Acne prone skin can be a problem during all seasons, but for some people, the situation gets worse in winters. There are many reasons as to why this happens; for some, it is because of their poor skin care routine, while for others it could be because of the food they eat. Either way, it is as crucial to take care of your skin in winters as it is in any other season.

Winter Skin Care Tips To Reduce Acne Problems

Here are some winter specific tips for you to take care of acne prone skin:

1. Drink Plenty of Water – While it is natural for people to not feel as thirsty during winters as in summers, your body pretty much still needs the same amount of water. You need to keep drinking enough water for the toxins to be flushed out on a regular basis. Drinking plenty of water is the easiest way to keep most acne related troubles at bay; don’t forget its importance in winters and continue to drink water as you would during the rest of the year.

2. Change Pillow Covers Frequently – Our skin becomes quite dry and flaky during winters. This means that while you may not be able to see or feel your skin actually throwing flakes around, it does happen on your pillow every night. You don’t want that dead, flaky skin touching fresh new skin again and causing bacterial growth. Hence, change your pillow covers frequently in order to let your skin have a hygienic environment every night when you sleep.

3. Moisturize Regularly – There are myths that moisturizing with creams can make your skin feel sticky and cause more acne than reducing it. While there is some truth to that, the key is to realize how to balance moisturizing with your cleansing routine. In winters, it is vital to moisturize because the skin becomes dry and flaky. And just because your skin is dry, it does not mean that acne will reduce. Damaged skin causes more problems than you can imagine. So get a light moisturizer that suits your skin and keeps it hydrated in winters.

4. Cleanse Well – While you may not feel sticky or sweaty during winters as much as you feel during summers, it is vital to cleanse your skin properly. You should ideally wash your face at least 3 to 4 times with just water everyday. Apart from that, use a gentle cleanser twice a day. The best facial cleansers to use during winters are natural or organic ones that have less chemical compositions. Dry and flaky skin should not be in contact with too much of chemicals, as they can further dry out the skin. So try and use light, natural cleansers that don’t dry the skin too much.

5. Reduce Topical Medication – Topical medication dries out the skin even more. While the principle logic behind acne medication is to dry the pimples and prevent breakouts, these can further dry an already dried up skin in winters. Reduce these creams and gels in winters and instead try to go for natural treatments and remedies that help to moisturize the skin and don’t make it itchy, flaky and uncomfortable.

Homemade Face Masks To Reduce Acne In Winters

Some homemade face packs are particularly effective during winters in order to sort out the problem of acne. Since winters give us double the amount of problems to deal with (acne and dry skin, both), these homemade packs aim towards sorting out both problems in one go, such that you can get healthy looking, clean, clear and supple skin.

1. Honey and Rose Water – Honey has natural anti bacteria properties and helps to bring about a glow in your skin along with cleansing it. When mixed with rose water to use as a face pack, it works very well on acne prone skin. Rose water helps to keep the skin hydrated and is good to use on a regular basis in winters.

2. Olive Oil and Egg – Egg is often synonymous with protein, and your skin needs it once in a while to get nourishment and reduce the flakiness. Combine it with olive oil and you have the perfect face pack for winters. Olive Oil contains antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that help to reduce acne. For added effect, one can also try mixing some honey to this face pack.

3. Banana and Yoghurt – Banana can be mixed with yoghurt to make a soothing mask for your acne prone skin in winters. You can even mix skimmed milk or butter instead of yoghurt. Mash the banana well and mix the ingredients in adequate quantities to reach the desired consistency. This mask helps to soothe the skin, moisturizes it and also keeps acne at bay.

4. Fuller’s Earth and Rose Water – Fuller’s Earth is one of the most tried and tested remedies to reduce acne. Though it is known to dry out the skin to a certain extent, you can mix it with rose water for using in winters. It has a soothing and calming effect on the skin and reduces acne effectively.

General Lifestyle Improvements

Problems of acne start happening during teenage years when women touch their puberty. This is mostly because of hormonal changes in the body. Similar hormonal changes also happen when women are about to get their periods. While these kind of hormonal changes are not in anyone’s control, reducing their effect is definitely possible through some external beauty hacks and general lifestyle improvements. If you want to get rid of your acne problems, then you must do the following to improve your skin and safeguard it for the long run:

1. Eat Healthy Food – Those who are prone to acne must pay special attention to the kind of food that they eat. Eating too much of spicy or oily food can cause the body’s natural balances to go for a toss, the consequence of which is acne. Thus, it becomes important to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that help to flush out all the toxins from the body and keep your skin clear and smooth.

2. Exercise Regularly – Exercising regularly is quite underestimated in the modern world. People do not understand its importance. However, if you are prone to acne, then you must start exercising regularly in order to improve your body’s metabolism and natural functions. What you sweat out actually helps to keep your body’s balances proper and helps to make your skin glow, reducing acne and making it look clear. Many celebrities vouch for this habit.

3. Use Less Make Up – While women love doing make up, the in-trend is the no-makeup look. Everyone loves a naturally beautiful skin, and it’s time that people start understanding its importance. You should try and use as less make up as possible. At the same time, switch to organic make up products so that your skin’s exposure to chemical products is reduced, thereby helping to reduce acne. Also remember to never sleep with make up on; you must always wash off the make up before sleeping in order to let the skin breathe.

Fighting acne can be quite troublesome in the initial stages, because you do have to put in some extra efforts that you didn’t earlier. And yes, it does take some time getting used to all the precautions and steps that you need to take to keep acne at bay. However, the good news is that it isn’t something impossible to do; with regular care, you will be able to solve this problem easily.