Welcome back, my friend! Adults and children alike – winter brings out the worst in our skin. Whether it’s chapped lips, dry hands, or scaly skin on the face, arms, and legs. The reasons are simple – colder, drier air, and more time indoors in a heated environment. But with some tweaks to your routine and a switch of products, you absolutely can keep your family’s skin in good condition this winter. So without further ado, let’s look at winter skincare for your whole family!
Protect hands with gloves this winter
Let’s kick off this list by focusing on the grown ups! Parents’ hands work so hard. Whether it’s the constant hand washing, pushing the pushchair, or unavoidable daily exposure on the school run. Protect your hands and buy some good quality gloves. I use leather gloves for driving and pushing the pushchair as they grip so well and my skin can breathe.
It goes without saying that you should always wear protective gloves for all household duties. Constant water exposure wreaks havoc with skin’s natural defences. Exposure to cleaning products, even so called “mild” or “sensitive” products, is detrimental to skin, so pop them on!
It can be hard to encourage little ones to keep their gloves on. But perseverance is key. Mittens work best for younger children and most mittens come in fun colours and designs to appeal to small kids.
Use moisturisers religiously
Chapped skin can quickly take hold in winter, so use a moisturiser religiously. You literally cannot use a moisturiser too frequently!
Winter skin can be dry, or dehydrated, or both. What’s the difference? Quite simply, dehydrated skin is lacking in water, whereas dry skin lacks oil (learn more about this).
How your winter skin responds to products can tell you more about your skin. Dehydrated skins drink up water-based lotions and creams, and dry skins finding relief in water-free balms.
Trying a water-free balm first, especially for children, makes a lot of sense, as it’s preservative free and gentler. Balms are best applied to damp skin, so use a small amount after bathing and hand washing. If your kids complain that balms take too long to sink in, try a body cream or lotion instead.
For parents, a solid hand cream with emollient and occlusive properties and skin-barrier boosting ingredients like ceramides make a huge difference. Look out for hand creams containing shea butter, it works wonders!
You can even try a rich face oil for winter, if you’re feeling adventurous!
Keep your moisturisers in the right place
The key with skincare is to be consistent with routine and application. So keep your lip balm and your moisturiser in places you’ll be more likely to use them. And don’t be afraid to have several products on the go in different places – your desk, car, handbag, next to the sink, etc. You’ll get better winter skin if you can use your products more frequently and immediately before and following water or outdoor exposure.
Key moisturisers for winter
- Lip balm
- Water free balm – I like Lyonsleaf and Balmonds balms
- Hydrating and protective moisturiser – Skin Food anyone?
Consider introducing a serum
Hydrating and calming serums can work wonders for winter skin. Serums containing hyaluronic acid really boost the moisture levels in your skin, and work with the rest of your routine to keep your skin happy and hydrated. You could also give a CBD serum a try – CBD is a lovely soothing and calming ingredient.
Key serums for winter
- Hyaluronic acid serum – Green People do a gorgeous hyaluronic acid serum
- CBD serum – try Holland & Barrett’s CBD serum, it’s really great value
Choose mild and rich cleansers
My next tip is to buy milder but richer cleansing products. These work better for your whole family over winter because they cleanse more gently but also contain ingredients to replace the moisture lost in winter. I’m not suggesting you throw out all your current skincare, but maybe just put it away until the winter weather has gone (check the shelf life).
For your hands, switch harsh bar soaps for milder liquid hand wash.
For your morning facial cleansing, you can even switch your foaming cleanser for a milky wash. Or try not using a cleanser and just using water. It works for some!
Key cleansers for winter
- Liquid hand wash
- Milky facial cleanser – I like Holifrog cleansers
Swop body care products
Make your showers more nurturing by swapping stripping shower gels for a creamy body wash – your winter skin will thank you for it!
After your bath or shower, you could try a richer body moisturiser or a body oil formulated specially for dry skin. Use it more frequently and always after bathing or showering for a hydrating and moisturising treat that’s sure to protect you and your family’s skin.
Baths can be drying to the skin, so to offset the drying effect, you could try switching to swirling a few drops of bath oil through your bath water instead of using bubble bath. The same goes for the kids’ bath!
The bath oil will go some way to mitigating the lost moisture in the skin and will cling to your skin when you get up out of the tub.
Key body care items for winter
- Creamy body wash – I like this creamy Comfort Aroma Shower from Weleda
- Body moisturiser specifically for winter skin
- Body oil for winter skin – here’s a body oil I love that the whole family can use – from Evereden
- Bath oil – I love Drift Bathing Oil from Raven Botanicals
Adjust your exfoliation routine
You might find that you need to adjust your exfoliating routine in winter. It’s worth exploring different types of exfoliation and experimenting with frequency.
Some find that their skin is irritated by too much exfoliation during the colder months.
Others find that their scaly winter skin needs extra exfoliation in winter. It’s worth giving new things a try and seeing what works best for you!
Treat your scalp
Do you suffer with a dry scalp in winter? I do! To combat this irritating problem, use a weekly scrub to deep cleanse the scalp and prevent the buildup of dead skin. Just as you exfoliate your face, try a glycolic acid scrub or a gentle “scrubby” scrub to gently buff away those pesky scales. You can also use a few drops of hair or body oil on your scalp, to keep it well moisturised.
Dry scalp products for winter
- Glycolic acid scrub – The Inkey List do a fab one
- Scrubby scrub – I love the warming ginger Ayurvedic scrub from Fable & Mane
- Scalp oil – Balmonds do an oil especially for your scalp
Scratch mitts for eczema-prone babies
If your baby scratches during the night, these scratch mitts are really helpful. Just leaving this here as I wished we knew about these sooner!
Final thoughts on winter skincare for your whole family
I hope I’ve given you some good ideas for winter skincare to look after everybody in your family. With a few tweaks to our routine, and the right products to protect our skin in winter, your whole family will be glowing!
What are your favourite winter skincare tips for your family? Let me know in the comments.
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Until next time!
