Adapting your skin to the winter months
So Summer is a distant memory ……. bikini’s and garden lounge chairs packed away, sometimes we need to transition over some of our skin care products to cope with the change in weather conditions?
During the autumn and winter our skin tends to get a little bit drier and also far more dehydrated than usual, why is that? Well, during these months the weather tends to become slightly colder, and when I say slightly colder – here in Northern Ireland, our temperatures could be matching Antarctica- (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration!) But with a drop in temperature, the humidity in the air also decreases, leaving the water in your skin to evaporate more quickly. This may leave your skin feeling tight and flaky… but in todays blog we will be talking about which products will help ease the transition from summer to winter, and help you keep your skin glowing!
During spring and summer you are more likely to be using a light weight moisturiser, but during our colder months, however,we want something a bit more rich and creamier to help lock in as much moisture as we can and also to help shield our skins against any harsh weather. One of our favourites is Dermalogica’s Barrier Repair. Barrier repair has the key purpose in it’s name – to help repair and protect your skin. This product contains the Ultra Calming Complex to help reduce any inflammation or sensitivity. This product also gives you hydration with out feeling slick or greasy.
If a day cream still isn’t hydrating enough for you, there are many serums available to offer extra hydration,Dermalogica’s newest product – Phyto Replenish Oil is getting amazing reviews from our customers. Some people can feel apprehensive about using a skin oil, the oil is non-comedogenic, meaning it will not cause breakouts or congestion. This oil gives your skin that dewy, glowing finish. It also works in three phases to strengthen, to hydrate, and to shield your skin, perfect for harsher, colder climates!
But why should we stop the hydration there? Our entire bodies tend to become slightly dryer in the colder months. Even though we aren’t baring our arms and legs, we should still try to replenish our body as a whole, a great product that feels so luxurious on the skin is the Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream. This product is perfect for after a bath or shower, or even to put on at night before you pop into bed. This body cream has ingredients like Lactic Acids and natural hydroxy acid extracts from Sugar Cane and Apple, as well as Lavender, Patchouli and Orange essential oils combine with Green Tea to help soothe, soften and help tone the skin. A great two 2 in 1 product as it offers a gentle exfoliation also. ( not advisable if you are wearing fake tan).
During this time of year, we tend to stray away from exfoliation, as we try to keep as much hydration in our skin as we can – but an exfoliator is still needed. Exfoliation is recommended two to three times a week – exfoliation helps to shed dead skin cells, brighten our complexions and give a smooth even appearance. If you’ve been applying creams, lotions, and potions you want to ensure these products are being penetrated down into the skin – they won’t work if they are just sitting on top of dead skin cells! A fantastic exfoliator and one of my personal favorites is the Multivitamin Thermafoliant. This self healing skin polisher has both physical and chemical exfoliatants to promote firmness and even skin texture. This product is quite unique, and it warms when water is added.
Remember the importance of drinking water, if you can manage 2 litres a day thats ideal. During colder winter months we are more inclined to drink teas and coffees – and we forget the most important liquid that we could intake. Water is so important for your skin. Water helps to keep your skin blemish free and hydrated, it helps to flush out toxins in our bodies and it can also help boost your immune system, which we all need this time of year!
Simply by adding in an exfoliator, a good moisturiser, and bumping up your water intake, will help to keep your skin looking radiant and hydrated.