I moved to a really cold and dry climate which has made my cheeks light up like a christmas tree. I’ve always lived in humid cities so this isn’t something I’ve had to think about.
Anyone have suggestions on reasonably priced moisturizers that could help out? I checked out Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, but at $60+, I’d like to check if any comparable alternatives exist at a lower cost.
The redness in your cheeks when cold is due to increased blood flow trying to keep your skin warm, I take it that they return to normal when you warm up? I don’t think a specific moisturizer can really help with this.
You could try a balaclava if your red cheeks are really bothering you.
I’ve used a skin routine from The Ordinary with good results. The most basic would probably be the squalene cleanser and Natural Moisterizing factors. I’ve added the niacinamide and zinc, glycolic acid toner, and most critically for redness Azelaic acid emulsion. Makes my face soooo soft and helps with redness
La Roche Posay Triple Repair (the drugstore version) is really good and not too pricey, it’s like it both sinks in and leaves a slight protective layer; and the Ciclaplast if you need immediate help with healing. If you are very sensitized and everything is bothering you you can also try just putting a very thin layer of coconut oil all over you while you are still a little damp after shower, assuming you aren’t allergic.
The sunscreen IUNIK Centella Calming Sunscreen is good too, not irritating and very effective as a sunscreen.
I hate dry air so much. Live in a humid sea level place and occasionally have to travel to dry altitude and it’s so shocking, my nose bleeds even. Hopefully you can get your skin calmed down and get ahead of it.
Bigger picture, what’s your current facial skin care routine? If it includes a lot of cleansing, exfoliating, hot water, strong soap, multiple daily washings, et cetera, dial that all wa-a-a-ay back. All of those things strip away the natural oils quite effectively, which leads to that red, inflamed look in the cold. The best way to keep your skin moisturized is to keep the moisture it naturally has from escaping, and that’s 10 times more important in cold, dry climates.
Be sure to drink enough water, too. It’s deceptive, you lose a lot of water through breath in cold, dry air, so you can be dehydrated even without sweating.
Honestly, I don’t have much of a routine. I wash my face with a loofa ball though, but that’s like every other day. Maybe the loofa is too harsh, but I don’t really scrub. It’s more like a light-to-medium pressure I apply.
I checked out the suggestions, and I got one that has hyaluronic acid, which I read is supposed to retain and attract moisture. But with a dry climate, idk how much moisture it’ll attract hah. I’ll be adding more water intake though. Thank you!
Some thoughts: In a dry place, humectants can work the opposite way, pulling moisture from your skin or hair out into the air, or from deeper layers of your skin out to the surface so you may need something more occlusive; and when my skin is feeling sensitive, mechanical exfoliating (,like your loofa) always makes it worse, but chemical exfoliation (like a toner with glycolic acid) usually no problem.
That doesn’t sound like anything like a problem. We had a similar discussion on a local winter biking group, and there were some people who had issues from washing their face three or more times a day, exfoliating regularly, and such. Yikes!
Hope the hyaluronic acid helps!
CeraVe always burns my skin and makes it all scaly and flaky by the next day, which is weird cause I don’t have a history of sensitive skin but I also have not yet ruled out that other products could be causing this sensitivity.
Had a good experience with Curél Ultra Healing lotion* however and when my skin is real sensitive, Vanicream always does the trick in moisturizing while giving my skin a chance to heal. Can vouch for the Vanicream cleanser as well.
*upon further research this is apparently a hand and body lotion lol but it’s non-greasy, non-comedogenic, with their ceramide complex and it works!! so w/e. The 1oz tube I got from dollar tree does not say where you are meant to use it and genuinely looks like a facial lotion 😆
Have you looked at CeraVe in the tub?
Yea, I just ordered the AM and PM bottles. Seems like they’ve got the ingredients I need (hyaluronic acid, ceramides, spf, and some other stuff). Thank you!
Try the CeraVe SA cream. It’s got urea in it which is realllly good at moisturising dry skin without greasiness. I’ve got a big jar of that stuff and use it all over my body and face. A little goes a long way and it’s lasted me ages. You can pair it with their other creams for an extra moisture boost too!
Jojoba oil. I recommend getting it pure and not mixed with other ingredients.
I started using this for my face when I lived with very dry and cold winters. Liked it so much that it’s replaced moisturizers for me basically permanently despite moving away from those brutal winters. It’s amazing because it doesn’t clog pores and cause breakouts, and it absorbs into my beard and keeps things from being itchy.
Thank you for the suggestion!
Jojoba oil seems a very good suggestion, certainly cold pressed. I might try that.
I use Mixa ceramide protect. Fairly inexpensive, 400ml for 8 euro. Takes care of my dry skin, red irritation and itching beard.
I’ll give that a shot if the CeraVe doesn’t work. Thank you!
Try palmer’s coco butter lotion
Thank you for the suggestion!
Just use a cheap face lotion to help with the dryness. To reduce the look of redness you can use an inexpensive anti-redness BB cream. Cheap lotion first, then BB cream (like garnier or something)
