How To Maintain Smooth & Healthy Skin All Winter

I've always found going through a skincare routine to be rather enjoyable. Except in the winter, that is. Because while taking the time to care for your skin can be pampering and relaxing in the warmer months, the same steps are more of a chore in the colder months. Cleansing, moisturizing, and occasionally exfoliating go from being nice things to do for your skin to highly-specific and necessary measures to take if you want your skin to survive the winter. But even though it can be annoying to have to pay that much more attention to your skin, doing so will help you move into spring feeling smooth and healthy rather than dry and irritated.

So to find out some tips for making sure the winter weather doesn't get the best of your skin, I emailed with NYC-based esthetician, Jordana Mattioli. She revealed that especially if you're frequently outside this time of year, you'll want to rev up your skincare and bodycare as soon as you get back indoors. And she has just the tips to try. So your skin can stay as healthy in the winter as it is in the summer, here are five things you should do while the weather outside is frightful:

1. Steam Up Your Bathroom

As tempting as it can be to take a long, hot shower after coming inside from the cold, those super-hot temps are no good for your skin. So to warm up without overdoing it, Mattioli provides two suggestions. The first is to let your body temperature regulate inside for a few minutes before starting your shower so you won't have to crank up the heat. If you still want to feel some warmth on your skin though, she also suggests steaming up your bathroom for a minute or two and then adjusting the temperature down before getting in. Either way you go, you'll save your skin from drying out.

2. Run A Humidifier

Try: Pure Enrichment Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, $50, Amazon

Running a humidifier while you sleep is a game-changer, says Mattioli. She explains that not only will it help you get sick less often and make your throat and nose less dry, but it will also help keep you hydrated while you sleep so you wake up with plump and smooth skin.

3. Moisturize First

Try: Skinfix Daily Lotion, $15, Ulta

In addition to avoiding super-hot showers, it's also important to moisturize as soon as you hop out if you want to prevent dry or cracked skin, explains Mattioli. She recommends using a generous amount of your favorite lotion or body cream while your skin is still damp from a bath or shower to help really lock in moisture.

4. Treat While You Sleep

Try: L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream, $28, L'Occitane

Chapped and cracked feet are basically the worst. But instead of spending a ton of conscious time trying to heal them, try this overnight hack that Mattioli suggests instead: Simply slather on a layer of balm or foot cream before putting on a pair of cotton socks and going to bed. You'll wake up with what will feel like brand-new feet.

5. Switch Your Exfoliator

Try: Restorsea Rejuvenating Day Cream, $150, Restorsea

Although exfoliating is still necessary in the winter, traditional scrubs and acids may be too harsh this time of year. For a gentler option, Mattioli recommends using a leave-on product that exfoliates with enzymes so your skin will be smooth and glowing instead of raw and red.

Because even though taking care of your skin can be a chore, these tips will keep you hydrated and healthy all winter. And come spring-time, your skin will thank you for it.

Images: Getty Images (2); Courtesy of Brands