Winter skin care is always a challenge and this year we’ll need to deal with the ongoing effects of mask wearing on top of everything else. Hang in there my beauties, we’re here for you with some pro tips and tricks you can start using today to make this winter a whole lot easier on your skin.
Winter Skin Problem #1: Dry, itchy skin
Likely Cause: Overcleansing
Solution: Switch to a once a day cleanse
Starting today, cleanse your skin once a day only – at night
If you’re cleansing your face twice a day, please stop. Nothing happens overnight that requires you to wash your face in the morning unless you’re working third shift in a coal mine.
In fact, when you come in for your first NBB facial, one of the very first suggestions we make, no matter how your skin is behaving, is to switch to a once a day cleanse using a gentle, non-foaming, non-sudsing cleanser. Overcleansing disrupts your skin’s natural barrier function making oilier skin oilier and dry skin drier.
Squeaky clean skin is not healthy skin. Your skin is an amazingly complex ecosystem balanced by a synergistic interplay of physiology, environmental influences and naturally occurring microbes. Any product that foams or sudses contains detergents or surfactants which strip your skin of its natural ability to protect and balance itself.
Winter Skin Problem #2: Redness and irritation
Likely Cause: Over exfoliating
Solution: Go easy
Gentle exfoliation is great when done in moderation – as in weekly or twice-weekly.
Intermittent exfoliation is good. Daily exfoliation, not so much. Especially if your skin is already dry.
We like a liquid exfoliant like this one because it gently dissolves the bond between the dead skin cells and emerging skin cells without damage or disruption.
If you hear the word exfoliation and start to reach for anything –
with apricot kernels in it – please stop
When crushed, an apricot kernel, or any other type of seed, salt, sugar or mineral, becomes angular in structure and can cause micro-tears in your skin that lead to irritation and breakouts.
that peels off your face in a way that is painful – please run away
Again, your skin is a delicate ecosystem, not an orange rind. Masks used as part of your home care program should wash off easily with warm water.
that burns – please desist
Professional grade peels used by a licensed esthetician require training and expertise to administer correctly. They are performed using a highly controlled and monitored methodology. Chemical peels used by your esthetician may tingle but she has a plan, she knows what she’s doing and she can control the peel or acid solution being used for specific results. By contrast, nothing you use at home should ever, ever produce a burning sensation or make your face red.
Winter Skin Problem #3: Skin that feels tight
Likely Cause: Transepidermal water loss
Solution: Hydration and Protection
Keeping surface dryness at bay requires both hydration and protection.
Ingredients that hydrate your skin help increase and retain water in your skin.
Ingredients that moisturize help create a protective barrier on the surface of your skin and give your skin a permeable shield that helps prevent transepidermal water loss (AKA evaporation).
Let’s break it down a little further with examples of skin care ingredients used to combat dry skin.
Hydration
Hyaluronic acid is an incredibly gentle, bio-friendly ingredient used in skincare products because of its ability to attract and hold up to 1800 times its own molecular weight in water. HA draws water from the air, into the skin and plumps your skin cells up into little water balloons. Imagine each skin cell going from a raisin to a grape and you get the idea. The plumped up cells push up and out to make skin feel firmer, tighter and more supple.
HA also leaves no surface residue on the skin which makes it ideal for oily skin which, contrary to popular belief, needs hydration too.
Moisture
Aloe and glycerin. Look for either of these two in the first few ingredients listed in a product ingredient deck. Top billing on the ingredient list for either of these indicates that a large portion of the moisturizer is made with plant-based humectants that help protect and soften your skin. Aloe and glycerin are also both pre-biotic, which means they help support your skin’s microbiome.
Still struggling?
Come see us for a facial!
A facial from a licensed esthetician can level up your skin’s progress in ways it’s hard to achieve on your own. Professional strength products used in a customized sequence zero in on your concerns and can begin to correct skin conditions in just a few sessions. For winter we recommend either our Hydrate or Illuminate Facial.
We’re here for you
With the right strategy, winter can be a time for your skin to thrive and we’re here to help make that happen for you. Still have winter skin care questions? DM us on Instagram, we’d love to help!
Be well in the world,
Jenn
Shop Jenn’s winter skin care picks
