Winter Acne: Everything You Need To Know

Most of us think that acne is a summer disease. Acne is a concern due to sweating, swimming, sun exposure, and dust that we are exposed to in the summer. However, contrary to popular belief, winter acne can be notoriously tricky to treat.

This is because our skin is dry in winter, and the environment has low humidity. In winter, the skin tends to produce more oil from sebaceous glands to combat this dryness. This excess production of sebum is a known cause of acne formation. Also, when treated with anti-acne preparations, dry skin is prone to irritation. Understanding how to prevent and treat your skin when you experience winter acne is important. In this blog, our experts who provide the best acne treatment in South Delhi and Faridabad have shared important information about winter acne. So, let’s start learning about winter acne. 

Why is Acne More Severe in Winter?

1. Skin behaves dry in winter.
2. The environment has low humidity, which means a drop in air moisture.
3. Sebaceous glands tend to produce more oil to combat the dryness of the skin.
4. The use of hot water for bathing further strips skin moisture content.
5. The use of room heaters further makes the surrounding air dry.

Which Body Areas are Most Affected by Winter Acne?

• The cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose are most commonly affected on the face.
• The body – shoulders, back, and upper chest are most commonly affected by winter acne.

How to Prevent Winter Acne?

1. Avoid Hot Showers

It is so tempting to take hot baths in winter. This habit of hot water use for bathing further dries up the skin and is not recommended. Stick to lukewarm water use for baths in winter. This will help maintain the skin’s natural moisture.

2. Avoid Aggressive Face Exfoliation

This season needs the right balance between exfoliating and not going overboard with it. Though you need to exfoliate, avoid it being aggressive. 

In winter, physical exfoliation should be avoided, and the frequency of chemical exfoliation should be decreased. This helps keep skin healthy and prevents the clogging of pores while maintaining the skin’s moisture and barrier. Remember, always moisturize your face after exfoliation.

3. Moisture your Skin Properly

After bathing and washing your face, it is mandatory to use moisturizer. This helps replenish the lost skin moisture and regain the skin barrier. Also, when moisturized, the skin can better tolerate the anti-acne skin care products. 

Thick cream-based moisturizers should be avoided, and gel-based non-comedogenic moisturizers should be preferred for acne-prone skin. 

4. Keep a Watch on your Diet

In winter, people tend to enjoy sweet delicacies. These high glycemic index foods are scientifically known to cause and increase acne. Monitor intake of such instant energy foods and beverages to maintain acne-free skin.

5. Do Not Touch the Acne or Prick Them 

This single habit of not touching the acne lesions or face unnecessarily helps the skin heal. Pressing or picking acne can make them worse. Also chances of marks and pigmentation increase. 

6. Avoid the Use of Makeup

Thick cream-based makeups like foundation and BB/CC creams should be avoided. Use makeup sparingly. For coverage, switching to tinted sunscreens in place of foundations is good. The non-comedogenic tinted sunscreen serves the dual purpose of sun protection and minimizes the use of foundation.

How to Treat Winter Acne?

1. Stick to Mild Cleansers

Do not be aggressive with your skin. Use mild, non-fragrance cleansers to wash your face twice daily.

2. Always do Spot Treatment for Acne

Rather than using your anti-acne creams on the entire face, do spot acne treatment. As many anti-acne medicines work by drying the oil from the sebaceous gland, Skin irritation is expected with the use of anti-acne preparations. So use less quantity of antiacne creams that are only on the spots. Also, short contact therapy, which means removing the creams within 30 minutes of application, helps prevent dryness and irritation of the skin.

If what you have been using in summer is not helping you with acne in winter, it may be time for a professional consultation. Always meet a qualified dermatologist to understand what changes you need in acne treatment to work on this notorious winter acne. You can simply walk up to our advanced skin clinic, Skination Clinic, to get a consultation with our best skin doctor in Chhattarpur. 

This best skin clinic in Chhattarpur, South Delhi, was founded by two dynamic dermatologists, Dr. Rajat Gupta and Swati Agarwal. Our proficient skin doctors will help you achieve more apparent and radiant skin.