If you’re having a winter wedding, skincare should be one of your priorities.
Winter can create a lot of issues for your skin. It’s cold outside, and warm inside. The air can be both dry, or incredibly wet. Elements like wind can inflame your skin. Plus, your hands can get very irritated with it all. There’s a lot to watch out for. And, no matter the time of year, we all want our skin to be glowing and radiant on our wedding day.
The great news is that you don’t have to be reactive when it comes to your skincare, even in the winter. You don’t have to wait for dry, irritated skin in order to take some action. With preventative care, being aware of certain skin triggers, and some intention, your skin will be as beautiful at your winter wedding than if you were getting married on a summer night.
10 Winter Wedding Skincare Tips
This post is going to share with you all my tips for your winter wedding skincare. If you’re a bride, groom, or just a participant in the wedding, this advice is for you. Some of the tips don’t cost anything to implement, and some may require a small investment. But, you can tailor each of them to meet your preferences and needs so your winter wedding skincare routine gets kicked off immediately.
Let’s delve into it!
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TIP #1: HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE
As I wrote about in this post, the number one thing you can do for your skin is to hydrate. A lot.
The reason why drinking water should be part of your winter skincare routine is because it’s easy to forget to drink water in the winter. And, if the air outside has low humidity, it can dry out your skin real fast. When we’re hot, in the summer, we guzzle water to cool off. But, in the winter, cold water may be the last thing we want to drink.
However, water of any temperature can do great things for your skin. Drink warm or room temperature water if it helps. Add a lemon to it for some flavor. Even decaffeinated teas can be hydrating for you. Aim to drink at least half your body weight, in ounces, each day. Add more if you’re active, thirsty, or used to drinking water.
TIP #2: USE A GENTLE CLEANSER
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean your face, right?
The thing is, you may want to switch products during the cold season. Some facial cleansers contain drying ingredients, like alcohol. When your skin is already dry, the last thing you need to do is suck out more moisture. Another ingredient to avoid, any time of year, is fragrance. This term can mean a lot of things. Most of the time it’s a code name for chemicals that can make your skin even more dry and damaged. Ick.
The goal with your cleanser is to use something hydrating, soft, and gentle. You’ll want it to remove makeup and dirt, without depriving your skin of it’s moisture. If you need a recommendation, this and this are excellent choices. Getting married is a great excuse to try out and upgrade your skincare products.
TIP #3: REMOVE MAKEUP EVERY EVENING
During the winter, we often enjoy parties, events, and other reasons to wear makeup. Plus, if you’re engaged, you’re likely to have lots of pre-wedding events to celebrate during this time as well.
While makeup itself isn’t usually harmful to your skin, it’s important to take it off each evening. Over time, it can settle into your skin and make fine lines deeper. Makeup can also darken the appearance of wrinkles if it’s not appropriately removed.
No one wants fine lines and dark wrinkles popping up around their wedding, right? To combat this, use a gentle makeup remover each evening to avoid any extra damage to your skin.
TIP #4: MAKE EXFOLIATING A WINTER WEDDING SKINCARE PRIORITY
One of the biggest issues with winter is your skin can get very dry and itchy. A great way to combat this is to exfoliate.
Even though wedding photos tend to show your face, and maybe your arms, it’s essential to exfoliate not just on these places, but also your legs, hands, and feet. It helps if you use a natural scrub made from oil and sugar. You can make your own, or this is a product that I really like. You can also exfoliate with a gentle peel. This one is fantastic at removing dead skin on your face and hands.
The best time to exfoliate is after you take a shower, when your skin is clean and dewy. And, always follow up with a creamy lotion or moisturizer.
TIP #5: AVOID SUPER HOT SHOWERS
When it’s cold outside, hot showers may sound super appealing. However, they can be really hard on your skin. Switching from hot water to cold rooms can accelerate dry skin and dehydration. This is because your body produces oils to help it be glowing and soft, and hot water strips these oils.
So, if you love hot showers in the winter, there are some proactive measures you can take. First, watch for signs of skin irritation. And, be sure to hydrate even more than you think you need. From there, treat any problem areas accordingly.
TIP #6: DON’T FORGET SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen is so easy to forget in the winter, right? It’s overcast, the sun isn’t out for as long each day, and we don’t spend as much time outside.
However, if the sun is present, you can receive sun damage. In fact, snow and ice can even reflect the sun towards your skin from multiple angles. And, no one wants to be dealing with a sunburn or it’s aftermath before or at their wedding.
The great news is that a simple mineral sunscreen each day, like this one that goes lightly on your face, can help prevent any major issues and keep your skin pristine.
TIP #7: WATCH OUT FOR WIND
Wind is just the worst, right?
It can irritate your skin so fast. Wind dries out your lips and cheeks, and creates crazy uneven skin tones. To help prevent wind damage, protect your skin with appropriate clothing. Hats, scarves, and gloves can all help. Just be sure that the clothes you’re using are gentle, breathable, and don’t scratch your skin. If they cause any acne or other irritation, they aren’t doing their job.
If you do find yourself with wind damage on your face, you may want to try a vitamin c serum like this one. It helps remedy uneven skin tones while protecting against environmental stressors.
TIP #8: USE A HUMIDIFIER AS PART OF YOUR WINTER WEDDING SKINCARE
Have you ever used a humidifier before? They are so lovely.
We all want dewy, soft skin on our wedding day. And, of course, this is harder to get during the winter. As mentioned before, temperature swings can be so hard on your skin, and drying to the air. A humidifier will help keep everything moist around you. You can even buy a small one, and use it nearby while you’re working, hanging out, or sleeping.
TIP #9: STICK WITH A ROUTINE, BUT MODIFY
If you already have a skincare routine, you’re doing awesome. However, you may want to look at changing it up in the winter from what you use the rest of the year.
In the hot months, the thought of using a heavy cleanser or cream can be super unappealing. However, it may be very appealing to use them in the winter. Also, instead of a drying cleanser, creamy or foaming cleansers might be better for your skin. So, in the winter consider switching out more light and drying products for creamy cleansers, non-drying toners, gentle serums, and thicker lotions.
Also, don’t forget to look at what you use on your lips. A lip conditioner or balm will be fantastic for your lips and help prevent issues later on during the day or night. Plus, great lips will do better holding wedding makeup when the big day comes.
TIP #10: DON’T FORGET YOUR HANDS AS PART OF YOUR WINTER WEDDING SKINCARE ROUTINE
The last tip when it comes to winter wedding skincare is to look after your hands.
Hands are easy to forget, but they can be photographed a lot during a wedding. They may be seen in photos that are closeups of your rings, or during dances or cake cutting. So, it’s important that they look and feel amazing, too.
The way to take care of your hands is to first prevent issues. Apply a rich cream or lotion to them each day. Also, keep lotion handy for when you wash your hands, as soap can be incredibly drying. To really treat them, exfoliate them once a week and let them hang out in mittens or gloves with a rich cream or balm.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
No matter the time of year, it’s important to take care of your skin. However, if you’re in a winter wedding, you may have to be more intentional or adjust your regular routine. Prevent dry skin and uneven tones with the right products, and focus on your face, lips, and hands. This will allow you to look vibrant, hydrated, and healthy in your photos. Also, beware of hot showers and dry air in general. Hope this helps!
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