3 Ways to Winterize Your Skin

By

Dorothy-Inez Del Tufo

As we begin to move into Fall and Winter, good skin care becomes even more important to maintain your skin’s glow and vitality.  The dry air and harsh winds can cause chapping, cracking and irritation.  And while you may not have the heat of the sun beaming down on you, your skin is still vulnerable to the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays.  Luckily there are things you and your clients can do to maintain healthy skin during the cold winter months. 

3 Steps To Good Winter Skincare

1)    Continue to protect your skin.

Wear a makeup or moisturizer with SPF 15 on your face throughout the winter. Definitely wear a high-SPF sunscreen if you'll be skiing; some of the most severe sunburns occur on the slopes, since the snow reflects the sunlight.  Don't forget your lips—wear a lip balm or lipstick with sunscreen.

I also recommend doing a gentle lip exfoliation using a washcloth in the shower once a week at night followed by a moisturizing lip balm or something as simple as good old Vasoline.  Exfoliating your lips helps with removing cosmetic wax build-up that can sometimes clog the pores around the lip area.  Additionally, it helps with the appearance of fine lines.

2)  Examine your skin-care regimen.

As the seasons change, so should your skin care regimen.  If you are using a product with tretinoin, such as Retin-A or Renova, be especially vigilant about wearing sunscreen; you are more liable to sustain sunburn. If you have sensitive skin, you may need to cut back on using sloughing products such as alpha-hydroxy acids, as they may exacerbate dry, irritated skin.  Additionally, you may even have to alter your cleanser or moisturizer.  As we age, our skin is always changing so don’t be afraid to change during the seasons.  Keep in mind most companies will allow you to exchange or return a product within 30-days if you don’t like it. 

Keeping your face and neck moisturized is essential to a flawless canvas for make-up.  If you typically have oily skin but your cheeks are dry in the winter, I have found that using a moisturizer for combination skin works really well.  Even though you may experience oiliness skin, you skill need to hydrate with a water-based moisturizer.  Believe it or not, this helps reduce the amount of oil produced by the body.  It’s as if the skin is tricked into thinking its got enough oil so it produces less. It may take a little time to see the results, but hang in there. 

When choosing skin care products, ingredients are especially important.  Make sure the active ingredients are not prefaced with a bunch of fillers and preservatives.  All skin types benefit from the daily, topical application of antioxidants, anti-irritants, and water-binding agents that work to mimic the structure and function of healthy skin.

If you still have some stubborn dry spots, try massaging a small amount olive oil or half the contents of a Vitamin E capsule on those areas at night.  The natural antioxidants in olive oil and the healing properties of Vitamin E will prove to make a difference.

So this winter season put your best face forward by protecting your skin, changing your routine if necessary, support skin cell turnover with proper exfoliation and most importantly, stay hydrated.

3)  Don't take long, hot showers.

While a HOT shower may sound appealing, it strips the skin of natural moisturizing lipids. Instead, take a short, warm shower and achieve the same relaxing results.  Since damp skin is more vulnerable to moisture loss, I recommend using almond, jojoba, or grapeseed oil right after your shower.  The skin absorbs more when it is wet and those oils are provide a greater amount of hydration than a petroleum based product like baby oil. 

For hands and feet a super-emollient lotion or cream is recommended.  Personally, I like sleeping with good old Vaseline and cotton socks on my feet.  You can even do this on your hands and buy cotton gloves.  This helps to minimize dryness and cracking.

Lastly, don’t forget to exfoliate your entire body periodically to increase skin cell turnover, circulation and overall skin brightness during the winter months.  When the body is exfoliated, it can easily absorb what it needs to stay soft and supple.

Good skin care is essential to vibrant skin all over!!!