We don't know how you feel, but Winter's a pretty top tier season —temperatures drop, PTO is approved, and holiday cheer is all around! However, the cold can also mean dry, flaky, and sometimes irritated skin. This tends to happen as there's less humidity in the air and the heaters we rely on further deplete our skin of essential moisture. If you're skin's going haywire during the holidays, check out these 10 skincare tips to keep your skin merry and bright!

1. Wear breathable fabrics: The wool coat you’ve been rocking is a major slay but many cold-weather fabrics can actually irritate already dry skin. Wear light layers instead and have soft, breathable fabrics (like cotton) be in direct contact with your skin. Then you can top off your fit with a coat!

2. Drink lots of water: Not only should your skin be hydrated, but you should too! You’ve probably heard it a thousand times already, but drinking water is beneficial to your skin. During the winter, our bodies can’t retain moisture well so by drinking water, you can help replenish some of that lost hydration.

3. Humidifier >>> Heater: Investing in a humidifier can do wonders for your skin and can be even more beneficial during the colder months! It can help restore moisture to the surrounding air which in turn helps your skin stay hydrated.

4. Apply SPF liberally: UV rays in general are very pesky, but UVA rays are peskier. They can easily penetrate through glass which means they’re easily shining through clouds and snow to reach our skin. That’s why it’s essential to use SPF even if we can’t directly see the sun!

5. Exfoliate (lightly): Exfoliating is still important to do during the winter and can help clear away dead cells. However, your skin barrier is already compromised during this time so exfoliation - whether chemical, physical, or both - is best to do once or twice a week during the winter season.

6. Use lukewarm water: We know a hot shower or bath sounds great when it’s chilly, but hot water can actually further dry out your skin. Going for a warm, comfortable temp in the tub can also help lessen the possibility of any irritation like redness or sensitivity from happening!

7. Pat skin dry after showers or baths: You’re probably already patting your face dry after a good cleanse, so claps for you. However, how we treat our bodies after a shower might be different. I’m sure we all tend to rub our towels so that we can be dry ASAP and get into warm clothes. However, gently patting or blotting your towel across the rest of your skin can help retain moisture and be less irritating than rubbing.

8. Apply moisturizer on damp skin: Before your skin is completely dry, you want to follow up with your favorite moisturizer to seal in hydration before you start your day! Something like our Great Body Relief (which has a light, cushiony texture) can easily blend into the skin, offering quick, essential moisture so you can throw on your favorite sweater without fuss.

9. Focus on skin barrier strengthening ingredients: As mentioned previously, the cold means there’s less humidity in the air which can lead to dry skin. That’s why focusing on skin barrier strength is integral during this time! You want to retain moisture while also repairing your skin barrier, so a skin-soothing serum like our Great Barrier Relief can help you with that. It has ceramides to help replenish skin cells after dealing with the harsh cold and tamanu oil to calm signs of sensitivity.

10. Slug it out: In case you’ve never heard of slugging, it’s the act of using an occlusive like petroleum jelly to seal in your moisturizer before you head to bed. And if you’re not a big fan of petroleum jelly, you can mix in a facial oil with your moisturizer instead - it’ll still act as a great hydrating blanket to help your skin retain moisture!

Winter will come to an end, but we get that skincare is year round so we hope these tips can help you hang in there until Spring! Stay moisturized and enjoy cuffing season before the flowers bloom, KB Fam 💚