Making seasonal changes to your skincare routine isn’t always as obvious as you might imagine. Our skin can feel differently day to day just as much as it can season to season but the colder months are typically the months you are going to feel your skin cry for help. Nourish me, help me!
Our skin feels drier from environmental changes in the winter months. Elements such as wind, cold air (contains less moisture than warm air), and manmade warm air (heaters) all contribute to outer epithelial dryness. These factors can warrant the need for a change up in the skincare routine, especially those that have naturally possess a dryer skin type. The goal is to aid our body in holding onto moisture within the cells as well as preventing that pesky chapped skin barrier. Protein (the building blocks) of our cells help maintain moisture within our skin. Make sure you bump up your protein intake throughout the winter months.
The dryer environment will lead to a tightened outer skin layer (the skin contracts in the cold) and a thicker layer of dead skin cells forms. This dry skin barrier is actually protecting your lower dermis from damage from the dry environment, but we can recreate a barrier made with oil based products that looks much fresher. The layer of dehydrated cells can crack and become rough in feeling though. This would be a time to bump up a gentle retinol like our Rei and bump up a barrier protecting products like our Attar or Gold. Using them in conjunction is best.
Topically, avoid astringent ingredients, like toners and gels. Avoid over use of water based products as these will actually pull water from the epidermal cells during cold temperatures. AHA’s can be used but the application of a post protective barrier is key. You are trying to avoid your own skin by doing this job with a layer of dry skin cells.
Layering your products (oils are best) and sealing the surface of the skin with a heavier balm type product is ideal. Up gentle exfoliants but only if you are recreating that lipid barrier after exfoliation. Our favorites for winter are Rei, Gold, and Attar.
Nourishing your skin is two fold, of course. You can avoid troublesome ingredients and layer, layer, layer but if you are ignoring internal deficiencies, chances are your skincare isn’t going to be able to pull all the weight. It needs to be a cohesive relationship. Avoid the drying products surfacely but also make sure to incorporate more amino acids into your diet. Start prepping that bone broth!
