After a surprisingly lengthy late summer and warmer early autumn than most, the weather has finally started to cool and the march to winter has begun, which means that it is time for people who have not already done so to switch to a winter routine.
It can be a rather stark and sudden shift, with some people tending to prefer one half of the year over the other, but the major changes required to match the season have led to a lot of common knowledge being repeated that is often at best dubious if not outright false.
A skin clinic is the best place to get information and treatments to get the best out of your skin, but here are some common myths that desperately need debunking.
Thicker Moisturisers Are Not Always Better
Generally, winter is a time when people switch to a thicker set of creams and lotions to keep their skin moisturised, but as with any skincare product, this will all depend on your skin type.
Thicker moisturisers can be better for dry skin, as the lack of humidity, and increased use of central heating indoors and hot showers can cause skin to dry more often, but it is important to check the ingredients rather than simply its texture.
You Do Still Need To Exfoliate
Whilst you should avoid harsh exfoliating ingredients and doing it too often, as you would at any other point of the year, exfoliation is more important than ever because of the dead skin that can accumulate due to various environmental factors that can affect your skin barrier.
Exfoliation reduces the effect of skin cracking and ensures that moisturisers work better by stopping the cream from pilling on the surface.
Lip Balms Do Not Inherently Cause Cracked Lips
Lip balms with menthol or other cooling agents can cause dry lips, but for the most part, the issue is application. Because we apply more of it during the winter months, it can feel like the lip balm is not really helping outside of the immediate term.
The solution is to choose a lip balm with moisturising and soothing ingredients in the first place.
