Winter is my least favourite season. That may be surprising to people who know me, as it’s a season filled with some of my favourite things: stodgy foods, Christmas, staying inside… But for my rosacea, it’s an absolutely disaster. So, let’s chat about the ways you can help your skin. Read on for my rosacea tips for winter.
I’ve titled this post ‘rosacea tips for winter’ because it covers lots of different things for you to think about. Most articles about helping rosacea in the winter focus solely on skincare. But, as you may have heard me say many times, skincare is helpful in the rosacea puzzle but it’s still just one small piece. If your main or only weapon against rosacea is skincare, you will likely end up disappointed. Rosacea needs a holistic approach, so we’re going to talk about all of the things that can help.
Table of Contents
WINTER SKINCARE FOR ROSACEA
We are going to kick off with some rosacea skincare tips, because I know that people do like to have a tangible suggestion. Not only can some skincare have an instant soothing and calming effect, but also having something you can hold in your hands and do in the moment has a powerful psychological impact that isn’t to be sniffed at.
The main thing I think about with my winter rosacea skincare is hydration and protecting my skin barrier. Winter weather in the UK is dry, cold, and windy. All three of these things leave your skin feeling dry and rough and looking more red. So let’s start with a big question…
IS YOUR SKIN BARRIER DISRUPTED?
The first question to ask yourself: is my skin barrier disrupted? THIS POST gives tons of information on the skin barrier, including how to know if it’s damaged or impaired and will help you get things back on track if you recognise those symptoms in your own skin. I am guilty of having seen my dry and dull skin in the past and thinking I could cure it with exfoliators… I’m sure you can imagine what that did to my already stressed skin barrier!
The most important part of the post I linked above (as I know some of you will have just skimmed past that link without clicking…!) is the part about Trans Epidermal Water Loss (or TEWL). To quote Dr Anjali Mahto: “This simply means that water in your skin is being lost through evaporation. This is a normal function of the skin, and the amount lost will fluctuate depending on many factors (for example, in the winter months, TEWL will increase with the cold and dry air) but when the skin barrier is damaged, the *amount* that is naturally lost increases as your body cannot regulate it and this can be detrimental to the skin.”
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR SKINCARE?
The next thing to consider is: are you happy with your current skincare routine? If things are working for you, I’m not here to tell you that you need an entire new routine just because the season has changed. However, there might be small tweaks you can make to give you a little bit of help during the colder months. Such as:
- Skincare sandwiching: This is a simple but clever concept where you ‘sandwich’ a hydration step in your regular skincare routine. This is designed to help with your TEWL (as discussed above) and ‘lock in’ the moisture you’re applying to the skin. An example would be cleanse – spritz – serum/moisturiser.
- Adding a serum: If you don’t already have a serum in your routine, this could be a good time if your skin needs some extra hydration. I love the Byoma Hydrating Serum.
- Light layers: It may be tempting to look for the thickest, creamiest moisturiser thinking that that will hydrate the skin quicker and easier but, for skin that’s easily irritated, heavy and thick products can sometimes be more trouble than they’re worth. My skin hates feeling smothered and so I always go for either sandwiching (as above) or two layers of a lighter product, rather than one big thick layer.
- Try a barrier cream: I rely so heavily on barrier creams in the colder months. I apply one every time I leave the house to put a physical barrier between my skin and the elements, I wouldn’t be able to cope with dog walks without them! I shared my favourites HERE.
- Try an oil: I know oils can sound a bit scary, especially if your skin is already oily or acne-prone, I avoided them for years for this very reason. But mixing a few drops of oil into my moisturiser really helps to seal that moisture into the skin without feeling greasy or heavy. If you need a recommendation, the By Sarah Hero Facial Oil is flipping lovely and formulated with sensitive skin in mind, you can find it HERE.
MY CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE
I’ve written another post with my current skincare routine, if you need some product recommendations. You can find that HERE on my free Substack. Please subscribe to that if you haven’t already, it’s where I share more personal writing, rosacea content thar’s more time-sensitive, and it’s where my newsletter lives as well. I’m really enjoying it over there and would love for you to join us.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Trigger management
Your skin is already battling with the negatives of the season, so try to give it as much space to deal with it as you can by managing your other triggers.
