Winter Month Skin Care Summary

Prepare Your Skin For The Winter Months

This is a quick read and brief summary of a winter skin care regime for everyone.

Cleansers

During the summer months we can use more exfoliating cleansers that contain Alphahydroxy acids or salicylic acid (BHA) but during the winter months the harsh weather means your skin is regularly exposed to changing environments so nourishing your skin is even more important than during summer months. Using a cream cleanser will lift impurities and make-up without stripping the skin of its skin mantle or change the normal pH or its natural oils. This is particularly important during winter when the skin is exposed to warm indoors and sudden cold outdoors (often referred to as harsh conditions) that tend to dry out the skin. It’s important to keep your skin healthy and nourished even when using a cleanser.

Recommended Gentle Cleansers:

SKINCEUTICALS GENTLE CLEANSER

EXUVIANCE PURIFYING CLEANSING GEL

EXUVIANCE GENTLE CLEANSING CRÈME

Moisturisers

My recommendation is a much richer moisturiser during the winter months so the lighter moisturisers we used in the summer will need replacing for the coming winter. Skin can appear dull during this season as the cold weather, coupled with indoor-heating sap skin of luminosity and moisture. Full hydration of the skin will help avoid this issue once winter arrives and one can even add serums rich in hyaluronic acid to further boost the water absorption capabilities of the skin.

Recommended HA Serums:

DERMAQUEST ESSENTIAL B5 HYDRATING SERUM

SKINCEUTICALS HYDRATING B5

Skin Boosters

I am a strong believer in using both vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin C for your skin due to their amazing rejuvenating capabilities for the skin. Both of these vitamins have been investigated thoroughly and countless studies have demonstrated their benefits.

I strongly recommend that you add to your night time regime a Vitamin C and a retinol (Vitamin A) cream that can be used together for enhanced effects. Vitamin C is an excellent anti-oxidant and helps to reduce pigmentation and increase collagen and elastin production in the skin. Retinol has amazing properties such as improving texture, increasing collagen and elastin production, reducing the appearance of dark pigmentation marks, reducing number and pore size, and giving an overall glow to the skin. Retinol does increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun so winter is the best time to apply this wonder vitamin on your skin and remember to use a good SPF every morning even if the weather is dull, overcast or raining.

Further reading: Which Strength of Retinol Do I Need? & Vitamin C for Anti-Aging & Brighter, Healthier Skin

Recommended Vitamin A or Retinol Products: Click Here

Recommended Vitamin C Products: Click Here

Treatments

Sun damage will weaken skin. Without improving the strength, as winter approaches skin will deteriorate quicker. To keep skin in its best condition, regular treatments will continually reconstruct the epidermis to boost moisture levels. Applying a face mask once to twice a week will help brighten the complexion and keep your glow after the summer season.

Light superficial chemical peels every 4 weeks during the winter months will transform your skin and boost the winter skin care regime. Glycolic acid is an example of a superficial peel which will not strip or remove live skin cells but will still smooth rough skin texture, increase collagen and elastin production, reduce pores, increase moisturisation of the skin and give a healthy youthful glow.

Diet

One of the strange things of life is that as climate becomes colder and the sun sets we tend to get a natural craving for comfort foods. These foods tend to be full of sugar and starch which tend to increase inflammatory effects in the body and the skin and promote free radicle damage. Sticking to a diet rich in anti-oxidants and avoiding those high sugar and starch containing foods can have amazing benefits not only for our health but for our skins too. Incorporating a diet rich in Omega 3, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals will help give you radiant skin and the ability to fight off winter illnesses. For the skin in particular yellow and orange foods are beneficial, so stock up on sweet potatoes, mango and red peppers which contain Vitamin A which is linked to keeping skin healthy.

Further reading: Six Superfoods For Healthier Looking Skin

I hope you found the above article beneficial and helpful to prepare for the coming winter months. Please send any comments you may have or any questions regarding your skin concerns or skin care regime.

Kind regards

Samantha Nikolic