if you are vegan or allergic to bees, it’s probably better to skip this one.
The Egyptian Magic Cream is a little thick so if you’re looking for something more lightweight, I’d recommend Skinfood’s Royal Honey Propolis Essence and Royal Honey Eye Cream or the Cosrx Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream, which are all lighter options which will still pack the same moisture.
Papaw Ointment is well-known favorite from Australia. However, I’d be wary of using this on your skin since this product does not claim to be a moisturizer. In fact, its primary purpose is in protecting cuts and minor open wounds. Some dermatologists claim that it is comparable to vaseline or petroleum jelly, which can clog pores. A different option that we suggest for those who want to try out a product comparable to Papaw or Vaseline would be Aquaphor, which is an emollient that is also non-comedogenic which means that it contains no ingredients that will clog your pores.
We love the tip for amping up your hyaluronic acid, vitamin B, and vitamin E. Hyaluronic acid and vitamins B and E play key roles in replenishing and retaining moisture in the skin. Because of this, they are absolute essentials for the winter. If you’re looking to incorporate some of these into your skin, we’d recommend the Hanskin Hyaluron Skin Essence for hyaluronic acid, the Neogen White Truffle Laycure Oil Stick for vitamin B, and the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask for vitamin E. And if you really want to amp up your moisture, try pairing the vitamin E mask with the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum or the Cosrx Triple C Lightning Liquid. Vitamin C and vitamin E together are a serious moisture-antioxidant cocktail that also build up your skin barrier against the elements.
The hot towel method is one of the oldest spa tricks in the book. Even at many restaurants in Japan, you will be served a hot towel for both your hands and face and neck to relieve stress, relax muscles, and improve circulation. This method has also been approved by dermatologists as hot towels on the face can open up pores, soften skin, and allow skin care products to penetrate deeper.
But this comes with a caveat: Make sure the towel isn’t too hot so that you don’t burn yourself! The easiest way to warm a towel at home is to saturate it in water, remove the excess liquid, and then throw it in the microwave for one minute so that you can control the temperature. Test the temperature of the towel on your inner arm before putting it on your face. To hack your hot towel experience, try adding a facial oil to the hot water towel or using a hydrating mask to really amp up your self-care.
We also love using humidifiers during the day, in fact, there are always a few running here at our office. It’s a great, easy, and inexpensive way to counteract the dry air propelled by our heaters constantly running in the winter. But humidifiers aren’t just great for your skin, they work wonders for clearing up sinuses, preventing nosebleeds, and can even treat snoring.
Julia and “Norse_Cath” gave us great tips for wearing makeup in the winter. Julia told us that she mixes her foundation with her sunscreen, and other hydrating creams to create a seriously hydrating skin care cocktail, and “Norse_Cath” spritzes a skin refiner onto their foundation cushion before using it.
Makeup can be extremely drying, so it’s especially important to amp up the hydration when you’re wearing makeup. By adding an extra layer of hydration into our makeup, we ensure that our makeup isn’t taking anything away from our skin! Mixing your foundation with a sunscreen is also a great way to combine makeup and sunscreen so that you don’t forget one or the other. It’s also a great way to make your foundation last longer since it’s mixed with other products!
Emilia reminds us that it’s not always enough to just have a humidifier. A lot of plants are air cleaning and purifying as well as help circulate and freshen the air in your house. She also reminds us that being super close to the heater can dry out our skin, even though it’s super tempting to be near the source of warmth in the chilly winter months.
Bottom line:
Winter can be rough on our skin. These little hacks are easy ways that we can be kinder to ourselves and our skin during the winter months and set ourselves up for hydrated and plump skin all year round. Check out all the hacks readers submitted here!
+ Did we forget to mention your best winter skin care hack? Leave it in the comments below!
