5 myths about winter skincare you need to stop believing. Immediately.

Ahh winter. She's approximately zero fun for your poor ol' skin. Sucks it dry. Leaves it lookin' like a scaly mess. And it happens so quick?! Goodness, it sucks. Suddenly you're left scrambling around for thick moisturisers, overnight masks, oils and... have you got a balm? DOES ANYONE HAVE A BALM??

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To give your face the best possible chance at not looking like one ginormous flake, we've pulled together some tricky little myths about winter skin and given them a big ol' debunk.

Here's everything you need to stop believing - STAT.

Myth #1: You don't need to wear sunscreen when it's overcast.

Of all the winter skincare myths, this one hurts our soul the most. You absolutely still need to wear sunscreen when winter hits. Because no matter how overcast or cold it is outside, UV RAYS WILL STILL GET YA.

No, seriously! They will. While it might not feel like it - it's true. Wearing SPF year round is the best way to prevent premature ageing and y'know, cancer. 

So, DO keep slathering the stuff on every morning. Even when it's cloudy outside.

Myth #2: A thicker moisturiser will give you more hydration.

Hands up who else believed this until like two seconds ago? Turns out that a thicker or richer moisture isn't necessarily more hydrating than a standard moisturiser. 

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Experts say that overloading your skin with heavy and occlusive textures on the reg can actually have an opposite effect on your skin, slowing down your skin's natural renewal process and trapping dead skin cells. This can cause your skin feel dry and dull - pretty much making everything... worse.

How awkward!

So, yeah - while fluffy marketing might tell you otherwise, the richer, more concentrated formulas aren't always the best option. 

We'd recommend reaching for hydration-boosting serums (look for things like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide) - these are lighter and fast-absorbing.

Myth #3: If you have oily skin, you don't really need a moisturiser.

HA! Good one, you guys. While there's a lot of misinformation floating around, the fact is that everyone can benefit from using a moisturiser - even those cute kids with oily skin.

While the most obvious skin type to moisturise is dry skin, oily skin can still get dehydrated. So, moisturising and giving your skin a boost of hydration will only do good things for your skin - like helping maintain the health of your skin barrier.

If you don't moisturise, your skin can end up really freaking out and spiralling into something called a 'dry skin cycle'. This is where dead skin cells rapidly build up on the surface, meaning any products you're using will pretty much just sit on top of your skin and... not do anything.

Again, thicker doesn't necessarily mean better - if you face is always all slippery-Sue, just opt for a gel or lotion to keep things in check.

Myth #4: You should exfoliate your skin more often.

Hold up, hold up. While we're all for maintaining a flake-free base, scrubbing your face with a physical scrub every day in order to make your face bright and smooth is a terrible idea.

If your skin is looking dull and dry, most experts will recommend protecting that precious skin barrier with nourishing moisturising ingredients, such as B3 and B5 - especially if you have pretty sensitive skin.

For those who don't have sensitive skin, chemical exfoliants (like AHAs, PHAs) are a way better option to smooth and decongest the skin - just obviously use them with care, yeah?

Myth #5: Steamy showers will help keep your skin moisturised.

Even though jumping into a hot shower on a freezing cold day feels bloody DELICIOUS, hot and steamy showers are actually no good for your poor skin. Like, really no good.

Not only are hot showers extremely drying for the skin, but it can also damage the surface of the skin and develop into a more serious skin condition. It can also flare-up existing skin conditions like eczema. Yikes!

We know it's not ideal, but if you want to avoid dry and itchy skin, we would recommend keeping your shower or bath temp lukewarm. 

Or, if you absolutely *have* to have a scalding water situation - keep it under five minutes and moisturise the hell outta your skin right after. Also, pat yourself dry - don't rub.

Do you have any winter skin myths you'd like to share? Go on, don't be shy! Pop 'em in the comment section below.

Feature image: Getty