SkinCare in Winter

When you are outside, the cold temperatures result in a poor blood circulation in your facial skin. As a result your skin does not get enough nutrients and oxygen and all the healthy, regenerative processes in your skin slow down. As a result, skin looses its healthy color and becomes dull or pale

When you are inside, your skin is losing its moisture due to the dry environment created by indoor heating. As a result, it feels tight, dry and can start flaking.

When you shift between the cold outside and the warm and dry inside environments the difference is so big and stressful for your skin that your skin naturally cannot balance itself quickly enough. This results in loss of hydration, irritation, widened capillaries and redness. All of the above mentioned contributes to your skin’s misbalance, stress, sensitivity and dryness. To keep your skin beautiful and healthy during winter you should:
*help it to restore the protective hydrolipid barrier
*protect and balance your skin
*moisturize, moisturize and again moisturize
*provide protection against UV-light
The first step is to rethink your skin care routine and skin care products you normally use.
1. Go Easier on daily cleansing and alcohol containing skin care in the winter
Since extreme weather weakens skin’s balance and protective lipid barrier, you need to save your skin the additional stress of an intensive cleansing routine that will only worsen the situation. Choose a lighter non-stripping cleansing solution: cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser. 

 If you are using a tonic with alcohol on a daily basis it is better to stop for winter or substitute it with a non-alcohol toning product. Remember, alcohol strips skin of lipids, natural protective oils and contributes to skin’s dryness and increased sensitivity.

2. Peel Deal:
If you are a fan of daily peeling products, it is advisable to change your routine for winter and to do a maximum of 2-3 peelings per week. Peeling your skin surface on a daily basis does not let it restore its protective lipid barrier and balance itself. It becomes more susceptible to free radical damage and even to break-outs.
If you notice that your skin has become very dry, sensitive or even started flaking, exclude moisturizers, serums etc containing peeling ingredients such Retinol, AHAs and Glucosamine.

3. Go Heavier on Moisturizer:
Moisturizers are mostly based on 3 types of ingredients: humectants, emollients, occlusive (very often emollients have occlusive properties as well).
Humectants, such as hyaluronic acid or urea, keep our skin moisturized by attracting water to its surface (epidermis). Humectants help to attract moisture from the environment as well as from dermis to epidermis.
Emollients like petroleum or shea butter soften, soothe the skin, increase its ability to retain moisture and create a protective layer on the skin to prevent it from dehydration.
Occlusive ingredients in moisturizers provide protective layer on the skin’s surface to prevent it from loosing moisture.
Humectants-based products are usually recommended for oily and combination skin types, while emollient-based and occlusive-based ones for normal and dry types. However, in winter our skin type often shifts. Oily skin becomes normal, while normal displays signs of being dry, and dry skin becomes very sensitive and often irritated.
Look for heavier moisturizing products to use in winter with such ingredients as jelly, silicons, evening primrose oil, shea butter and almond oil. Some skin care specialists suggest using protective emollient-based skin care products for the day and humectants-based at night to help restore your skins’ moisture level.
4. Timing is Important:
Apply your moisturizer at least 30 minutes to an hour before going outside. This is especially true if your moisturizer is humectants-based or has high water content. If you do not let your moisturizer penetrate and get absorbed by the skin it can freeze into micro ice particles on your skin’s surface or dramatically cool down your skin surface when you go into the cold winter day. 

