Beauty By Tellie

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Windburn Skincare Routine for Dry and Dehydrated Skin

Beauty By Tellie

Hey everyone! I get a lot of questions about my skincare routine, so today I decided to share my windburn strategy. I can’t speak definitively because YMMV (your mileage may vary) in skincare, and there are so many factors to consider when looking at skincare that works. Ultimately, what works for me may not work for you, but the more you study your own skin, the more you can take a guess and eliminate factors that don’t help it or factors that can harm it. If your skincare knowledge is more focused, you’ll be able to more precisely get the skin condition you aim for!

In the video (text below,) I talk about my windburn skincare routine for dry and dehydrated skin. THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ME. And it absolutely shows on my skin! It took me a few weeks to recover, but here’s what’s up:

How Does Windburn Happen

‘Windburn’ technically doesn’t exist, as it’s just misattributed sunburn. We think that when it’s too cold, we can ‘burn’ from freezing, but actually, it’s just a mix of factors that makes for bad sunburn. Cool and drying winter winds exacerbate the effects of sunburn, and we don’t seem to realize when we start to burn because we feel the opposite of hot.

This is the worst for me, a person with dry (lacking in water) and dehydrated (lacking in oil) skin because all this fucking DRYNESS just makes my burn exponentially worse. My skin is at its most whack and dry and flaky state, here's what I do to fix that:

  • First Cleanse: Creamy Cleansers (Nuxe Comforting Cleansing Milk with Rose Petals, Rustans’)

I like using creamy cleansers when my skin is irritated. They are milder and feel more nourishing, as if some of the cream remains under my skin, keeping it hydrated. I love how it give some glow/keeps me from looking dull because that means it’s done some good for my skin. They are limited to light makeup days though.

No matter my skin condition, this step never changes. I use a low pH cleanser as a second cleanse and it has changed my life! Skin just feels more balanced and less susceptible to changes and irritation.

Sun damage continues affecting your skin even after the initial exposure. During this time, I try to avoid photosensitizing ingredients like AHA, BHA, PHA, and retinoids. I rely on gommage exfoliators to remove the excess flaking skin, and I use about two pumps (twice more than normal) when I have extra skin to massage off.

If you’re intimidated by studying skincare ingredients, a pretty good rule of thumb in looking for hydrating toners (other than they make you feel hydrated rather than stripped) is to check the texture. Thicker textures , where the toner is not too runny, is usually a good indicator that it’s a hydrating toner!

I don’t care too much about trying different moisturizers, but when my skin is drier than usual I tend to look for hydration-keepnig properties. Hyaluronic acid is great as it absorbs up to 1000x its own weight in water.

When my skin is damaged, the most important part of my healing routine is treatment. Targeted ingredients that heal your skin are super important in speeding up your recovery time and the risk for further damage. For irritations such as windburn, I like ceramide and cica (centella asiatica.) Ceramide is a healing ingredient that fortifies the skin barrier, but what I have now is the Innisfree Bija Cica Balm.

Most products with centella asiatica will indicate “cica cream” right on the label. It is recommended for various skin irritations and conditions, even on babies! It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, pro-healing and has scar inhibiting potential. I like to use my first to fourth fingers and sort of press it on the affected areas, blending out to the rest of my face.

Take care of ALL the facial skin because when 100% of the surface area is supported, healing of the affected areas is faster. 

That’s my windburn skincare routine. It keeps me looking dewy despite the extreme powderification from peeling skin. I do have to keep spritzing hydrating toner during the day, but overall this helps me recover faster.

Honestly, I feel like you can swap out the rest, but the cica cream is life!!!! It’s pretty expensive, but not really suprising for something “medicated.” I also don’t need it in my daily routine anyway, so I’ll just finish this tube for now and buy another one whenever (if) I get burnt again!