winter skincare

December 1, 2005 10:32 PM

Winter skincare: do's and don'ts?

With the change in the weather my skin has gotten dry and flaky, but every time I try a creamier mosturizer I break out. Also appreciate advice for getting rid of blackheads.

posted by Sara Anne to health & fitness (21 comments total)

Exfoliate! I use a very gentle facial scrub in the shower a couple of times a week and I mix pure Vitamin E oil in with my regular moisturiser every night. I also use a humidifier (OK it's a bowl of water placed near my heater) inside the house.
posted by fshgrl at 10:49 PM on December 1, 2005

Sleep in a room with a humidifier.
posted by LadyBonita at 11:16 PM on December 1, 2005

I like neutrogena hand cream for my hands and face when it gets dry in the winter. It's glycerine based and very thick and fragrance free. You might try it, just a very light coat for the face.
posted by 6550 at 11:34 PM on December 1, 2005

Eye cream, if you don't already use it, will be your best friend in the winter. Ditto for shea butter for your hands and cuticles. And double-ditto for the humidifier. Keep your moisturizer non-greasy and oil-free (such as Cetaphil or Neutrogena). I have to disagree with 6550 regarding Neutrogena hand cream on the face, though -- it is wonderfully soothing for the hands, but in my experience, putting anything that thick and glycerin-based on my face only aggravates breakouts and blackheads.

Speaking of which, I've just switched over to the Bliss Steep Clean mask after a friend of mine swore it was the only thing that finally got her blackheads/pores under control. (At that price, it had better!)
posted by scody at 11:42 PM on December 1, 2005

For blackheads I use a facial scrub from Lush called Ocean Salt. It is quite abrasive and exfoliates really well. Everything else I've tried - those pore-cleansing strips, the little metal loops that are supposed to pop the blackhead out - do nothing for me. However, the only time I've had a professionally-done facial, it worked wonders - if you can afford it, I'd recommend that as something to start with, although they will creep back eventually.

Off topic but thank you for the Spaced reference, which made me smile - please can you post a question about bogling next?
posted by greycap at 11:50 PM on December 1, 2005

I have no idea, but seconding greycap's sentiments about the Spaced reference.
posted by Lotto at 1:41 AM on December 2, 2005

Ditto sleeping with a humidifier. I starting sleeping with one right before it got cold, and my skin has been behaving much better than most winters.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:56 AM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

This is amazing stuff. I started using it years ago when I first noticed the dreaded dry-and-pimply combo and it really keeps my skin nice. In the winter I also use the Bliss Ounce of Prevention PM.

A note about prices-- all this stuff is pretty expensive, but you really don't do through it as fast as the cheap stuff because a little goes a long way.
posted by miss tea at 4:35 AM on December 2, 2005

Hydrate yourself. Drink plenty of fluids and your body will keep your skin moist from the inside out. Control of the humidity around you also helps a lot. If you must use moisturizers use fresh products (yes they can go stale or their equivalent).
posted by caddis at 4:36 AM on December 2, 2005

Gentle reminder: continue using sunscreen or a moisturizer with an SPF of 15 or higher. I use Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, 30 SPF, which is the first suncreen ever that I can use on my face without it being greasy at all. I can't praise it enough. It also helps keep my skin at least a little moisturized during the day, without being sticky or heavy.

I also do what fshgrl does: I empty a vitamin E capsule into my regular moisturizer at night occassionally.

Finally, I use that St. Ives Apricot Scrub in the shower every other day or so. It's gentle enough to not make my skin angry, but tough enough to get rid of the flakies. If even that is too rough for you, you could try their gentler version. This also seems to help (at least a little; as much as one can expect from a $3 product) with blackheads.

I have quite sensitive, pale, and somewhat breakout-prone skin and these products keep my skin moisturized, but clear, during the winter.
posted by Uncle Glendinning at 5:09 AM on December 2, 2005

Could the breakouts be due to allergies? My sis-in-law is allergic to a lot of stuff, and uses hypo-allergenic everything - hand lotion, make-up, etc.

But I'm the same in terms of dry skin in winter. Shea butter is good, but I find the most "penetrating" and long lasting is a vegetable-based lotion (I like this one) with a few drops of vitamin E oil mixed in works well. Also, if your cuticles get dry, try putting vitamin E directly on them, wait a minute, then work in the moisterizer.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 5:34 AM on December 2, 2005

I like St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but couldn't use it that often, Uncle Glendinning- it made me break out. Once a week was usually all I could handle.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:43 AM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

In addition to the many good tips already mentioned, I recommend putting on a thin layer of body oil right after you shower, while your skin is still damp. You don't need to use a lot, and it will sink in fast.

You can use baby oil (but I don't because I hate the smell)- instead I use an unscented oil blend from Bare Escentuals. I also recommend Neutrogena's body oil.
posted by elisabeth r at 6:40 AM on December 2, 2005

You don't have to use baby oil (which I find too greasy)- you can use any body lotion after you shower. I use (cheap!) Suave Skim Firming Lotion and I loooove it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:52 AM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

Skim = Skin.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:52 AM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

Don't take really hot showers or long baths. Both will only dry out your skin more.
posted by undertone at 7:00 AM on December 2, 2005

I have really dry skin and exfoliating is of limited usefulness. I smear Alpha Hydroxy lotion over anything flaky or ashy then rub off the dead skin. It's gross but it works - might make you break out. My favorite is Vaseline Healthy Body Complexion - I even use it on my face because I get windburn from bike-riding. Eucerin used to make a good face lotion with Alpha Hydroxy but sometimes you need the big guns. I use regular Eucerin around my eyes and neck because it's thicker.

Anything oily gets a Milk of Magnesia mask. It soaks up oil but doesn't dry you out more.

Thanks for posting this.
posted by Marnie at 8:12 AM on December 2, 2005

Jojoba oil solved the dry/prone to breakouts situation for me:
Skin absorption studies at the University of Michigan demonstrated that jojoba is quickly absorbed into the skin, which is apparently via the transappendegeal mechanism and occurs through the pores and hair follicles but because it is so rapidly absorbed, the pores and hair follicles remain open and thus maintain their proper functioning ability.

It absorbs quickly, is non-greasy, has anti-oxidant properties, is all natural, and just generally kicks ass all over the place. Don't be dismayed if you buy some and it's more liquid than you think you need for wintertime moisture: thicker moisturizer does not necessarily equal more moisturizing.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:10 AM on December 2, 2005

Ha. I'm so pleased that people got the Spaced reference.
posted by Sara Anne at 10:26 AM on December 2, 2005

On the st. Ives apricot scrub note: scrubs that use walnut shells, apricot kernals, or any other exfolliant with irregular edges can cause microscopic tearing of skin. Better ingredients to look for in an exfoliant would be jojoba beads (which I find are not scrubby enough for me) or sugar (an exfoliant and antioxidant). I used to use Lush's Ocean Salt, though I found it would sting occaisionally. Now I use Villainess' Scintillating Smooch. It's minty and sweet and does wonders for my skin.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:27 AM on December 2, 2005

I can't just pluck another winter skincare do's and don'ts out of the air, Tim!
posted by greycap at 4:30 PM on December 2, 2005