Winter reminds us of blanketed snow, hot chocolate, bundles of clothing and those dreaded freezing winds that leave you feeling blah. Winter is the season when skin dries, noses run and lips crack from the freezing weather. How can we combat the unwanted symptoms of the cold?

First, let’s uncover why our skin and hair break under the pressure of cold weather. 

The American Academy of Dermatology Association interviewed Dr. Elizabeth Carcofe, a board-certified dermatologist, who says, “When the weather gets colder, the humidity drops outside and inside our homes. Turning up the furnace…creates dry heat and takes moisture out of the air, causing your skin to become dry and irritated.” 

The most important step to fight against cracked skin is to find a good moisturizer. Ideally, you should have a separate facial and body moisturizer, as each moisturizer combats the skin barrier in different ways. Body moisturizers contain harsh ingredients not suitable for the face barrier. In order to ensure maximum moisturizing, shy away from products that contain ingredients that dry out the skin such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. 

There are many steps outside of ordinary skincare to ensure your skin does not dry out. One recommendation is using a humidifier, especially if you use space heaters or central heating as these lead the humidity in rooms to decrease. Limit your time in hot showers as this strips your skin of natural oils, resulting in dry skin. Pay attention to the products you put on your body, as many products (including face washes and shampoos) are meant to strip oil out of your skin and hair.

A few effective and affordable facial moisturizers include CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and e.l.f Holy Hydration! Face Cream. For body lotions, look towards products similar to Jergens Ultra Healing Dry Skin Moisturizer and CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. 

As Dr. Alexandra Coromilas says in A Dermatologist’s Guide to Healthy Winter Skin,  “Your skin provides the body’s first line of defense against allergens, irritants, and infections. You want your skin to be as healthy as possible to help maintain your overall health.” 

Lips also fall victim to winter winds. One suggestion is to do a lip scrub once a week to exfoliate away the dead skin cells. Homemade lip scrubs are easy to make and include ingredients commonly found around the house, usually using a combination of sugar, coconut oil and honey. For an easy DIY lip scrub, check out this recipe from Byrdie. 

Another option to keep your lips plump is to use a lip mask at night. One of the most popular brands, Laneige, has a variety of relatively inexpensive masks to try. Finally, always carry lip balms such as Aquaphor and Vaseline to protect your lips. It is preferred to shy away from fragranced lip balms because scent additives can cause adverse reactions. 

Hair care is important since hair becomes more brittle in the winter. This brittleness occurs as scalps lose moisture from the dry winter air. The low humidity both inside and outside weakens hair follicles and leaves hair more susceptible to breakage. 

To beat the breakage, use a hair mask or oil once a week for at least 20 minutes. Try using a mask with oil-based ingredients such as argan, coconut or olive oil. If creating a homemade mask, ensure you are using the correct measurements because too much oil also causes breakage. 

In addition, use an oil-based leave-in conditioner to ensure hair growth and protection. For conditioners, it is recommended they have natural ingredients and no fragrance. 

If you drink hot coffee in the winter instead of a usual cold brew, you may be more likely to get teeth staining. The Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science details an experiment focused on tooth staining based on coffee temperature and types. It states, “Turkish coffee and sweetened coffee have the highest degree of staining; the higher the temperature of the coffee the greater the dental staining.” When there is higher acidity, sugar content and temperature your teeth may be more likely to stain. 

Safe ways to whiten teeth include natural remedies such as oil pulling and activated charcoal. Make sure to find teeth-whitening products that do not affect the enamel. 

To feel like your best self, make sure to follow practices that protect you from the harsh winter climate. Hair breakage, stained teeth and dry skin may be symptoms of the cold weather, but luckily there are easy and affordable ways to combat these issues. It is important not to forget to take care of yourself, even when hibernating from the winter’s cold.

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Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.