Winter is a beautiful time of year. Whether you live in the winter wonderland that is the Mid-Atlantic or the mild cool climates of California, winter can be an absolutely amazing time to enjoy the great outdoors and get a few months’ relief from the summer heat. And while winter can be a blast for your senses, it can be a nightmare for your skin. This is particularly true if you work outdoors or wash your hands frequently.
As a man, you have thick skin (literally). In fact, the average man has skin that is 20% thicker than women’s skin. This can help protect your skin from abrasions or similar types of physical damage, but it also makes your skin less receptive to moisturizers. Since dry, cracked skin is the #1 skin-related issue men will face in winter, having thick skin is more of a disadvantage when the temperature drops.
So, what can you do about dry skin in cold weather? How should your skin care routine change in winter? What are some of the best practices for your face and body? Should you change up your beard care in winter? Finally, where can you find the best winter skin care products for men?
In today’s guide, we will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s examine exactly why men’s skin care is different in winter than at any other time of year:
How Men’s Winter Skin Care Is Different
While climate can vary substantially from one location to the next, most places experience colder temperatures, stronger winds, and reduced humidity in the wintertime. All of these factors lead to one thing: dry skin. Even if you have naturally oily skin, you’re still susceptible to dry, cracked skin in winter. As a result, most men need to change up their skin care routine when the temperature starts to drop.
Understanding exactly how the season and weather changes affect your skin is vital when preparing your winter skin care routine. So, here are just a few of the problems you may experience in winter:
- Dryness - As previously mentioned, dry skin is the top dermatological issue men will need to deal with in the winter months. As humidity drops, there’s much less moisture in the air, which also means there’s less moisture naturally absorbed by your skin. And you can’t avoid this issue by staying indoors. In fact, indoor heating can dry your skin out just as much as the low humidity, high winds, and cold temperatures outdoors.
- Cracked Skin & Lips - The skin on your lips has a completely different texture from the skin on the rest of your body. More specifically, your lips are more sensitive and vulnerable to cold, dry weather. This often results in lips that are dry, crusty, or peeling. In some cases, you may even experience a split lip that bleeds, as well as one or more sores near the corners of your mouth.
- Worsening Skin Conditions - Certain preexisting skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema can worsen in cold weather. Even if you don’t experience more intense symptoms, skin condition flare-ups tend to be more common in winter. This can make it more difficult to maintain healthy-looking skin in cold weather.
- Redness - While skin redness is a natural reaction to cold temperatures, it is often accompanied by increased sensitivity. This often results in your face and hands feeling more sensitive to the touch.
- Reduced Vitamin Intake - Vitamin D is vital for skin protection, and the sun is the main source of the vitamin for most people. In winter, reduced sun exposure also means reduced Vitamin D intake. While you can often make up for this with dietary supplements, your skin could still be more affected by environmental stressors when it has little access to sunlight.
Now, here are some of the changes you’ll likely need to make to counteract the issues above:
- Provide your skin with more hydration via moisturizers and lip balms
- Use gentler cleansing products
- Continue to exfoliate, but do so with greater care and less frequency
- Even with reduced sun exposure, don’t forget to protect your skin with SPF day cream
- Consider talking to your dermatologist if you have preexisting skin conditions
Face Skin Care in Winter
Facial skin care is often what people are most concerned about in wintertime, particularly since the skin on your face and lips is more sensitive. You’ll want to make sure that you’re still actively exfoliating and cleansing your face, but you’ll also want to put greater emphasis on moisturization and lip care. Here are a few great products to help with your winter face skin care routine:
- Anthony’s Algae Facial Cleanser - This cleanser is a triple threat, as it gently exfoliates, cleanses, and hydrates your skin.
- Anthony’s All Purpose Facial Moisturizer - This is a strong moisturizer that is specially formulated for men and is strong enough to combat winter dryness.
- Anthony’s Day Cream SPF 30 - This day cream ensures that your face gets the vitamins it needs while also providing ample sun protection.
- Lip Balm SPF 25 - These lip balms provide enhanced hydration and protection for your lips, greatly reducing the risk of chapped lips or winter sores.
Taking Care Of Your Beard
Facial hair is easy to overlook when thinking about taking care of your skin. However, if the underlying skin is dry or sensitive as a result of the winter climate, the hair follicles will dry out, too. This could cause or worsen beard dandruff. Fortunately, quality beard oil can help hydrate your beard and keep it looking great throughout the winter months. If you want to avoid a “winter beard,” check out Anthony’s Pre-Shave + Conditioning Beard Oil.
Body Skin Care In Winter
It’s just as important to take care of the skin on your body in winter as it is to take care of the skin on your face and lips. Body skin care can also get more complicated, as different areas of the body often require more or less attention. For example, the hands are a common problem area in winter, as the dryness can be exacerbated by regular activity and handwashing. In any case, here are a few of the best products to use for your body skin care routine in winter:
- Anthony's Buff It Hydrating Bar - Taking care of your skin often starts in the shower, and a gentle exfoliating and cleansing bar of soap can help promote cell turnover and keep your skin protected and hydrated. Maintaining good practices in the shower is especially important, as warm or hot water can dry your skin out even more.
- Anthony’s Hand Cream - This hand cream can provide your skin with the moisturization it needs. It is designed to penetrate the thick skin of the hands (and elbows) and prevent dry, cracked, or chapped skin. Just remember that you may need to apply hand cream multiple times per day in the winter.
- No Sweat Body Defense - Even though you might sweat less in winter, sweating is still common year-round in certain areas, like the armpits and groin. Applying this cream to problem areas can help reduce sweating while also protecting your skin with vitamins and natural ingredients.
Want to learn even more about winter skin care routines men? If so, be sure to check out the great products and solutions available at Anthony today!
