Winters are lovely! But, there are few things which come with the season which can make it a little difficult to live with. Be it excessive dryness or increase in inflammation of the body or static electricity, winter has its own share of skin problems to deal with. One of the major grouches for some is combating more acne in winter, surprisingly! Usually we associate acne and breakouts with summers when it is hot, sweaty and humid but winter dryness is no less irritating for the skin. There are a few things however you could take care of in the season to keep acne in winter at bay.
Why you get more acne in winter?
1. Excessive Dry Skin.
Humidity levels drop significantly during the season especially in the drier climates leading to loss of moisture through the skin. Not using correct skin care products and taking too hot showers are also why your skin is getting excessively dry.
The result being our skin produces more sebum to counter the dryness and one tends to apply excess of moisturizer or use a heavy moisturizer instead which leads to clogged up pores resulting in acne in winter.
2. Dead Skin Cell Buildup.
Another cause for excessive dry skin is dead skin cell buildup which is comparatively higher during the winters. Exfoliating your skin regularly helps in proper absorption of the skin care products reducing in skin dryness.
However, it is advised to use salicylic acid for acne prone skin for exfoliation instead of physical scrubs which are abrasive and cause worse damage to the skin by spreading the bacteria across the face.
3. Lack of Vitamin D.
Surprising, yes! But, true. If your body is deficient of this essential vitamin, it can flare up your acne. In fact, lack of Vitamin D is one of the reasons why you are suffering from cold and flu as it affects your immunity.
4. Eating Rich Food.
Well, we are guilty of that pleasure! It being the holiday season and a season of indulgence, we all gorge on rich, oily and comforting foods which affects our metabolism and digestive system. Excess sugar and alcohol is also not helpful for the acne-prones’. All of these result in excessive acne in winter.
5. Not Changing Pillow cases
The oils from your hair and skin gets accumulated on the pillows every night. It is advised for those prone to acne to change their pillow cases at least once to twice a week to avoid letting the old pillow case break you out. Also, keep a separate face towel and do not touch your face repeatedly or at all, if possible!
So, these may be just the few reasons why you get more acne in winter. Keeping the food light and detoxing the body once in fifteen days will help with your metabolism and the so dreaded holiday weight as well. Do not let your skin get excessively dry and keep away the harsh winter winds from your skin and you are good to go. Happy holidays!
Archana says
Nice and informative post. Dead skin buildup is definitely more in winters and one of the main reasons for acne..