Wow, what a cold spell we are having right now! It’s freezing! With Winter well and truly here, you might be noticing changes in your skin, I certainly am. Whilst the weather might have changed, your skin type hasn’t, so you actually only need to add in one or two products, not change your entire skincare system.
The combination of a drop in temperature, cold wind, low humidity, and dry, hot air inside, leads to a breakdown in the skin barrier. Skin therefore becomes dehydrated, red, tight, ultra-sensitive, and flaky. These changes aren’t just seen on your face, your body will also be dehydrated and dry, hands become red, dry and cracked, and lips become chapped and sensitive.
Common signs and symptoms of winter skin:
- Dehydrated, dry skin
- Redness
- Tightness
- Flaking
- Sensitivity
So what can you do to beat the Winter ambush on your skin?
- Prep your skin with creamy cleansing options over foamy cleansers to restore surface moisture.
- Exfoliation is also key to renewing skin cells to remove dull, flaky skin. However, reduce the frequency of exfoliation to 2-3 times a week.
- Add in serums or oils to nourish and replenish your skin.
- To moisturise dry winter skin, opt for lipid-rich formulas. You may need to change to luxurious rich moisturiser, saving your lighter, more-fluid one for the summer months.
- Don’t forget sunscreen as damaging sun rays are present even when it isn’t sunny. Whilst there is less UVB in winter months, levels of UVA (UV-Ageing) are still significant enough to age your skin.
Finally, Winter is a great time of year for professional skin treatments. The worry with skin peels, laser treatments, microneedling, and using active ingredients (such as tretinoin) in the summer months is that sun exposure before or after increases the risk of unwanted post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Additionally, having an injectable treatment like Profhilo can moisturise your skin from within, stimulate your natural collagen and elastin production, and leave you with beautiful, glowing skin. Winter therefore represents a great opportunity to have these procedures or introduce an effective new skin care product to ensure you have beautiful, healthy skin all year round.
