You know the drill: as soon as winter hits, you can’t go anywhere without your lip balm and hand cream. The wind and cold take a toll on skin and hair, which is why a lot of us end up not feeling like ourselves during the winter months. Add in a hint of winter blues, and you’ll want to hibernate in peace until March. But you won’t.
We’ve rounded up 10 common winter beauty problems and we’re sharing how you can solve them at home, using DIY products.
Common Winter Beauty Bummers + How to Solve Them
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1. Dull, lackluster skin
Even if you’re moisturizing regularly, winter weather can cause your complexion to look dull and lack radiance. Reduced sunlight and lower humidity can affect skin tone and texture, leading to a tired or uneven appearance.
Make sure you still apply sunscreen to reduce the appearance of aging signs, exfoliate to improve skin texture, and consider Vitamin C and retinol for your skincare routine.
Treatments to try:
6 Solutions for Improving Skin Texture
2. Dry skin
Especially if you already have dry skin, you know how drying winter can be on the skin. Between the extreme temperatures inside and out, stronger winds and lack of humidity in the air, winter beauty is marked by dryness.
Using a humidifier at home is a great start if you’re looking to reduce dry skin and lips. Drinking water is also important. But you should also consider switching to more moisturizing products, from soap to lotion, and of course, exfoliating off dry skin.
Treatments to try:
3. Chapped lips
The cold air and indoor heating can leave lips feeling dry, cracked, and sore. This is especially troublesome because lips don’t have oil glands to keep them hydrated naturally.
The solution is to give your lips a spa treatment whenever you can: exfoliate, apply a thick balm, and try overnight masks, too. You’ll have soft, kissable lips, regardless of the cold outside.
Treatments to try:
Essential Oils for Chapped Lips
4. Itchy scalp
Cold weather combined with indoor heat and hot showers can strip moisture from your scalp, leading to dryness and flakes. This can result in an itchy, irritated scalp or even dandruff. Restore the pH of your scalp with apple cider vinegar and introduce oils in your scalp care.
Treatments to try:
8 Home Remedies for Itchy Scalp
5. Nail breakage
The cold air and dry conditions can make nails brittle, leading to splitting, cracking, and chipping. Constant exposure to water (from washing hands or taking hot showers) can also contribute to weakening nails.
Treatments to try:
Cuticle Balm for Nail Growth + Strenghtening
The Best Essential Oils for Nails
6. Skin sensitivity
For some, the winter beauty will just be flare-ups of eczema, psoriasis, or other skin conditions due to the lack of moisture in the air. Harsh winter winds can also cause irritation and redness, especially around the face and eyes.
Treatments to try:
Body Scrubs for Keratosis Pilaris
7. Cracked heels
Cold weather can make the skin on your feet dry, rough, and prone to cracking, especially with more time spent in shoes and boots. The lack of moisture can make heels especially prone to painful fissures, which is why it’s crucial to pay more attention to your feet and amp up your moisturizer during the cooler months.
Treatments to try:
The Ultimate Guide to Applying Essential Oils to Your Feet
8. Loss of glow
Winter’s shorter days and limited sunlight can lead to a lack of natural vitamin D, which plays a role in skin health. This can contribute to a paler, more tired-looking complexion. Introduce a vitamin D supplement if you haven’t already and make sure you go outside every day, even if it’s cold. Additionally, bring these natural products in your skincare routine.
Treatments to try:
Overnight Masks for Glowing Skin
9. Dry, dull or frizzy hair
Just like your skin and lips, hair tends to dry out in winter. But it’s not just that – it becomes more difficult to style and tame, while the static electricity from your sweaters and scarves make it frizzier than ever. Introduce hair masks or hot oil treatments to improve the quality of your hair during winter.
Treatments to try:
20 Homemade Hair Treatments for Dry, Dull, Frizzy Hair
10. Dry hands
Hands are the first to take a toll during the cold months. All the hand washing and cold air exposure don’t do the skin on our hands any good. Be sure to cover them up with gloves whenever you can, have a hand cream at your side throughout the season, and up their moisturizing with the occasional treatment.
