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5 Simple Steps To Keep Your Skin Healthy All Winter Long

Allow your skin to drink up this information.
By 

Executive Fashion And Beauty Editor, The Huffington Post

Between your family and friends, you've probably had a lot of people giving you tips on how to take care of your skin during winter. Whether you decide to heed their particular advice or not, you must adjust your regimen during the cold-weather months.

"Whatever you were using in the summertime is probably not the right thing for you to use in the wintertime," says Ellen Marmur, a consulting dermatologist for Dove. "After the age of 15, our lipids (the layers of skin that holds moisture) are a bit lower as we get older no matter what skin type you have."

Downing bottles of water can only do so much, according to Marmur. "It's all about balance," she says. "Thinking about how your environment is making your skin feel, adjusting your routine and replenishing that protective barrier of moisture is the way to go."

Below are five steps this expert believes you can take right now to stave off winter skin dryness.

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Step 1: Use non-foaming cleansers
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According to Marmur, it's best to stay away from soapy, foaming cleansers in the winter as these can be super drying to the skin. Instead, she recommends creamy cleansers like Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash and, for the face, a gentle, milky cleanser by Previse (such as Purify Cleanser Level 6). She adds, "Oil cleansers really work well for people with oily skin because oil likes oil and it will slip [dirt] off. Also, if you use mineral or heavier makeup, the oil cleansers will help to remove it without using detergent or squeaky clean stuff."
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Step 2: Reduce the use of facial gadgets
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"Some people over-scrub with their Clarisonic brushes," Marmur says. "So you might want to go down to once every two weeks for the winter." Not to mention, using facial cleansing brushes too much can lead to breakouts.
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Step 3: Change your moisturizer
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Windy weather can really do some damage to your skin. To protect your face, Marmur suggests coating it with a creamier moisturizer or sunblock. Here are nine of the best winter moisturizers.
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Step 4: Keep serums within reach
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"Layering and layering very gentle serums is a good thing," says Marmur. "And [have] one next to your computer at work because sometimes the dry heat can be hard on your skin." The dermatologist advises keeping a serum on hand to replenish hydration or get a facial mist spray. Look for mists with hyaluronic acid so that you're putting a humectant back on your skin.
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Step 5: Invest in a humidifier
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"The thing about humectants like hyaluronic acid is that they want to suck moisture to the ingredient," Marmur explains. "So, if you're in an environment where it's very dry, you're actually going to dry your skin out even more." To combat this, she suggests placing a humidifier in the room. This will help to boost the benefits of the moisturizers and serums you've applied.

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