Dealing with acne-prone skin during the winter can be a pain. It can be so serious that you have to change your skincare products and routines to accommodate the colder winter months in an effort to avoid over-drying your face.
The colder months will make your skin dryer, unfortunately. Dryer skin can cause an increased level of acne. You can’t get away from the cold weather and you can’t jet off to some island paradise every time winter comes along sadly. Thankfully there are a couple of things you can do which will help you deal with your acne. You won’t have to overhaul your whole skincare routine but somethings might have to change.
Table of Contents
How to treat dry acne-prone skin in the winter
Don’t skip the moisturiser:
If there was ever a time to step up your moisturising game this would be the time to do it. Your moisturizer will protect your skin from the harmful effects that winter will bring such as over-drying your face.
Find a thicker moisturiser:
The moisturiser you used in summer might be too light to use in winter. You would need a moisturiser that is thick and will work overtime to moisturise. Make sure that this doesn’t have any comedogenic ingredients which will clog your pores and cause more acne. This is an ultra moisturising cream that will keep your skin supple in winter.
Moisturize more often:
You might be moisturising twice a day but in winter, when your skin is more prone to dry skin, using a moisturizer throughout the day to improve your moisture levels will be beneficial. This will also prevent the skin from drying out and causing acne.
Use facial oils:
These are packed with an array of nutrients that will nourish your skin when applied. A good option to use is jojoba oil as it is non-comedogenic and will mimic the sebum on your skin preventing the need for your skin to produce excess amounts of oil which can lead to breakouts. This is a well-loved jojoba oil.
Stop touching your face:
Touching your face is the last thing you should be doing when you’re trying to keep acne away and trying to keep dry skin and bay. Your hands will just add another layer of dirt onto the skin which can collect in your pores and cause breakouts.
Find a non-drying cleanser:
You might not have noticed how drying your cleanser was in the warmer months but using the same cleanser in the colder months will certainly show you. If your cleanser is very drying then I suggest going for a more gentle moisturizing option instead. If you keep using your drying moisturiser then your skin will suffer from more breakouts. This cleanser is hydrating and still cleanses well.
Consider a blanket, not a heater:
Central heating might feel great on your body but in reality, it causes the air to become dry and the dryness will affect your skin. Dry skin is also a major contributor to excess oil on the skin, the skin is triggered by the dry skin to produce more oil to overcompensate for the dryness. For good skin, you really need to lay off the heater.
Don’t wash as often:
If your skin is getting drier and using a milder face wash isn’t working for you then you can opt for washing your face less often. The winter months can make the symptoms of over washing worse. There are people who hardly wash their faces and their skin looks amazing (read more here).
If you just need to do something in place of the second wash then I recommend washing your face once a day and using rose water in place of the other wash. This rose water will help you feel refreshed.
Start (if you aren’t already) using a humidifier:
Humidifiers are great at keeping the air moist, it’s necessary for the skin to be exposed to moist air so it won’t become so dried out in the winter. It also purifies the air so that your skin isn’t exposed to impurities in the air. This is a great humidifier
Water retaining ingredient:
You need to start using products that contain water retaining ingredients. A great water retaining ingredient is hyaluronic acid. This ingredient ensures that your skin is hydrated during these cold months. It also keeps the skin supple, preventing the skin needing to overproduce oil which will block the pores.
Take cool, not hot showers:
Hot showers are bad for the skin, they dry and strip it (read more here). Switching from hot to cool showers will do wonders for your skin as it won’t dry your skin causing more acne.
Can cold weather give you acne?
Yes, cold weather can give you acne. The colder seasons will result in more acne because of the drier air. In winter, there is much less moisture in the air so our skin and hair tend to become drier. As a result, the skin needs to produce sebum in an effort to moisturise itself. Sebum is the natural oil that is produced by your skin to self moisturise.
The air sucks up any moisture on your skin during winter making your skin dry. The skin will be triggered to produce excess sebum in an effort to moisturise itself. This excess sebum will combine with any dead skin cells on your face as well as acne-causing bacteria to form pimples. The drier the weather the more pimples you can get because of this process.
Does ice help acne?
Icing your pimples can help with acne. Using ice on pimples is great for inflammatory blemishes, these include pimples, pustules, nodules and cysts. These types of blemishes can get very red and inflamed, using ice on them will help calm them down and literally cool then down. The ice will also reduce the redness you have on your pimple, this will make the pimples look less severe. Any pain around the pimple will also decrease if you use ice on the pimple.
