How to heal from the season’s dryness |

Daria Orth, Staff Writer | 

Cracked lips, split ends, and incurable skin dryness are just a few of the same fates we face when living in the frosty and dry climate of Calgary. The dry climate can have negative impacts on your skin if not cared for properly. During the winter months, it’s essential to take extra care of your skin barrier and hair follicles. The key is deep hydration.

The first step is understanding your skin and hair type in order to focus on your main concerns accordingly. While there are certain brands that specialize in specific skin or hair types, there are a few staple ingredients that generally work for most people.

Skincare

Hyaluronic acid is a common skincare ingredient that provides intensive hydration. It’s a key ingredient in all kinds of products ranging anywhere from serums to face creams.

Retinol is a skincare ingredient that, according to the Toronto Dermatology Centre, is best used for people in their 20s and onwards. Retinol is used all year-round, but it can be a lifesaver when your skin feels especially dried out.

Vaseline is always an affordable way to help with eczema and other dry skin irritations. This brand offers a variety of creams and jellies that are best used on problematic areas of skin, but it’s additionally recommended to wear a minimum of SPF 30. Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean there isn’t any sun, so it’s crucial to protect your skin from harmful sun rays as much as possible.

Finding a good skincare routine can be quite overwhelming because there are so many brands and formulas to choose from—you may not even know where to begin. By doing a quick online search on Amazon, Sephora, or Shoppers Drug Mart, you can quickly find some top-recommended products best for treating dry skin. CeraVe, Garnier, Cetaphil, e.l.f., and RoC all have great and affordable options and are available at most drug stores with all kinds of formulas and products to try out. If you have a higher budget, TULA, Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe, and Dermalogica have some game-changing products to bring dry and cracking skin back to life.

These are only a few of the never-ending options, so research scents, ingredients, textures, and prices that work best for you. Don’t forget to hydrate from the inside out, and drink plenty of water. An article by mindbodygreen has a list of nutritious foods to incorporate into your diet that will help keep your skin moisturized and glowing. And really, who doesn’t want that in the desiccated time of year?

Hair care

Brittle and frizzy hair is hard to avoid with the climate’s unforgiving harshness. Deep conditioning, hair masks, hair oils, and leave-in conditioners are going to make your hair more manageable to work with in times like these. Brave in Bloom’s website mentions that silk bonnets can help avoid the breakage that hair follicles are so prone to during the dry seasons. Alternatively, silk pillowcases can be helpful for this as well if you’re someone who can’t sleep with something on your head.

Luxury hair care brands are sometimes worth the investment if it means keeping your hair healthy and shiny. Although brands like Kérastase, Pureology, Gisou, and Kevin Murphy are highly recommended by hair stylists, they are not always realistic options for everyone. Garnier, OGX, Pantene, and Dove are some of the top suggestions online.

Once you understand which products and brands work best for your hair type, you can start playing around with before and after shower routines to keep the hair from feeling dull. Consistency with care will likely lead to good results.

Winter depression is already bad enough without skin and hair issues to bring you down. Self-care is important, find the time in your morning and night routine to give yourself the proper treatment you deserve. There might be more maintenance with winter beauty and health, but it’s worth it when you feel a little bit more nourished.

Daria Orth is a Staff Writer for The Reflector 2024-2025.