How To Keep Your Skin Healthy And Glowing In Winter

Winter is coming… 

And it’s coming for your skin. 

The drop in humidity and temperature levels during the winter season leaves your skin feeling rough, dry and itchy. Winter is just about the worst time of year when it comes to our complexions, so winning the war against dry, dull, lifeless skin and getting your glow back should be high on your list of priorities.

What changes are necessary to keep your skin naturally glowing and nourished when the weather gets cold? Keeping your skin hydrated, healthy and supple during the winter can be a challenge, but fear not! Our guide on how you can keep your skin glowing all winter long will provide you with the most tried and tested skin advice on how to beat the winter skin blues and get your glow back during the harsh winter days.

These five simple tips are just what you need to follow for healthy and glowing skin:

1. Moisturise your skin

2. Stay hydrated

3. Use a humidifier

4. Don’t take long, hot showers

5. Keep active to boost natural radiance

Moisturise your skin

A good moisturiser is one of the most vital parts of your winter skincare arsenal as it replenishes the skin with valuable lipids, therefore, restoring hydration. Apart from enhancing your skin’s moisture content, using a good moisturiser can soothe your skin and improve its glow. 

​​There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to skincare. You need skincare products that suit your skin type and the weather conditions. But how would you know what moisturiser is best for your skin type? A thick ointment may be a great option to lock in moisture for those with naturally dry skin. For normal skin, creams will work the best. If your skin is oily, we recommend lighter, hydrating lotions. When choosing a moisturiser, look for ingredients such as vitamin E, which help defend the skin against pollution.

We advise applying a moisturiser several times a day, especially after bathing or having a shower. After showering, the water on your skin starts evaporating, and that leads to a significant loss of valuable moisture. The best way to lock it in is to apply a body oil or body moisturiser as soon as possible. Also, remember that your lips are permanently exposed to the cold, so to treat cracked lips in the winter, choose lip balms with special moisturising agents.

Stay hydrated

Moisturising your skin is essential to prevent dry skin, but hydrating your skin from within is even more critical. Remember, you’re 60 per cent water, and every system in your body needs it to function, so it only makes sense that you need to get plenty of water from drink and food every day. Staying hydrated helps flush out toxins from your body, reduce wrinkles and balance the oils on your face. Being dehydrated can also negatively affect our mood and mental well-being, with studies suggesting that it can affect your energy levels, cognition and emotions.

But how much water do I need to drink daily? As with most things, this depends on the individual. Many factors (both internal and external) ultimately affect how much water you need. It is recommended to drink at least 2.7 litres or 6-8 cups or glasses of fluids every day. That’s a lot of water, right? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean you should drink it all in one go, as your body will expel it quite fast. Keep spacing out your water consumption throughout the day to ensure your body can absorb most of it for truly the best remedy for glowing skin in winter.

Use a humidifier

This winter, make sure you maintain the moisture in your home and your skin by investing in a good quality humidifier. Run a humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in, including your bedroom, to help add moisture to dry winter air and keep your skin hydrated.

There are various types of humidifiers to choose from. Evaporators blow moisture through a moistened filter and expel the humidity into the air. Steam vaporisers heat water and then cool it before expelling it into your room. Finally, ultrasonic humidifiers use a metal diaphragm vibrating at an ultrasonic frequency. This creates water droplets that are then put in the air via a fan.

Also, we know that it’s very tempting to crank up the heat when it’s so cold outside, but having the central heating too high can make the air in your house even drier. Try setting the thermostat between 20°C and 22°C to maintain moisturised skin. 

Don’t take long, hot showers

There’s nothing like a warm bath or a hot shower on cold winter mornings; and nothing like these baths that can dry out your skin further. Hot water deprives the skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and flaky if not properly moisturised. So, what can we do about it? The answer is simple: turn down the water temperature and take shorter showers. ​​There is no definite rule for how hot a shower should be, but most dermatologists recommend keeping the temperature at an average of 37°C to 38.5°C.

Keep active to boost natural radiance

While staying under a warm, cosy blanket all day is very tempting on a cold winter day, one of the main reasons we look and feel better in the summer is because we tend to spend more time outdoors. We know that staying motivated about being active and getting out of the house when it’s cold can be tough. 

But staying active during the winter months will help raise your body temperature, boost circulation, keep your pulse rate up and your glow intact. Also, it is well known that after exercise, the brain releases the “feel-good” chemicals serotonin and dopamine, which can help to reduce anxiety while boosting wellbeing.

As well as being an effective mood booster and pick-me-up, getting outdoors in the fresh air when it’s sunny can help replenish vitamin D levels in the skin. Try to commit to 30 minutes of walking, running, or cycling three to four times a week during daylight hours to maintain your natural radiance.

How can Effect Doctors help you take extra care of your skin?

Between the low temperatures outside and the dry air in our homes, winter is just about the worst time of year when it comes to our complexions. But following the above simple tips will help you keep your skin glowing even in this chilly weather. 

Besides sticking to these basic routines, Effect Doctors can help you take extra care of your skin during the cold winter days and achieve a balanced, glowing complexion with our Skin Brightening IV Drip. 

Our Skin Brightening IV Drip contains high dose Vitamin C, which is essential for producing collagen and elastin, leading to plumper, smoother skin and a more youthful appearance. Vitamin C is also well known for its antioxidant properties, which means it protects your skin against environmental aggressors such as UV rays and pollution, which can cause premature ageing. It can also help heal wounds more quickly and reduce the appearance of scars.

Additionally, another of Vitamin C’s many properties is its ability to inhibit the skin’s production of melanin, which lessens the appearance of dark spots, discolouration and hyperpigmentation for a more even and glowing skin tone.

The other main ingredient of our Skin Brightening IV Drip is Glutathione, which is involved in tissue building and repair, making chemicals and proteins needed in the body, and in immune system function.

The combination of ingredients included in this drip is only a suggestion of what you could have. We have a vast library of over 100 amino acids, vitamins, electrolytes, analgesic drugs, painkilling drugs and anti-sickness drugs to protect, promote and restore your health. Every drip we do is bespoke and prescribed by a doctor after a full medical consultation in which your medical history, allergies and requirements are reviewed.

Take a look at our full range of bespoke IV Drips HERE.

About us 

As one of London’s leading IV Drip clinics, Effect Doctors offer a unique range of intravenous drips, all of which are administered by our trained doctors and nurses. We were founded by NHS doctors, and we are CQC registered. You can find out more about our staff on our Meet the Team page.

Our state of the art clinic is in Chelsea, but if you are located in London and would prefer to have your treatment in the comfort of your own home or office, a member of our team will come to you for a private session for an additional fee.

If you’d like to know more about booking an IV drip at home, don’t hesitate to contact our team.