- I have a blog post all about identifying and managing your triggers, if you’re still struggling to find them. You can find that post HERE (it also has a free digital download with a trigger checklist).
- If you aren’t aware of the Bucket Theory and how it can help with trigger management, I have a great video that sums it up perfectly. You can find it below – please click through and like or save it if you find it useful, it really helps to let instagram know that my content is worth showing to people!
Weather
We’ve already covered barrier creams and oils as a way to help protect you from the elements, but there are some more traditional and physical ways to help your skin.
- TIP: A scarf loosely covering your face can help with wind and cold, but make sure it’s not too tight around your mouth and nose because your warm breath can quickly cause your skin to overheat.
- TIP: Sunglasses can really help with ocular rosacea symptoms. If you’re not sure what ocular rosacea is, or whether you have it, I have a post HERE that can help.
Central heating
The issue with central heating is two-fold. Firstly, the heat can dry out your skin, which causes issues for rosacea skin as our skin is already more dry than other people’s. Secondly, the contrast of cold outside-warm inside causes something called successive vasoconstriction-vasodilation. This means the diameter of the capillaries increases which intensifies the blood flow. This shows up as increased redness and heat in the face.
- TIP: A humidifier can help with the dry air in your home, but if your house is already damp (like mine – the joys of living in a Victorian building!) then it will make that situation worse. The model I used to use when I lived in London isn’t available anymore but THIS humidifier is a bargain and gets great reviews. NOTE: remember to clean it regularly to avoid bacteria and mould inside, you don’t want that floating around in your hydrating mist!
- TIP: Be strategic with heating and where you are in relation to it. Think about where the heat sources are in your house/office and work around them. For example, I sit on the other side of the room to the radiator in our living room. I have turned radiators off in rooms where I can’t be away from them (yes, it means extra socks, hot water bottles etc but it’s worth it). Try to keep rooms well-ventilated. If they’re too stuffy, they will cause you to overheat.
Showers and baths
I know that it’s really tempting to keep turning that temperature up until your bones start to defrost, but hot showers and baths are bad for the skin in general and especially if you have rosacea. Vaguely warm showers are miserable, I know, but your face will thank you.
- TIP: Apply a barrier cream (recommendations HERE if you need them) to your face before you go in the shower to keep your face protected and calm. Just don’t layer it too thick, or you’ll overheat!
Be careful with hot drinks
Hot drinks are so comforting when it’s cold, but are a common trigger for rosacea as the heat of the beverage and steam from the drink can heat up your face, which instigates a flare up.
- TIP: Use your hot drink as a hand warmer until they’ve cooled down, then drink. Alternatively, if it’s the steam rather than temperature of the drink that causes a flare up, you could try drinking from a lidded travel mug.
Choose your detergent carefully
In the colder months we spend more time bundled up in clothes, blankets, scarves etc. so it’s important to think about the washing detergent you’re using.
- TIP: In my house, we use Smol and we have ‘Aaron pods’ (ones that smell nice) and ‘Lex pods’ (the non-fragranced ones). We use the latter on all of my clothes, our bedding, and blankets. If you want to try Smol yourself, I have an affiliate link HERE that will get you a home bundle for only £6 – bargain!
Be honest with people
This last step is an often overlooked but very important one. The people around you need to understand the effect this season has on your skin, and they can’t possibly know if they haven’t experienced it themselves.
- Tell them why you need the heating on low, why you can’t sit directly under those cosy-but-terrible outdoor heaters, why they should probably wear extra layers if they’re coming to your house, why you need to swap seats to get away from that gross central heating blasting directly in your face in restaurants. You may feel awkward and annoying and like a diva, but just need to explain the impact it has on you and your skin. Anyone who isn’t an arsehole will understand and accommodate you. And if they’re an arsehole, why are they in your house/out for dinner with you..?
What are your best rosacea tips for winter? Feel free to share them in the comments so we can all learn together.
Don’t forget to check out my Substack HERE – I’m posting there a lot more regularly than anywhere else so it’s the best place to keep up with my content.
Lex
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