Throughout the winter, a barrage of icy cold temperatures and whipping winds bombard your skin. In response, your skin may develop dry, red and scaly patches that often cause discomfort. Wintertime dietary changes, which often result in vitamin deficiencies, may also affect the overall health and appearance of your skin. Furthermore, you cannot even enjoy a break from the skin worries of summer, such as UV exposure and wrinkle development, during the cold season. You can minimize the damaging effects of the cold season by utilizing the following smart winter skincare tips and tricks.
Apply Sun Protection
Ultraviolet rays are just as powerful and damaging in the winter as they are in the summertime months. Frequent, unprotected exposure to the sun\’s rays causes damage that drastically accelerates aging of the skin. You can help prevent the development of sunspots, wrinkles and burns from sunlight exposure by continuing to apply sunscreen year round. You must remember to reapply the sunscreen product every two hours throughout the day to maintain a layer of protection against this skin aging amplifier.
Manually Block Wind and Cold Temps
You can prevent the drying effects of cold temperatures and wind by manually blocking the elements with a scarf, hat, gloves and other protective clothing items and accessories. These items will also play a role in protecting your skin against ultraviolet ray exposure. Select the fabric carefully for its ability to insulate and protect. Fleece, wool, sheepskin and flannel items work the best due to their ability to trap body heat and block wind without sacrificing breathability.
Try Oil Cleansing Methods
Harsh facial cleansers can strip the natural oils from your skin, which normally act as a natural protector against potentially damaging environmental agents. You can retain that protective layer by using the oil cleansing method to clean dirt and debris off your skin. With oil cleansing, you utilize gentle oils, such as jojoba or coconut, to lift and remove debris off the surface of your skin without disrupting the natural elements below. The oils also act as a moisturizer to keep your skin soft and supple.
Use a Calming Moisturizer
Regular applications of a calming moisturizer can help treat dry, chapped skin you could not actively prevent. Calming moisturizers contain natural herbs and vitamins that soothe your skin while it heals. These natural compounds also assist in the healing process to reduce the chance of visible damage appearing. Choose a moisturizer that has a base product that feels soft and gentle on your skin. The moisturizer should feel thick to the touch, but absorb within just a few minutes.
Regularly Undergo Skin Resurfacing
Scheduling skin resurfacing procedures on a regular basis supports healthy collagen growth rates that prevent visible skin damage. Aesthetics professionals perform the fractional skin resurfacing procedure using high tech laser equipment. The laser treatment removes the upper layers of skin to promote rapid growth of the collagen below. The result is fewer fine lines, wrinkles and acne scars with each treatment. Deeper treatments, such as intense pulsed light photofacials, target not just the collagen, but connective tissues as well, to eliminate wintertime damage, including age spots and hyper pigmentation.
Carefully Maintain A Strict Healthy Diet
If you try to eat in season fruits and veggies, the vitamin and mineral levels in your body may start to decrease throughout the winter. By the end of the cold season, you could end up deficient in the nutrients that promote a healthy body and mind. Your skin, in particular, will display the effects of your nutritional deficiencies at the problem\’s onset. Low vitamin and mineral levels result in poor skin tone, uneven coloring and active acne nodules. Without support from a proper diet, your skin cell turnover rate may decrease, leading to the development of visible damage. Focus on maintaining a well rounded diet throughout the winter or speak to your doctor about supplements for your deficiencies.
Even with your efforts in eating a healthy diet, it is possible that your body is not receiving the nutritional needs required to maintain your ideal skin condition. Thankfully, you can benefit from regularly scheduled IV vitamin therapy sessions with your local aesthetician. With IV therapy, the vitamins go straight into the blood for immediate processing by your body. This boost in vitamin levels goes a long way in reversing skin damage caused by nutritional deficiencies, sun exposure and wintertime weather exposure.
By following these seven wintertime skincare tips, you can keep your skin soft, dewy and glowing year round. Your doctor or aesthetician can address any skincare questions or concerns you may have.