I don’t know about anyone else but one of the most annoying things about winter is how dry and flaky my skin gets from the freezing cold weather and forced heat. I can’t put on my makeup nicely because my smooth skin is no where to be found and as soon as I get out of the shower my skin is so tight I feel like if I smile the skin will crack. Does anyone else have this problem?
Luckily as estheticians, we learn how to combat this predicament so, while it can be a pain in the neck, once under control, it’s pretty manageable. Then the focus can be shifted to hating everything else about winter like always being cold or shoveling or being cooped up in the house all day-where is the fresh air and sunshine?
For those of you suffering from the same issues. Here are a few tips that can help battle the dehydration and dryness that accompanies the frigid weather:
- Use a proper moisturizer both day and night-If you have dry skin, your moisturizer will look completely different than that of someone with oily skin so, getting what YOUR skin needs is critical.
- Use a serum that has Hyaluronic Acid in it-Hyaluronic Acid helps the skin hold 1000x its weight in water and will help replenish the water that is lost as a result of forced heat and other factors.
- Always put your serum UNDER your moisturizer unless its specifically stated otherwise-Usually a serum has considerably smaller molecules so if there isn’t a product with larger molecules over it to keep the product in, it will be lost just as easily as it was absorbed.
- Make sure you are properly exfoliating in between facial services- this will help liven up your skin and remove any excess buildup that is causing the flakiness. It also helps the products penetrate deeper when the dead cells are removed. Proper exfoliation is key though, if you are using the wrong products or over-doing it, you will most certainly cause more harm then good.
- If you do not go and get regular facials, it is always a good idea to start-There is a lot you can do for your skin but certain things can only be properly done by a licensed esthetician, such as facial massages which can help increase blood flow and hydration of the skin by stimulation of different glands.
- Make sure that your house has plenty of moisture in the air- if you don’t have a heating system with a humidifier built in-invest in a good humidifier that you can run throughout the day to replenish the water that’s been lost.
- Last but not least, drink plenty of water-This sounds pretty cliche but it’s repeated so much because its TRUE. Water doesn’t only help your body internally, it will help the appearance of your skin if you drink enough. If your skeptical and think you won’t ever be able to drink enough water, check out this article about a 42 year old women who saw very impressive results, just by drinking water.
Try these very simple but effective steps to help the dry, dehydrated, and flaky skin that winter brings, they’re sure to help. Let us know how your skin is faring this winter and if these tips helped. Good luck. :)