Ever watched a bunch of flowers slowly dry up and wilt in your office? That exact same thing could be happening to your skin. As much as we love cranking up the heat on a cold winter day, the warmer you feel – the more dehydrated your skin is getting.
When the already-dry winter air from outside circulates through an air-heating system, moisture is lost and the amount of water vapour in the air decreases – causing the surface of your skin to also lose water. In fact, our skin loses more than 25 per cent of its ability to hold moisture in the winter.
But before you start turning off all the heaters and shivering your way through the winter months, take a look at the below five top tips for ensuring your skin stays hydrated and supple through even the coldest days.
Tip 1: Sip still room temperature water constantly
Having good skin is not just about what you put on your body, it’s what you put in it, too – which is why it’s important to hydrate from the inside out. Store a full drink bottle or glass of water beside your computer within easy reach to remind yourself to keep sipping and ensure you remain constantly hydrated.
Tip 2: Keep a full bowl of water on your desk
Create your own simple handmade humidifier by filling up a bowl of water and leaving it on your desk. The bowl of water works to add moisture to excessively dry air, meaning your skin will be less dehydrated at the end of the day. Win.
Tip 3: Moisturise during the day
Thought it was enough to moisturise your skin at night and in the morning? Apparently not. To ensure your skin stays properly hydrated, office workers need to up the ante even further when it comes to their moisturiser application. “Moisturise your face and neck a couple of times during the day if your complexion feels dry to the touch or looks it. Use a light product (cream or lotion) that will absorb quickly,” Beauty Bible experts Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley advise.
We love: Simple Daily Light Moisturiser, ASAP advanced hydrating moisturiser, and SK-II Cellumination Deep Surge Moisturiser Ex.
Tip 4: Use hand cream every time you wash your hands
It’s an essential last-step to your toilet break, but did you know that repetitive and frequent hand washing increases skin dryness and roughness? By using a hand cream immediately after each hand wash, you can help decrease both these skin ailments.
We love: Molton Brown Naran Ji Soothing Hand Lotion, Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream, and INNOXA Gingham Hand Cream.
Tip 5: Apply a mask each week
Dehydrated skin from air conditioners looks dull and lifeless, however, the regular use of a mask will help perk it up to appear younger and more radiant. As well as flushing out accumulated toxins from your skin, masks allow for skin care products to have better absorbency – meaning those moisturisers you’ve been using can do their job better so you can truly say “see ya later” to a dry winter.
We love: AHAVA Time to Hydrate Hydration Cream Mask, La Biosthetique Perfection Visage Masque Hydratant, and Skinvitals Hydraflex Neck/Décolleté.
