Taking care of your skin in spite of dry weather

While our minds can transport us to another place — perhaps a sunny, tropical paradise — our bodies are unfortunately stuck in the horrifically cold climate of the Midwest.

Being a sufferer of the evil eczema, I have found a way to perfect my skin care routine to thwart the weather from taking over my already irritated skin.

Cleansers

If you wear makeup on a daily basis, it’s important to start off with a clean slate before you dive into your skincare routine.

Cleansers vary from basic, gentle cleansers to a more targeted audience.

If acne is a problem for you, many facial cleansers pair up with either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Both of these can triumph villainous acne, but they can also dry out your skin.

That’s where moisturizer comes in to save the day.

Oils and serums

Facial oils and serums aren’t essential to a successful skincare routine, but they can be an added luxury to accompany it.

Recently, I’ve discovered the Burt’s Bees nourishing facial oil. It contains all the goods to keep my skin hydrated, such as rosehip seed extract and jojoba oil.

Oils can be mixed in with moisturizer for a lighter application, or used on their own before applying moisturizer.

Serums, on the other hand, can provide an extra boost in a specific area.

For example, there are many hyaluronic acid serums on the market. Hyaluronic acid is found in many moisturizers, but as a serum, it’s more concentrated and results are more evident.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

Even if your skin is oily, it’s important to moisturize.

With oily skin, you may avoid moisturizer because it makes your skin even oilier, but a moisturizer made for oily skin can help to balance the oil production.

Skipping a moisturizer can make matters worse.

With my dry skin type, I have grown to love a heavier moisturizing lotion.

Regular use of the Clinique moisture lotion has produced spectacular results, and I no longer experience flaky patches. They also have one to control oil.

If you are looking for something within a college budget, the Target brand Up and Up moisturizer is relatively cheap and does the job.

Not only is it affordable, but it contains SPF. Even though the sun isn’t showing itself at this time of year, protecting yourself from it is still important.

Masks and sprays

Masks and facial sprays are even less of a necessity, but are good ways to spice up your self-care or skincare routine.

Facial sprays are full of nutritious substances for your skin at a smaller concentration than oils or serums. They can be applied throughout the day for refreshment.

Mario Badescu offers several affordable facial sprays, ranging from lavender and chamomile to orange and sage.

The most important thing to remember when developing a rigorous skincare routine is to maintain it. If it’s not applied regularly, you won’t see results, and your skin will suffer.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and you’re stuck with it for the rest of your life, so take care of it.