You should just make sure that when you’re using ice on your face you don’t use it directly on your skin, this can result in frostbite and can damage the delicate tissue of your skin. To avoid this from happening wrap the ice in some cloth and apply the ice in intervals.
Ice won’t work on blemishes that aren’t inflamed. These include whiteheads and blackheads. Whiteheads and blackheads are blemishes that only contain sebum and dead skin cells but don’t become inflamed
Can dryness cause pimples?
Yes, dryness can cause pimples. Dryness can happen as a result of the weather, both in the warmer and the colder months, as well as from not moisturising your skin. When your skin feels overly dry it overproduces excess sebum to compensate for the dryness and to moisturise the skin, this can result in pimples
Does drinking water help acne?
Yes, drinking water does help acne. When you drink water you’re hydrating not only your body but also your skin. Hydrated skin stays moist and supple and the skin isn’t triggered to produce excess sebum in an effort to hydrate itself. So water moisturises, hydrates and smooths your skin and it minimizes the formation of new acne on the skin.
What foods cause acne?
What you eat can affect not only your health but your skin as well. This is why you need to keep a healthy diet. These foods can be instrumental in causing acne:
Sugars and refined grains: in winter you may lean towards these types of foods in the form of bread, desserts, crackers, white rice, pasta and sugars. It was revealed in a study that people who ate more sugars are 30 percent more likely to developing acne.
Dairy products: we all love our milky hot chocolate in winter with whipped cream on the top but these and other dairy products may not be the best for your skin. A study found that if you eat milk or ice cream on a regular basis you have a higher chance of developing acne.
Fast foods: if the foods you eat are rich in refined carbohydrates, calories and unhealthy fats then this may be the reason behind your acne. These include french fries, burgers, pizzas, and milkshakes. Studies have noted that eating these foods increase your risk of developing acne by 17-43 percent
Omega 6 fatty acids: these should not be confused with foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids such as fish and nuts. Foods rich in omega 6 fats include soy oils and corn oil. The fatty acids result in increased inflammation levels in the body making acne worse.
Note: This isn’t the be-all and end-all list but if you want to reduce your acne then cutting down or cutting out consumption of these foods may be the best skincare decision you’ve ever taken
Does coconut oil help acne?
You either love or you hate coconut oil and with good reason. For some people, it works wonders to make their hair and skin appear smoother and for others it makes them break out quite severely.
A study has shown that coconut oil helps to kill off harmful bacteria in the body. This is because about half of the fatty acids found in coconut oil are lauric acid which kills off bacteria.
On the other hand, the coconut oil that we commonly use is generally highly comedogenic meaning it clogs pores and causes breakouts. The coconut oil that becomes hard at room temperature is called unfractionated coconut oil and clogs up the pores. If you want to use coconut oil you should use fractionated coconut oil. It does not turn solid at room temperature and it does not clog the pores. This one works well on the skin.
What’s the best acne clearing product?
If you have acne there and you want to treat it fast and easily then I recommend using the Mario Badescu drying lotion. This is a favourite and for good reason, this fantastic spot treatment will help reduce your pimples while you sleep.
The product works to dry out acne, prevent more acne from forming and helps to keep a healthy balance of oil on your skin. As a bonus, this product can be used on all skin types. To use, simply apply the product on the spot, go to bed and the product will make the pimple decrease in size or disappear. A little gets a long way and one bottle can last you months.
Is cold weather bad for your skin?
Yes, cold water is bad for the skin, it is quite harsh on the skin that is why you need to put extra effort into taking care of your skin in the colder months. When the temperatures are lower the moisture levels in the air decrease drawing moisture out of the skin making your skin dry. On top of this, the harsh winds in winter make the problem worse and the indoor heating dries out the skin even more.
All this dryness can lead to extremely dry skin, flaking, cracked skin and even bleeding if you let the problem go on for long enough. If your skin is naturally dry then this time of the year can be very bad for your skin. You can develop psoriasis or even eczema.
If you have drier skin in winter you should use a good hydrating moisturiser, this moisturiser is an ultra-hydrating moisturiser that will leave your skin looking soft supple and smooth. You should also use a humidifier in your home to bring moisture into your home. This is a humidifier that you’ll love
I hope these tips and tricks on how to treat dry acne-prone skin in winter helped you understand what to do with your skin at that time of year. If you enjoyed this article or found it interesting please share it
