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Soothing my dry skin in winter.

The weather has been doing its own thing these past couple of months but, we are finally fully into winter weather with constant cool temperatures and soft breezes. So like clockwork, I reorganise my closet – summer clothes to the back, winter clothes to the front. 

But my wardrobe isn’t the only thing that needs reorganising. The drop in temperature also requires some minor changes to my skincare routine. The reason being, I have dry skin and as my fellow dry skin people out there would know, winter can be really challenging for us. Drier air and frequent hot showers mean our skin is stripped off its much-needed moisture. 

So, to keep my skin hydrated, I wear thick moisturisers. Apparently, they prevent water from being evaporated as quickly as if you’d wear water-based lotions. Basically, it does a better job at retaining moisture and that’s exactly what I need to do to make sure my skin doesn’t dry up. I find that my skin feels much more hydrated and less irritated when I wear thick creams during winter. My go-to and the one I’ve been using for years is La Roche-Posey’s Baume B5 cream (please don’t sell them out, they’re like my oxygen at this point). It’s so soothing and it lasts long too!

Speaking of hydration, I’ve been making it a habit to put on facemasks as well – the skincare kind, I mean. It’s just to give me that extra boost of hydration on days when its super cold and windy and I’ve been outside for ages. Besides, who wouldn’t want to spend some time off studying to sit on the bed with a facemask on, flicking through social media? It’s a form of destressing too, which is much needed as we enter the last leg of the semester. 

Also, the sunscreen stays on! I know we think sunscreen is only ever good for the summer but there are sunny days in winter too, so I must make sure that my skin is protected from the harsh UV rays. Though, I need to get into the habit of reapplying it every two hours.

So that’s sort of my skincare routine for the winter. It’s nothing elaborate but it is a little extra step to ensure I don’t feel like crawling out of my skin during this cold and drabby season. Besides, taking some time to tend to my skin gives me the opportunity to take a break, to focus on myself even if it’s just for a moment and heaven knows we’ll be needing loads of that as we head into a busy month!