If your puffy, sleeping-bag-style winter coat still hasn’t taken the last of your sex appeal, dull and dry winter skin will certainly do the job. And while the mantra “moisturize, moisturize, moisturize” usually works for the neck down, the skin on your face needs extra care. We talked to two professionals who know a few things about keeping your skin healthy even in the bitterest cold. And there’s no need to worry about being broke — these remedies cost fewer than 30 bucks, a mere five burritos on the Chipotle scale.
“Typically in wintertime, people are dealing with extremely dry skin,” said Dominique Murray, gallery director of Skin Quotient. “Because it’s cold, people want to take hot showers or turn the heat up in their homes, but that further dries out the skin.”
To alleviate dry skin, Murray recommends you shower with lukewarm water, limit showers to ten minutes or fewer and invest in products that keep moisture in the skin. Aveeno and Aquaphor brand products will do the trick, she said.
Christian Van Brimmer, the proprietor of Evanston’s Benefit Cosmetics boutique, advocates a three-tier approach. “The key [to having good skin] is going to be proper diet, proper hydration and enough sleep,” he said.
But any college student knows that midterms, meetings and late nights don’t exactly add up to this embodiment of health and beauty.
Northwestern junior Miriam Schwartz can identify. She’s not quite sure what to do about her skin’s cold weather blues, but she said, “If someone told me, I would probably look into it.”
Well, meet Benefit’s signature Fix-Its and Fake-Its. “Fix-Its are skincare products,” Van Brimmer said. “The longer you maintain a good skincare regimen, the better your skin is. Your skin should balance itself out if you’re consistent.”
Straight from the pro’s mouth, Van Brimmer recommends the following general fool-proof skincare regimen:
Face Wash: Use an oil-free and soap-free cleanser. Soap-free cleansers are essential, particularly during the winter months, since soap can parch already-dry skin.
Face scrub: Use a face scrub two to three times a week to help slough off flaky skin.
Moisturizer: Always use moisturizer, especially if your skin tends to get flaky, dull and dry-looking.
If you’re extra dry, however, use a deep-hydrating mask or oil at night, since skin is more receptive to repair during the night hours. To top off your skincare regimen and eliminate those all-too-common dark circles, use a dab of quality eye cream.
Lips: Chapped lips are not hot. So if you don’t want to spend the winter smooch-less, give your kisser a little TLC. Van Brimmer recommends Benefit’s Dr. Feelgood’s Lipscription because it both exfoliates and moisturizes lips.
Sunscreen: “Even if you can’t see the sun, there’s still [the possibility of] UV damage,” Van Brimmer warned. Benefit offers a few different SPF-infused moisturizers, as do most other beauty product retailers.
For those of us who don’t have a building on campus dedicated under our name, a trip down the CVS skincare aisle will get you some products on the cheap. Both Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew and Olay Regenerist offer a variety of goods designed to heal skin damage. Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub packs a powerful exfoliator and Neutrogena offers scrubs and moisturizing creams for all skin types.
Once your skin is fresh and ready-to-go, you may want to check your makeup bag to see if your primping products are what’s causing your winter skin blues.
“Try to stay away from [your makeup] being so matte,” Van Brimmer said.
Putting a matte makeup over dry winter skin only highlights the problem, he said. A matte finish doesn’t brighten dull skin. For winter makeup success, he said to three things in mind: lightweight products, less powder and a dewy finish.
Some favorite Benefit Fake-Its — the all-encompassing title for Benefit brand makeup — include brightening face primer, some foundation faker, high beam and the ever-popular lip and cheek stains, Van Brimmer said.
Using non-powder-based producted, he explains, will help you achieve an overall dewy look. Their creamy bases will hydrate your skin and eliminate flaking and dullness as the day wears on.
Employ these tips and your skin will at least make it look like you’ve been abroad, even if you’re still freezing your pasty ass off at NU.
Skincare for men
Listen up, boys, ’cause Christian Van Brimmer’s got some words for you too!
Van Brimmer said men’s most common mistake is that “they just don’t hydrate.”
“They either use no moisturizer or they use bar soap,” he said, “and then they wonder why their skin is the way it is.”
For men, Van Brimmer recommended a simple skincare regimen that includes a good soap-free cleanser, a good scrub and a good moisturizer with SPF. Van Brimmer also urged men to invest in a basic eye cream for both the morning and night. Don’t cringe— looking good is manly.
“Men really need to exfoliate their skin as well,” said Van Brimmer, who said that shaving exfoliates some, but not enough. For a shave that will please even the pickiest of girlfriends, Van Brimmer advised men to “use good shaving products that are unscented and shave with warm water after showering, when pores are still open.” And if you’re still honing the bearded look? You’re on your own.