3 Important Tips to Keep Your Acne Skin Healthy in Winter

You worked hard all summer to keep your skin looking fresh, healthy and acne free—don’t let winter ruin your progress with dry, flaky skin that may actually exasperate acne! Use the following three tips to keep your acne-prone skin healthy throughout the cold months:

1. Cleanse with the proper cleanser

Perhaps you found a cleanser over the summer that worked great for you and your acne. Maybe you plan to keep using it, even as colder weather moves in. Before you do, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your skin cleanser contain soap or other over-drying ingredients such as salicylic acid or alcohol?
• Does it ever leave your face feeling tight, as if your skin has been stretched out?
• Do you notice any dry patches on your face, even small ones that are barely noticeable?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, consider changing your cleanser to one more suitable for winter. You need a cleanser that will clean well without removing too much oil. You can try natural skin cleaning products such as plain milk, yogurt, and chickpea powder, all of which can remove dirt and grease without drying out your skin. Another great option is to clean with steel-cut oats.

2. Moisturize, moisturize, then moisturize some more

Nobody wants dry, flaky skin, especially since it can mix with dirt and bacteria and lead to more acne! Keeping your skin hydrated and supple is key to getting rid of acne forever.

As we mentioned above with cleansers, it’s very possible you’ll need to change your moisturizer to suit the season as well. Skin that is too dry will produce more oil, which is definitely not what you want if you have acne-prone skin.

Switch to an oil-based moisturizer to get you through the harsh-weather months, one that will protect your skin from the elements without clogging pores. Look for moisturizers containing any of the following non-pore-clogging oils: almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil.

3. Nourish your skin all season long

Sometimes your skin just needs a little extra TLC — and winter is always one of those times. So nourish your skin regularly to keep it looking just as radiant as it did all summer. Fruits can really come in handy here. Make your own fruit mask using ripe papaya, strawberries, grapes, and/or mango. Blend the fruit and some plain yogurt until smooth. Apply to your face and relax for 20 minutes before rinsing it off with warm—not hot—water. Try this once a week and watch your skin glow all season long!