Winter may not be officially here but the weather is sure making it seem like it’s been here forever and taking a toll on our skin. Colder weather tends to dry out your skin making it itchy, flaky, and especially thirsty so changing up your skincare routine is a must. Now is the time you should swap out that lightweight summer moisturizer for something a little heavier and make few other changes to your skincare and lifestyle routine.

To prep your skin properly for the colder months to come, use these tips to maintain healthy skin.

Be wise, moisturize. That maracuja oil you were using during the summer needs to go asap. Use something a little heavier like argan oil or consider adding a serum to your current routine. Cold weather dehydrates the skin so it’s all about putting extra moisture back in to the skin. Another great thing you can do is always carry a face mist with you for when your skin is feeling a little tight.

Don’t take super-hot, long showers. We know, it feels amazing standing under the steaming hot shower head after being outside in freezing weather but you’re not helping your poor skin at all. Taking hot showers, especially long ones, dehydrate your skin even more so stick to warm showers instead and bundle up in your favorite pj’s after showering.

SPF is still essential. You may be inclined to think sunscreen isn’t necessary because you can’t feel the warmth of the sun but it’s definitely there and definitely still causing wrinkles. The winter sun is just as bad as the summer sun due to the sun rays bouncing off snow and water on the ground so not wearing any sunscreen is not an option. Use it all year round to protect your skin no matter what the weather looks like outside.

Use a humidifier. During the winter we’re all trying to keep our home warm by cranking up the heat. Although it feels great to you, your skin is suffocating as the heater is killing all moisture around you. This can be fixed easily with humidifier that will add moisture back into the air around you so that your skin isn’t dehydrated.

Want to see more tips on how to keep your skin moisturized and healthy this winter? Check out the videos!