We’re all about happy and glowing skin through the winter. But we know it can sometimes be difficult to achieve with harsh climate changes, especially if you’re prone to sensitive, red or irritated skin. Here are some of our favorite tips for keeping your skin hydrated, protected and irritation-free during the coldest part of the year.
Tip #1: Avoid sulfates
Avoid haircare and cleansers with sulfates as they can cause dryness and redness. Here’s what you should look out for when looking at ingredients in your hair and skin care.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate
- Ammonium laureth sulfate
Tip #2: Use room temperature water
The healthiest water temperature is tepid or close to room temperature. If you have dry skin it’s best to rehydrate by staying in the shower for longer than you’d think. A good rule of thumb is to stay in the shower until your fingertips look “wrinkled.” This crinkling of our skin surface is the result of considerable absorption of water so it is a sign that you have rehydrated your skin. If water is too hot, you will actually damage the skin barrier and not only lose hydration but also increase skin redness and sensitivity.
Tip #3: Apply serums / moisturizers to damp skin
We recommend that you pat dry and massage in a moisture trapping serum or moisturizer while skin is still a little damp for enhanced penetration and effectiveness of your product. Damp skin actually has more surface area for penetration of products than totally dry skin so you will see better visible improvement. Also, both occlusives, like ceramides and lipids, as well as humectants, like glycerin and hyaluronic, work best when there is more water on the skin. So, you'll see more benefits of those skincare ingredients when applied to damp skin.
Tip #4: Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate
During colder months, it’s a good idea to exfoliate dead cell buildup that can be more obvious with colder weather. But in doing this, it is very important to hydrate skin as well. When we exfoliate, we not only remove dead cell buildup and dull, rough, texture, we also lose the moisture trapping lipids that sit between our dead cells.
Consider going slow as you start to exfoliate. Try exfoliating a couple of times a week for the first week, and be sure to compensate for any possibly drying effect of exfoliation, either by moisturizing afterwards or using an exfoliant that has hydrating ingredients in the formula. Our Dr. Loretta Micro Peel Peptide Pads have hydrating peptides in the formula to give a moisture surge as the 10% glycolic acid effectively removes surface dead cells.
Tip #5: Don't skip your sunscreen
You should not stop wearing sunscreen in the winter! Even though UVB, the burning rays, lessen in the fall and winter, UVA which penetrates much deeper into skin making it the main cause of aging and more aggressive skin cancers, does not vary with the seasons. That’s why we believe it's crucial to continue to wear sunscreen through all 12 months of the year!
