With winter around the corner, it is inevitable that the air is about to take on a chill. The brutal winter months do not just wreak havoc on our immune system and mood in general; they also have a good go at damaging our skin and hair.
As if to add insult to injury, how we compensate for the harsh winter conditions often exaggerates some of the most common dermatological problems. Taking long hot showers and keeping the central heating on full whack, for example, directly leading to dehydration of the skin. However, we can help you prevent the damage, flaky patches and dry hair that winter can encourage by following a few simple tips.
Below are some practical ways you can tackle the icy cold, whether that’s on your morning commute or out in town.
Water
We don’t need to tell you all the benefits of drinking water and remaining hydrated, but we can assure you that when you are cold, you lose a lot more water from your body than you feel due to freezing temperatures. At the very least keep up the minimum of 3.5/4 litres of water a day to keep your skin and hair healthy.
Skin Care
Ensuring you keep your skin in good condition during the winter is paramount to remaining confident and looking great. One of the most common misconceptions with the winter months is the term windburn.
Windburn is when the damaging rays of the sunburn the skin because of the cold wind or air temperature. It is easy not to notice the burning effects of the UV rays; either apply sunscreen when outdoors, or use a moisturiser that already has the properties of sunscreen within it.
On that note, make sure to use a good moisturiser to lock the moisture back into your skin because you will be exposed to a lot of dry air in the winter, both inside in the warmth and outside in the cold.
Diet
Making a few slight alterations to your diet will improve your skin and hair’s chance of survival in the colder months. Introducing more omega-3 and omega-6 into your diet will help lock moisture into the skin, while superfood supplements like Flax seeds, linseed oil, evening primrose and fish oils will all help look after your skin and hair. Better yet, you could chow down on a nice tuna steak or fresh mackerel once in a while to unlock their benefits.
Clean Shave Vs Beard
Moving away from the skin, facial hair is the next integral part of our winter grooming routine, and the choice between what style to go for starts to get a little trickier as the winter months close in.
The seemingly obvious choice here would be to go for the distinguished full beard, as it provides the most warmth and can keep the wind off the neck when wearing a high collared shirt or coat. The problem with the full beard during the winter months is the inability to get to and nourish the skin which can lead to itchiness and discomfort. We advise applying a fine beard oil to keep the hairs conditioned and less susceptible to drying out in the contrasting temperatures.
Interestingly, the British Royal Marines on exercise in the bone-chilling Arctic are allowed to go against the rule-book and grow a beard. However, nobody takes up the offer as the beard covers any visible impairment to the skin such as frostbite and can make treatment difficult.
A clean shave can be a good option in the winter. Firstly, it can be a great way to spend a portion of those cold winter evenings, stropping up the straight cut razor and prepping the badger brush for the shave. Then there is all the pre-work and post-shave benefits such as exfoliating, opening pores with a hot towel and moisturising. A clean shave allows access to the skin, and if you are worried about the cold getting to your neck, wear a scarf.
With Movember soon approaching, there is an alternative way of gaining the best of both worlds, and this is the formidable moustache, which allows you to have facial hair to groom and attend to that is both practical and distinguishable. Whatever you choose, be sure to keep everything well-trimmed, nourished and looking good this winter.
Taking care of your skin and facial hair isn’t that tricky at all, just be sure to follow our tips and tricks to ensure your grooming routine is on-point this winter.
