During winters the temperatures can lower gradually and this makes the air chilly along with decreased humidity which altogether affects the skin severely. This drastic change in the weather can affect your skin making it excessively dry and flaky. The skin gets rough and tight due to lack of moisture and humidity.
Using body lotions and creams during winters is helpful but sometimes these moisturizers do not reach the deeper layer of the skin due to buildup of dead skin cells on the surface and skin does not get proper moisturization.
So using a gentle body scrub helps a lot during winters for buffing the buildup of dead skin cells from the surface. For winters you can even opt for nourishing formulas which contain some moisturizing additives.
This kind of scrub helps in lifting the buildup of dead skin cells while helping provide gentle hydration to the skin. Incorporating this scrub in your weekly routine helps a lot for reducing skin dryness and clears buildup of dead skin cells during winters.
Effect of winters on skin
During winters humidity in the air reduces a lot as the air is quite cold and frosty. The outdoors can be dry and chilly. Whereas indoors can be warm and hot due to artificial heat by heaters which can absorb the remaining moisture from the skin.
The transepidermal loss of water is increased, sucking all the remaining moisture from the skin. This results in stripping the moisture from the skin making it dry and flaky completely.
The moisture barrier of the skin gets severely damaged when exposed to the harsh weather. The sebum production in the body might also decrease during the winters. This makes the skin excessively dry and texture gets flaky and scaly in the winters which needs to be reduced to protect the skin.
This can make skin prone to inflammation. Taking hot showers during winters can be more problematic as hot water can strip the natural oils from the skin very easily making it vulnerable to inflammation and irritation.
Why do summer body scrubs not work for winters?
Summer body scrubs are meant for deep cleansing to clear out the excess oil,sweat and impurity buildup from the skin. These scrubs contain harsh exfoliating agents which clear out the buildup completely and wipe off oil completely from the skin. Also they are meant to be used twice or thrice a week.
But for winters these scrubs are not ideal as they have a deep cleansing action. They might strip the moisture completely from the skin making it excessively dry. These scrubs could result in making the skin even more dry and flaky. A scrub for winters must be used just once a week to ensure gentle exfoliation.
It is best to stick to a gentle scrub formula in order to lift off the buildup of dead skin cells completely while preserving the natural moisture during cold winters basically. A nourishing body scrub with the right ingredients can help in providing moisture while exfoliating.
Ideal choice of ingredients for winter scrubs
- Sugar crystals: Work perfectly for gentle winter exfoliation as they lift up the buildup of dead skin gently from the skin and it contains glycolic acid which makes it best for dead skin cells exfoliation. It melts when mixed with warm water preventing harsh scrubbing.
- Oatmeal: Fine particles of oatmeal help in gently scrubbing the skin and it does not cause any damage to the skin barrier making it suitable for winters. It helps in soothing the inflammation on the skin due to winter dryness and cold air.
- Shea butter: A natural ingredient perfect for fighting winter dryness as it provides smoothness and flexibility to the skin along with moisture as it melts on the skin at room temperature. It helps in reducing the trans epidermal water loss from the skin and fills the gaps between dry skin.
- Jojoba oil: It is a natural oil which resembles the texture of sebum and helps in moisturizing the dry winter skin which lacks sebum. It helps in repairing the damaged barrier of the skin and smoothens the flaky skin.
- Honey: Works well as a humectant as it draws moisture from outside into the skin and helps keep the skin moisturized and protected after shower.
Stepwise guide for using a scrub in winters
A body scrub must ideally be used just once a week during winters in order to protect the skin barrier and gently lift the buildup of dead skin cells from the surface.
- Wash your body with lukewarm water
- Let the skin remain damp
- Take some amount of scrub in hands
- Rub it on hands and then apply to the body
- Exfoliate your body gently for a few minutes
- Rinse off with water
- Pat dry with a towel
- Quickly apply a moisturizer for winters to lock the moisture in and prevent dryness.
Final thoughts
Winters are extremely cold and they make the skin dry so using a scrub meant for summers during winters is not ideal as it may cause skin dryness because it contains harsh cleansing agents which strip the moisture barrier of the skin completely. So opt for a gentle scrub for use in winters and use once a week only.
