4 Cold-Weather Skincare Tips for Vitiligo
When you live with vitiligo, you think about your skin – a lot. So with November being National Skin Care month and colder weather upon us, we asked the experts how to keep our skin healthy and happy.
Crystal Wellman is a master aesthetician and co-owner of Ladyburg, a bath and body retail store in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she handcrafts soaps and bath bombs with her daughter, Morgan. Inspired by a soap-making class, Crystal starting making bath products for herself and her clients using hand-selected ingredients that are gentle on the skin.
So how do you keep your skin healthy in the winter? According to Crystal, it’s all about hydration and protection. Here are four tips from the skin care expert for healthy, happy skin this season:
Get a humidifier for your bedroom
According to Crystal, using a humidifier is the most important thing you can do to keep your skin hydrated in the cold weather. Humidifiers add water moisture back to the dry air, which in turn adds moisture back to your skin. Keep it on while you’re sleeping and you’ll wake up feeling more hydrated and you’ll protect your skin, throat and nose from getting dry and scratchy.
Increase the average amount of water you drink
If a humidifier hydrates you from the outside, then you need to be working from the inside too. The normal amount of water you drink during the year isn’t enough when the air is drying your body faster than usual. And the amount of the water you drink affects your skin – without enough water, you’ll lose that healthy glow.
Add a hydrating serum to your daily routine
Look for a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid, a chemical that is naturally occurring in our bodies and provides cushioning between our joints. Used in a serum, the chemical absorbs into the skin quickly and deeply and holds the moisture longer. Top the serum with a moisturizer to seal it in.
Bring out the SPF – even in cold weather
You’re probably catching more rays than you think in the winter. Just because the sun isn’t as bright doesn’t mean it’s not as strong, which means those with vitiligo should be wearing SPF year-round. Use a broad-spectrum SPF to make sure you’re protected from all wavelengths. If you wear makeup, apply the SPF first to let it soak into your skin and then wait five minutes to put your makeup on.
“I use Elta MD clear, which is non pore-clogging,” said Crystal. “It’s super light and thin and soaks into the skin like a moisturizer.”
Did you try these tips or have any other recommendations? Share your own skin care advice in the comments below.
