Skin Care in Winter

In winter skin is subject to several stressful factors: colds and winds outdoors, dry air and low humidity resulting from heating indoors. Skin reacts in 2 major ways: with increased sensitivity and dehydration. These two go hand in hand and form a "chain reaction". Main symptoms of your skin suffering from dehydration and increased sensitivity include: irritation, feeling of tightness and discomfort, feeling of burning, flaking, skin redness, broken capillaries.

What you need to do to ensure healthy skin in winter:
- help your skin to restore its protective hydrolipid barrier
- keep your skin moisturized
- help your skin retain moisture
- protect your skin from environmental damage from free radicals and UV light

If you follow these rules in your daily skin care routine, your skin will be healthier, more comfortable and more beautiful the whole winter season.

How to help your skin to restore its protective hydrolipid barrier
First, review your daily skin care routine. If you use products that strip your skin of the protecting lipids, exclude these products until winter is over.
Such skin care products include:
- daily peeling and exfoliation products
- alcohol containing toners
- deep cleansing and harsh soap products
- serums and moisturizers with exfoliating ingredients such as Retinol, AHAs, Vitamin C

In addition avoid very long hot baths that contribute to skin’s dehydration. If you do enjoy those, make sure to use moisturizing products immediately after.

Choose the right moisturizer for winter and help your skin to retain moisture
Go for a heavier moisturizer for the winter season. During this time most people’s skin type shifts to a dryer type: oily skin becomes normal, normal – dry, dry skin suffers the most, develops hypersensitivity and can start flaking. If you have an oily skin type and normally use gel or fluid moisturizer, switch to a light cream. If you have a normal skin type which shows symptoms of dehydration go with a product marked "dry skin". And for those who have dry skin type it is advisable to get a thicker moisturizer rich in lipids.

To help your skin retain moisture make sure your moisturizer has emollient ingredients such as shea butter, lanolin, jojoba oil. Emollients not only soften and moisturize your skin but form a thin protective layer on your skin’s surface to help it retain moisture. Those who have dry skin types should look for occlusive ingredients. Those, however, may be too heavy for oily and normal types. Occlusives provide thicker protecting barrier – just what dry skin needs in winter. Look for beeswax, canola oil, petroleum, mineral oil etc.

Protect your skin from environmental damage due to free radicals and UV light
The sun is not as strong in winter as it is in summer. But it does not mean you can stop wearing UV protection during the day. Make sure your skin care product has antioxidants. To help your skin and body on the whole during this stressful time take an antioxidant supplement. This will help you to fight free radicals.