STYLE

Beauty

Is it OK to exfoliate in the winter?

Every winter, our skin takes hit after hit: it dries out, cracks, peels and *even* sometimes bleeds. Obviously, some people can get by on moisturizing alone, but there are others that like to go beyond to get smooth, summer-like skin and find themselves asking the question: Should I exfoliate?

By exfoliating your skin, you are scrubbing away dead skin cells that are muddying up your complexion. The pros of exfoliating during the winter are similar to what they would be during the warmer months. But with skin in such a sensitive state—especially since it's easy to scrub too hard too often—exfoliating can be risky during the winter. If done safe and correctly, though, Dr. Hilary Baldwin of the Acne Research and Treatment Center in Morristown, NJ says there's no harm in doing so.

“It’s fine as long as you’re not exfoliating too aggressively so that you end up drying out your skin further and putting your pores in danger,” says Dr. Baldwin. “But you probably need to reduce your exfoliation during the winter on the ordinary circumstance and the rest of your body, like your legs, arms and such.” 

One of the major keys, too, is to invest in exfoliating products that will actively help the skin. Avoid picking a product just because it is affordable. Instead, opt for the product that is the best for your skin, like one of the below.

Origins Never A Dull Moment Skin-Brightening Face Polisher, $29

Refining Body Exfoliator, $38.50

Zoella Beauty Pretty Polished Sugar Scrub, $12

Vanilla Bean Creamy Body Scrub, $40

Clinique Exfoliating Scrub, $20

Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, $28

Lather Foaming Body Scrub, $38

So whether you buff or not this season, be mindful of your skin! 

What do you do to treat your skin in the winter? Sound off in the comments.

by Kaila Lindsay | 1/11/2017
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