Why Collagen Is Essential for Your Winter Skincare Regimen

By Natasha Burton

It's no secret that the winter months can wreak havoc on your skin. Cooler temperatures often create chapped lips—and cheeks—giving your face a tight, dried-out look. (Hopefully it's not just me?) Luckily, restoring your skin's moisture is as easy as making sure that collagen beauty products take center stage in your medicine cabinet during the chilly season.

Scientifically demonstrated to reduce wrinkles and give skin a plumper look, topical collagen can become an important part of your winter skincare regimen. It can even promote healthier and younger-looking skin all year round! Here's your three-step plan to hydrated, gorgeous winter skin.

Add Topical Collagen Into Your Skincare Regimen

With so many products out there proclaiming to be the best for promoting younger-looking skin, collagen has the science to back up the claims. Collagen makes your skin look healthier because it helps increase the production of hyaluronic acid, which promotes hydration—essentially allowing your skin to retain more water.

Although many people (*raises hand*) typically think of collagen beauty only in the form of injectable collagen, you don't have to face the needle to get younger-looking skin. In fact, you can now use topical collagen at home in the form of creams or masks designed to promote elasticity and hydration at basically any price point. (This guide can help you choose the right product for you.)

To keep your skin hydrated through winter, start using a collagen-infused cream daily. Also consider getting a collagen facial at your favorite spa or investing in a mask you can use once a week to help your skin retain moisture. Doing this will keep that itchy, dry feeling often associated with the winter months at bay, giving you a much-needed infusion of daily hydration.

Don't Skip Your Nighttime Routine

While it's important to keep your skin hydrated during the daytime (and keep wearing your sunscreen year-round!), experts say the nighttime hours are even more crucial for your beauty routine. As a matter of fact, your skin is actually more likely to absorb products when you're sleeping than during the day, making your various creams and ointments more effective when applied at night.

So, no matter how badly you'd rather just crawl into bed after a long day, always take those five extra minutes to remove your makeup. Then slather on a cream that includes topical collagen as its active ingredient to reap the hydrating and wrinkle-fighting perks while you get some shut eye.

Nourish Your Skin From the Inside Out

Collagen skincare isn't just about what you put on your skin; it's also what you put into your body. Eating a balanced diet with healthy fats and proteins—while avoiding processed foods—will nourish your skin (and everything else) from the inside out. Of course, drinking enough water throughout the day will also do its part to keep you hydrated.

You can also reap even more collagen beauty benefits by ingesting collagen. Not only can collagen supplements aid in softening wrinkles, but they can help your hair grow thicker, ease joint pain and boost your energy as well. Adding these supplements to your daily smoothie or matcha is an easy way to boost your winter skincare regimen and your wellness in general.

To look and feel your best, cozy up with collagen this winter. You'll revitalize your skin and stay glowing throughout the holiday season—and beyond!

Natasha Burton is a lifestyle writer whose work has appeared on Livestrong.com, Cosmopolitan.com, MSN and other leading publications. She's the author of six books on various relationships topics, including dating, weddings and friendship.