Image: Grace Cary for Getty

We don’t need to explain the nuisance of itchy, peeling skin. It doesn’t feel or look great and we’ve all had bouts of it to varying degrees. It’s always easier to prevent than to treat, but no matter the current state of your skin, there are easy steps that can be taken to deal with the situation at hand.

We turned to Restore esthetician expert, Viky Villarreal, to get her expert insight to come up a game plan to tackle skin woes head on.

Prioritize skin hydration

“Make sure you moisturize your skin after thoroughly cleansing it. To maximize hydration, apply a hydrating serum that contains hyaluronic acid before your moisturizer.”

Wear SPF

“Incorporate SPF into your daily routine.

Even on overcast days, harmful UV rays can still damage your skin’s moisture barrier, so SPF should still be part of your daily regimen regardless of the weather outside.”

Use gentle chemical exfoliants

“Glycolic or lactic acid help gently exfoliate your skin. Treatments like hydrafacials can prep your skin for winter using gentle exfoliation with glycolic acid and then infusing the skin with a hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich serum.”

Dial down the temperature

“Hot showers and baths can feel amazing on a cold day, but hot water can strip your skin of its natural oils, so it’s best to keep the temperature lukewarm.”

Consider a humidifier

“If the air indoors seems a bit on the drier side, you can use a humidifier to bring moisture into the air. It’s also a good reminder to keep the heat at a moderate temperature to avoid drying out the air indoors.”

Image: FreshSplash for Getty

Stay hydrated

“Hydration is just as important on the inside as it is on the outside. If you keep your body hydrated, then it will help keep your skin hydrated.

You can also incorporate a beauty drip when receiving a hydrafacial to optimize the results.”

Incorporate facial treatments

“During the winter months, you should look for facial treatments focused on hydration and gentle exfoliation. The key is gentle exfoliation to get rid of any dead skin to reveal a more radiant complexion, but also so that your skincare products aren’t having to work through that layer of dead, dull skin. At Restore, our hydrafacial covers both those needs with gentle exfoliation, a peel/prep step, and hyaluronic serum to hydrate the skin.”

The post Don’t Let Your Skin Go Haywire This Dry February appeared first on theFashionSpot.