Skincare in Winter: Let it Glow!

Winter

Dec 28

Written By

Healthy, glowing skin during autumn and winter can really feel like sailing against the wind—cold and dry air makes our skin feel tight, and look dull and lifeless. A good skincare regimen that includes certain key active ingredients with a good moisturizer or face oil—can make a huge difference and are well worth the effort.

Here are a few tips:

Change it up! Most likely, your summer skin care routine will not be enough in winter. Your skin will probably need more moisture more often.
Choose your cleanser carefully: Cleansers can strip your skin of natural oils and dry it out. Over time this leads to more visible lines and wrinkles.
Exfoliate: Exfoliating brings back that youthful glow that is so often lost during the winter months and is also a great tool to improve the texture of your skin all year long. Choose face masks that contain fruit enzymes which are an effective, but gentler, alternative to AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids). These tend to irritate delicate skin, and become slightly less effective over time. Fruit enzymes help dissolve dead skin cells, and are decongesting and brightening. Look for papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, or kiwi, all great sources of enzymes, improve texture and prevent breakouts. Unlike clay-based masks, look for masks that do not dry on the skin, have humectant and emollient ingredients (honey or jojoba for example).
VITAMIN A: Vitamin A is well known for its skin benefits. It stimulates collagen synthesis and repairs UV damage. However, stay away from Retina A, or Retinoic Acid (the synthetic version of Vitamin A that can cause severe reactions and toxicity—already banned in Europe but still prescribed in North America). Some plant seeds provide natural retinoids, which are significantly more gentle to the skin and do not cause toxicity, while still being beneficial.
Rosehip Oil: One of the plant oils that provides the highest levels of Vitamin A. It is emollient, but non-greasy, has regenerating and antioxidant properties, and contains essential fatty acids as well, look for one that is extracted from both the seed and fruit of the plant, delivering an even higher level of caretonoids than other rosehip oils. Additional plant oils that also have great benefits for the skin are Tamanu, Jojoba and Buriti. Ayurvedic formulations also include plant extracts that are soothing and anti-inflammatory, like Calendula and Turmeric. This product is free of essential oils, which makes it a great option for people who have more delicate or “sensitive” skin.
VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is a bit like the genie of skincare—it makes your skin wishes come true. Dull skin? It makes your skin glow. Dark spots? It may brighten them. Scars? It can fade them. Dehydrated skin? It helps in hydration. It’s best found in serums that you can layer under your moisturizer. One of my favorite ways to take advantage of Vitamin C’s antioxidants benefits is to use it in the morning underneath your sunscreen. It helps to boost the sun-protective properties of the sunscreen, preventing photo-damage caused by UV rays more effectively. However, since the stability of Vitamin C in skincare products is a concern (light, air, and heat tend to cause oxidation) it is super important to choose the right product. Topical application of Vitamin C works better when it is combined with Vitamin E, which protects the skin from collagen damage. So products that contain both vitamins are a better choice. To apply, evenly press a few drops of serum onto moist skin starting from cheeks, cheekbones, and around your mouth, moving to the outwards areas of my face.
Lip Care: Suffering from persistent lip dryness during fall and winter is a common complaint. Cracked lips can be extremely uncomfortable! The reason is that our lips do not produce oil (sebum) like the rest of our face, so when the weather is harsh (cold, dry, windy) we need to protect them.Try a sugar scrub on your lips by simply mixing some regular sugar with some jojoba, coconut, or safflower oil, and rub this gently on the lips once a day. Add a little honey for healing properties. Follow up with a nourishing lip balm.
Protect: Winter weather appears to be less sunny, but remember those harmful UV rays are still out there. Always protect your skin with a safe sunscreen that contains zinc oxide, and wear protective hats and clothing.
Shorter Showers: Hot water feels great in the winter, but it saps skin of its natural oils. Try to limit your long, hot showers and baths to once or twice a week, and choose lukewarm the other times. Always apply moisturizer immediately after patting skin dry.
Right diet. Simple sugars and carbohydrates stimulate reactions in skin that can lead to more acne breakouts.
Wear gloves. Our hands suffer the most during the winter. Take moisturizer with you and moisturize your hands before bed!
Use a humidifier. As winter comes, the air dries out. The dryer the air, the more it steals moisture from your skin. If you live in a dry climate, use a humidifier, particularly in your bedroom at night.
Rejuvenation: In the winter months, rejuvenation is a key strategy to keep your skin balanced and glowing all year long. This time of year is a great time to provide your skin with a special hydra facial which delivers more nutrients so that it can better withstand winter stress.