As 'winter is coming', find out why you should change your skin, hair products

With winters approaching, your skin and hair start to feel the difference. The change of season is always a complicated time for both your skin and hair, no matter which month you are on. Though these changes happen with every season they leave some lesion to your hair and skin if neglected. As always, we put up with the changes and know that as we adjust to the seasons, this too shall pass.

Although there's nothing one can do about seasonal changes, it doesn't mean your skin and hair has to suffer the consequences. Just as you'd change your clothing with every changing season, you should also look at changing your skin and hair care products as well. The same seasonal fluctuations should be adapted for your skin and hair care routine as well.

Rohit Murgai, Vice President, Beauty category at VLCC shares some minor tweaks you can make to bring back life to your skin and hair to flourish the changing seasons.

SKINCARE

Due to the chills in temperature and lower humidity, there is a lack of moisture in the air which can cause cracking, chapping and irritation to your skin. With these seasonal changes, winter season calls for an upgrade in your skincare routine, which includes using lightweight formulas that will hydrate your skin at all times. It's best to follow a 3 product routine to hydrate your skin to the fullest during winters.

Cleansing your skin with soap-free gentle cleansers which can leave skin feeling fresh, soft and smooth which is perfect during the colder months.

Introducing serum between cleansing and moisturizing to your routine can be a game-changer as it offers moisture which makes your skin supple.

If your skin gets dry in the colder seasons, lock in that hydration with a rich moisturizer. This step will help distribute and lock water in all facial zones for long-lasting hydration and comfort.

As we transit from colder to warmer climates, the humidity increases in the air. The elevated temperature leaves your skin oily and greasy. While hydrating, your skin remains a constant factor, as the cold weather transitions to the steamier seasons. In summers, your skin is exposed to sun, chlorine and saltwater, to help your skin recover from this damage it is fundamental to exfoliate your skin and get rid of the dead cells and transition into healthier-looking skin. Along with exfoliation, one must continue with their daily routine of using the water-based cleanser, gel-based moisturiser and hydrating serum at all times.

Monsoon peaks the humidity levels causing your skin more damage than you can imagine. While the basic rule of 'cleanse and moisturise' remains the same but it's important to adapt to a different skincare routine during monsoons. Due to the increased heat levels during monsoon, your skin tends to become oily and attracts dirt leading to awful breakouts. To overcome this, it's important to add the below rituals to your routine.

Gentle exfoliation of the skin will make sure that you unclog your pores and get rid of the blackheads eventually leading to bright, supple and glowing skin.

Replacing your cream-based moisturiser with a non-greasy moisturiser is a must-have to enhance the skin's natural moisture.

Another must-have is a good toner which will keep your skin in check, remove dust particles and prevent breakouts.

Last but not the least, using hydrating face masks. It not only cools your skin instantly but also restores all the nutrients and hydration that our skin loses during this season.

HAIR CARE

During winters the dryness in the air can lead to dry and damaged hair. The simplest thing to do is use a super-moisturizing shampoo and conditioner along with a weekly deep-conditioning hair mask. When using hair products, it is vital to take into account where you live and what time of the year it is. Apart from that, lack of moisture can particularly weaken hair because it makes the strands brittle. Thus, wintertime products must include strand-strengthening ingredients like silk proteins, and a cocktail of collagen, hyaluronic acid and lilac.

Summer damp air upsurges the moisture on the scalp which eventually creates a breeding ground for bacteria. To overcome this issue choose products with ingredients that smoothens the hair's outer layer, which is the cuticle. Hence it`s imperative to use a shampoo formulated to the deep-clean scalp skin. One such ingredient to add to shampoos during summers is 'Pomegranate Peel', it effectively deep-cleans without over-drying the scalp. In some cases, if the strands are very porous; due to the chemical processing or recurrent styling, the pores eventually expand leading to loss of moisture. Some of the most efficient strand-strengtheners are collagen, lilac and hyaluronic acid; they help in repairing damaged hair.

Monsoon causes hair damage more than the rest of the seasons combined. The humidity amplifies the odds of getting dandruff and hair fall which means that our hair and scalp is fragile during our beloved monsoon season. To give our hair the best care, one of the tried and tested ingredients that can be used on hair during monsoons is nothing but coconut oil. Preconditioning your hair with coconut oil 15 minutes before you shower will make your hair less greasy and reduce the water your hair would ideally soak up during washing.