Seasonal Skin Care

It’s been an unusually mild winter, but skin care needs still change with the climate, even when the change is slight. Simply turning on the heat in one’s home can even change what your skin care needs are from the rest of the seasons. 

Lower temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds deplete skin of its natural lipid layer, which keeps the skin from drying out. The dry air from furnaces and other heating sources also suck the moisture out of skin. This time of year, skin needs special attention and there are a few simple things you can do to make sure your skin stays hydrated and looking its best through the winter.

Cleanse:  Make sure your cleanser is non-drying. Creams and oils are gentler than alcohol based wipes and harsh cleansers for removing makeup. As a side note, most people needlessly fear that cleansing oils will cause breakouts. Not so, cleansing oil removes facial debris and oil quite gently and effectively, and does not make the skin oily.                                                    

Exfoliate: Start exfoliating at least twice a week to remove any dead skin or flaky, dry areas. This is a good practice any time of year, but especially during the months where the temperatures are colder, as this creates a better base for moisture absorption.

Moisturize: Use a more intensive moisturizer to protect the skin during the cold weather months. If you are particularly dry, find an oil based moisturizer that you can apply after bathing and will last the day. Vitamin K is a key ingredient that will counteract redness if that’s a concern. 

Don’t’ forget your lips: Lips don’t produce their own oil, so they tend to dry and crack. Look for lip balms containing beeswax or shea butter, and avoid lip balms that contain mineral oil or glycerine. Although these feel moisturizing, they actually leave lips drier.

Avoid hot baths and showers:  Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath
feels great after being out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower
or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to
a loss of moisture. You’re better off with just warm water and staying in the
water a shorter amount of time, with showers lasting no more than 10 minutes. This is a tough rule, one I can’t really conform to, but I try to keep it as short as possible.  This also means skipping hot tubs. The hot, hot temperature, combined with drying chemicals, is torture on dry skin.

Moisturize the air; An easy way to treat and soothe dry skin that
occurs because of the dryness of cold, winter air is with the use of a
humidifier. With the heat on and the windows closed, the air inside can become very dry in the winter, making the skin even more dehydrated. Use a humidifier to place moisture in the air.

We’re getting closer to the end of winter, and if you’re skin has made it this far
unscathed, hopefully these tips will take you right into spring, when our skin
gets a brand new treatment!