“Winter is coming, we know what’s coming with it.”

Yes, Jon Snow, we all know what’s coming with it. Dryness, flakiness, and a lot of problems more horrifying than the white walkers. 

Winter is the season of celebration, joy, laughter and light. It’s the time to eat festive food, get cozy under the blanket, read good books and sip hot chocolate. It’s the time for fuzzy socks, late dawns and the roaring bonfire dusks. How can one not fall in love with the vibes winter brings? Winter is magical. Truly.

The weather outside might be wonderful but winter is not the favourite season of our skin, we can all agree on that. Every passing day is like a thirsty Thursday for the skin. The dry skin and scalp, chapped lips and redness pose a challenge for all of us. On the other hand, we can always prep ourselves for what’s to come. 

Bathe Right during Winter 

We all love long hot showers in winter. Doesn’t your body crave piping hot water every morning? Oh, you are not alone. 

If you didn’t already know it, bathing in piping hot water is dangerous to the skin. If you have any skin conditions, better keep away from hot showers. Hot water showers can inflame the skin, cause redness, itching and even peeling of the skin that is similar to sunburns. Oh, and this will also disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture and natural oils that keep the irritants out.

It is better to switch to lukewarm showers as they won’t cause any wrinkles on your skin or cause excessive hair fall. Keep your showers short and sweet before your skin starts to prune. Most importantly, use mild shower gels and mild soaps. Using the wrong cleansers that include synthetic fragrances or harsh oils can upset your skin barrier… gotta look out for that as well. Also, to all the moms, it’s okay if your kids skip a shower once in a while.                                                          

Hydrate and Feel Great during Winter

Hydrate yourself and feel great about yourself. Drink lots of water. Your body, your skin, your hair and your mind will thank you. Contrary to popular belief, summer is not the only time your body tends to get dehydrated. The dry winters make it all the more important to stay hydrated, good people. 

Increasing your water intake will help you hydrate your skin. Doing this will make you look healthier and feel beautiful. To make your skin look happy you need to have fruits and veggies, which have a substantial amount of water, that can improve the moisture level in your skin… any effortless option? We can wait :)  After showering, dab on some Body Butter (we recommend the one from BodyCafé) for intense hydration.

Exfoliate Regularly during Winter

Nothing you put on your skin will work unless you exfoliate. Our skin cells dehydrate faster during winters… that’s no news. These dead skin cells reduce the absorption of moisturizers and thereby cause flakes on our skin. It is essential to get rid of these dull and dying skin cells.   It’s safe to say that exfoliation is the key to skin hydration.

We constantly have to tweak our skincare game during winter. Exfoliating your skin once or twice a week makes your skincare products work effectively. It helps products penetrate better. In a nutshell, exfoliation can help you remove dry flaky skin, prevents breakouts, evens out your skin tone and improve skin texture. This winter, exfoliate the dirt away with the body polishing kit from mCaffeine. This kit exfoliates, polishes and deeply moisturizes the skin.

Look Out for Dandruff during Winter

There are two things that enter your life unwarranted- Procrastination and dandruff. 

We are so concerned about dandruff. When did this happen? Why did this happen? Where did it come from? Oh, we feel you. Dandruff is like that annoying, cheesy partner that always follows winter.

Winter hair care is fragile. We cannot stand dry, dull hair and hair fall because of dandruff. All we do is scream our hearts out. ‘I want my beautiful, healthy hair backkkkk’. Dandruff is caused by a dry scalp because of the dry, cold air or not maintaining clean hygiene. To tackle dandruff, you’ve got to use the right products and follow a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a diet that provides enough zinc and vitamin B may help prevent dandruff and save your beautiful hair. Push a stop button or limit yourself from hair styling products as they can damage your scalp and make it oilier. 

Mould your Lifestyle during Winter

They say, ‘Summer bodies are made in Winter.’  But they don’t understand that when we are snuggled in a warm cozy blanket, how do we even force ourselves to get up on those dark, early mornings and go for a run. We hog on to the festive food during winter and end up putting on those extra kilos. The progress we’ve made so far with keeping up with fitness can revert back to square one :(  Let’s break the cycle and get ourselves on track and follow a healthy diet this winter. We cannot give up on yummy food… who are we kidding? For every savoury and sweet you eat, run an extra mile. 

Moisturization is the key to most skin woes. Choose a good moisturizer that your skin likes. Our skin best absorbs moisture when it’s still damp. Applying your moisturizer immediately after showering every morning and at night will make it last for a longer time … It’s a perfect end to a good shower.

Don’t forget your SPF even in winters. YES, you heard that right. SPF Always! Easing up on sunscreen in winter is a mistake... a grave mistake. UV rays are present at the same strength all year round as they are in summers. Whatever the weather is, you should be wearing SPF all the time. 

Our lips don’t contain oil glands like other parts of our skin. It’s no surprise that winter makes it worse. Getting into the habit of applying lip balms or lip protection serums is a good way to go. Ensure you make it a daily habit. Don’t forget that even lip balms should contain sun protection factor up to 15 so that they can moisturize your lips and the sunscreen can prevent further drying effects.

Sit back, sip hot coffee, gather golden moments, host healthy parties, lighten up yourselves and Enjoy Winter.