Hey Beautiful: When Jack Frost Comes to Town; Caring for Winter Skin

Harsh winds and cold spells can wreak havoc on the most resilient skin. Winter’s low humidity can sap moisture from the skin, leaving it feeling dry, itchy and cracked. In humid conditions, the skin can replenish lost moisture by soaking up moisture from the air. When the humidity drops in the winter, however, your skin loses the opportunity to moisturize itself. Couple that with the low humidity resulting from indoor heating, and your skin can become tight and dry. What’s a busy clever parent to do?

Not to worry! Now is the perfect time of year to adjust your skincare routine. A few simple steps can help you combat the effects of winter skin and make all the difference between a dull winter complexion and glowing radiance!

Wash with lukewarm, not hot, water and use a moisturizing cleanser.
Your skin contains thousands of oil glands that prevent the skin from losing moisture and help keep it supple and soft. When you wash your skin, however, you strip away oil, letting moisture evaporate and drying the skin. Hot water and harsh cleansers further strip the skin, so be sure to turn down the water temperature and avoid alcohol-based cleansers.

Don’t forget your sunblock.
Just because the sun isn’t shining as often doesn’t mean you should abandon sun protection. The sun’s UVA rays are present year round, are not diminished by cloud cover, and can be extra harsh when reflecting off snow. Apply a heavy layer of moisturizing broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 25 or higher to the face, hands, and any other exposed skin. This will act as a barrier to help protect against the harsh elements and prevent photoaging.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Daily moisturizing with a face cream and body oil goes a long way to keeping skin feeling and looking healthy. Apply body oil to skin immediately after a bath or shower while your skin is still wet. This will help trap the water in the upper layers of the skin and decreases dryness and itching.

Moisturize from the inside out.
Cold weather muffles your body’s thirst signals in winter, so it’s easy to become dehydrated. Drinking lots of water will help keep your skin moist from the inside out. And what you eat can also help your skin look and feel better. Walnuts, wild salmon, canola oil and ground flaxseed are all rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have a lubricating effect on skin over time.

Drag out that humidifier.
Counteract the drying effects of central heating with a humidifier, which puts water back into the air and helps your skin stay moisturized. Most clever parents own at least one of these handy devices to soothe little ones’ colds and runny noses. Placing two or three humidifiers around your home will help to humidify the dry air and can keep skin from drying. Just be sure to keep humidifiers out of reach of little hands!

Treat your skin, treat yourself!
Why not beat the winter doldrums with a relaxing, therapeutic facial? A hydrating facial can help your skin regain lost moisture. The steam from the facial will increase the skin’s water level, which is then locked in with a deeply replenishing cream. And best of all, this special treat will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to face Jack Frost head on!