Why You Should Still Protect Your Skin In Winter
You know how important taking care of your skin is. During the warmer summer months, you always remember the importance of using sunscreen with a high SPF and putting on a sunhat every time you leave the house, but in winter it is easy to get a little slack.
However, protecting your skin should be a priority all year round, not just during the summertime. In this article, we will look at reasons why you should still protect your skin in winter, and what you can do during these months to keep your skin healthy.
Table of contents
Winter sun
If you live in a tropical or subtropical climate ie. in Mackay or North Queensland, you know that the sun can shine all year round. But even in areas where colder weather is the norm, you should still consider protecting your skin. The UV rays that the sun gives off are still present, even on days when the weather is not hot, or there is a lot of cloud cover. Even on cloudy days, your skin could be getting damaged outdoors, leading to an increase in the likelihood of skin cancer, and other issues.
Make sure that you are always wearing an SPF that is both UVA and UPB protective, ensuring that your skin is protected from the sun’s rays all year round.
Indoor contributors to skin issues
When thinking about winter skin, you might not consider how being indoors could impact your skin’s health. However, spending a lot of time inside with either heating or cooling can lead to extremely dry or dehydrated skin. Therefore, it’s important to keep up with or even increase your moisturisation routine during the winter months. This can help to prevent dry and cracked skin on your face, lips and hands as well as secondary bacterial infections.
Winter holidays in the snow
Are you someone who likes to get away for the winter? Whether you’re heading off to the mountains in NSW, Victoria or even to New Zealand, if you love some winter sun and fun in the snow, you should prioritise keeping your skin protected and healthy during your holiday. When you are out and about in the snow, skiing or enjoying another winter activity, you should try and cover up as much as possible to protect your skin from cold and icy winter winds that lead to dry and cracked skin.
For your face and skin that cannot be easily covered by protective clothing, you should always ensure that you are wearing a high sun protection factor sunscreen, and extra skin-protecting balm if you are taking part in any kind of activity in the snow. You should basically use the same amount of sun protection as if you went to the beach in summer. Snow is highly reflective and can multiply your UV exposure due to the sun’s rays bouncing off the snow-covered ground in addition to the direct sunlight from above.
Get in touch
It can be tempting to shrug off your skincare routine during the winter when you are perhaps staying in a little more and the sun isn’t shining quite so fiercely. But taking precautions now can help to save you a lot of trouble in the future and keep your skin in top condition so you can look and feel your best.
Do you want to ensure that your skin is healthy? Whether you have noticed small changes such as an increase in dryness, rashes, or even new moles, or just want some advice on your skin health overall, Shakespeare Medical Centre in Mackay is here for you. Get in touch for a skin check, and to explore our cosmetic and skincare options.