HOW DOES COLD WEATHER AFFECT OUR SKIN?
For many of us, winter weather is much like an unwanted guest at a dinner party. The cold, the snow and the ice have us wishing for a vacation on a warm beach.
What we may not consider, however, is how the seasons affect our skin health. In general, summer and high humidity levels are attributed to skin becoming more oily while winter and low humidity causes dry skin and flaking.
Our main concern with winter weather is that itrobs your skin of much neededmoisture - causing extra dryness. Harsh winds combined with central heating and low humidity could leave you wanting to scratch your skin right off to relieve the irritation!
Here are some ways winter weather can affect your skin [2]:
- Harsh weatherstrips the protective barrier off the outermost layer of skin revealing gaps that allow for dehydration and the introduction of irritants into the deeper skin layers.
- Dry air induces an itching sensation that activates an inflammatory response and the release of histamines.
- Skin inflammatory responses can exacerbate existing skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea and eczema.
HOW SHOULD WE CARE FOR OUR SKIN DURING THE WINTER MONTHS?
While Jack Frost can come and wreak havoc on our skin, there are things we can do to prevent damage during the cold of winter.
Here are some suggestions on how to protect your skin during winter [2,3]:
- Use cold weather products such ascreamy facial cleansers that do not strip the skin of moisture.
- Try a mask or product withhyaluronic acid, it holds 1,000x its weight in water!
- Replenish the protective barrier of the skin by using apeptide serum while you sleep, good components in products are argan oil and vitamin E.
- Avoid long andhot showers. Although it may feel nice after a day in the cold, thehot water will strip your skin of the well needed oils. It is also important tomoisturize rightafter showering.
- Don't forget sunscreen! We may think sunscreen is exclusively for summer, that’s actually not the case. UV light can actually reflect off the white snow and damage our skin if we are not careful.
If you have skin woes with the changing seasons, adjusting your routine throughout the year may be the answer to a more even complexion. If needed, go see a trusted dermatologist to see what is the best winter skincare regimen for you.
Sources:- https://dermcare.us/weather-complexion/
- https://www.dermalogica.com/blogs/living-skin/what-you-need-to-know-about-cold-weather-and-skin
- https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2017/02/6-ways-to-protect-your-skin-during-cold-weather/