5. Hot Bubbly Escapes:
It is not recommended to have prolonged hot showers or long hot baths in winter. The fact is that the latter do not add to the moisture level of our skin but on the contrary take away the protecting lipid and fat layers and contribute to skin’s dehydration. When you shower make sure the water is not too hot and use shower milk that contains oils and emollients. If you are a fan of bubble baths as a way to escape the winter blues make sure to add moisturizing oils to the baths and apply a moisturizing body product afterwards.
6. Nobody Cancelled Sun Protection for Winter!
In winter the sun’s reflective powers on the snow can be higher than on the sand of a beach in the summer. Use sun protection to prevent UV damage and photoaging. We don’t have to remind you but your sun protection should not be lower than 15 SPF, of course.
7. Say No to Chapped Lips and Dry Hands
Usually lips and hands suffer most during the winter season. Lips get sore and chapped and hands get dry and flaky. For your lips, choose a thicker moisturizer with shea butter, jojoba butter OR avocado oil and apply it every time before going outside as well as before going to bed. Some protective and moisturizing lip care products are available as tinted glosses or balms.
Take special care of your hands since skin on the hands is thinner than on the rest of the body. In addition, hands are often exposed to stressful or stripping factors like soaps, winds, water etc. And finally, it is a known fact that hands are among the first to show signs of aging. Choose a rich emollient-based hand care product and treat your hands to a mask two times a week.
What else can you do?
8. Humidify:
Home or office environments in winter can get very dry due to heating. Your skin starts to feel tight and burning from dehydration. Increase the humidity level indoors by using a humidifier. Alternatively, several house plants can balance out humidity level in the environment.
9. Vitamins and Antioxidants:
Help your skin to regain its energy and strength in winter by taking an antioxidant supplement. Most important antioxidants for the skin are Vitamin C, B, E, Zink and Magnesium
 0. Express Winter Facial:
Give yourself a mini-facial at home once or twice a week. Cleanse your skin. Use a mild exfoliating product selected for your skin type. Take a soft fluffy towel and soak it in warm water (not hot but not cool either). Add 2-3 drops of an essential aroma oil such as lavender oil to sooth, de-stress and refresh the skin. Press the towel to your face and inhale 3-4 times slowly and deeply to let the oil do its aroma work. This will stimulate blood circulation as well. For a stronger effect you can repeat the procedure one more time. Apply a hydrating and soothing mask or regeneration mask for 10-15 minutes. Make sure the room where you are having your mini-facial is comfortably warm. The mask on your face should not cool down to a level stressful for your skin. Take off the mask and apply your daily moisturizer with massaging movements. Direct the movements from the center of your face outward and a bit upward. Finish up by slightly tapping with your fingertips all over your face. This express facial will stimulate blood circulation, give your skin energy, restore its balance and help it regain its healthy radiance.
11. Stay Active:
Do not give in to winter blues. Do your daily fitness routine! This keeps you fit and stimulates blood circulation in your whole body and of course your skin.

  

1. Drink water …
Hydrate your skin from within by drinking lots of water. Carry a bottle with you when you go outside. Herbal tea is also great when it’s really cold. Your skin will soon have a healthy glow. So drink up and don’t let your skin go thirsty.

2. Humidifier …

One good option would be to put moisture back into the air. A humidifying system can help your skin remain supple instead of cracked and dry. You can buy a system from your local drug store.

3. Exfoliate …

A good boy scrub and facial exfoliant can help remove dead skin cells from your body. Add this to your cleansing routine once a week. Not only will you feel fresh but your skin will be free from all that old dry cells. Now you’re ready to moisturize!

4. Oil based moisturizer …

This will help protect your skin from moisture loss. Choose one that comes in an ointment form as it will contain 80% oil. Creams and lotions may tend to dry out the skin rather than keep it moisturized and soft.

5. Sunscreen …

Don’t say goodbye to your sunscreen just because summer is over. Before you leave your house, apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or more. This will protect your skin from the elements. Alternatively, choose a product can combines a sunscreen with a moisturizer.

6. Gloves …

It’s simple but it works! Why expose your hands to the cold. Choose a good quality pair that does not irritate the skin. If you’re allergic to wool, wear a cotton mitten underneath. It will help keep your hands dry and warm.

7. Flaxseed oil …

Although it doesn’t taste very great flaxseed oil can moisturize your body from the inside. Since it is rich in vital fatty acids it can do a lot for your overall health. It is available in oil form as well as in capsule form.

8. Oil bath …

Now how does a jojoba oil or sweet almond bath sound to you? Relaxing isn’t it! You don’t have to keep these for holidays. Nourish you skin by adding a few drops of these oils into your every day bath. It will do wonders for your skin.

9. No blow dry …

Yes, sadly so. The blow drier is not your friend in winter. Try the tousled look or the wavy style this winter. Hot air dries out your scalp and can irritate your skin as well. So give the blow drier a miss this cold season.

10. Don’t lick …

… your lips we mean. If you do, you’ll only chap your lips even more. Keep a lip balm in your purse and apply it when you’re tempted! Or read more advice on

1 Step.  Goose or Duck Fat …

Our grandmothers used goose or duck fat to facilitate the healing of chapped lips. Those are truly wonderful remedies, so next time when you are making a roast duck with apples, do not discard the fat, but keep it in the fridge as a traditional medicine. If you do not have any, do not despair – coconut oil, or olive oil, or shea butter, will work great, as well. Apply frequently until your lips heal.

2 Step.  No Alcohol …

Do not use any gel, balm, or lipstick that contain alcohol or petroleum products – they for sure will worsen the condition and will make your chapped lips feel even dryer and more painful. Use only natural remedies. A good rule is to put on your lips only edible ingredients (this rule also works well for any other body care products, because the skin rapidly absorbs all contents of lotions and creams, both good and bad ). In other words, if you cannot eat it – do not put it either on your lips or on your skin!