I wrote about How to Thrive When It’s Cold & Dry (you can read the article by clicking the link and get the moisture-rich products by clicking here).
Since then, winter has decided to serve up more wind, chill, snow and cold. Here in Cali, Mt. Baldy is girding her loins for up to 9 feet of snow in a single weekend!!
Have you ever put on a black sweater and watched your skin flake off all over it? Does your skin get so dry it gets itchy? Then you, my friend, have experienced winter xerosis cutis. And, it’s not great.
Here are a few reasons why our skin feels so dry in the winter:
- Low humidity indoors and out
- Heaters on inside, further *drying out the air*
- Increased TEWL (transepidermal water loss … the air is so dry, it pulls water / moisture from our skin).
- Many of us move around less in the cold temps (less time outdoors) which can lower circulation and thus cell turnover as well as nourishment to skin to keep it supple.
What can we do —-> Let’s make a plan!
- Flood your skin with moisture & hydration:
- While your skin is wet (fresh out of the shower or face washing), apply Sorella Apothecary’s Main Squeeze Hydrating Serum. The water on your skin will be sandwiched with the serum, preventing evaporation. And hyaluronic serums work better on damp skin.
- Then, apply a peptide-rich moisturizer like Hydrate.
- Top with Nourish, an avocado oil. Oil’s emolliency makes it the perfect product to stack on the top as it will work as a breathable barrier against the dry, cold wind.
- Hey, do you love your moisturizer but wish it were more emollient? *Cocktail* it with a soothing, hydrating oil like ColorUp Therapy’s Remedy rose-infused oil. (Simply mix a few drops of the oil into a *shot* of your moisture).
- Reapply your moisturizer as needed throughout the day. You can reapply your oil, too.
- I still wear my mask at work. And the warmth of my breath dries out my skin during the day. In between clients, I take three drops of Nourish and pat, pat, pat it onto my neck, cheeks and chin. My skin loves this treat (and inside my mask smells better, too!).
- Consider taking a *skin fast* from your active serums. I went for a walk and felt sand-blasted by the wind. So I skipped my Vitamin A/Retinaldehyde serum that night. I’m also using Calm instead of Renew right now.
- Protect your skin by investing in a stem cell and growth factor product like Osmosis MD’s Stem Factor. When applied topically, growth factors encourage multiple cell type growth to repair and replace damaged cells.
- Get a facial, already! The Fab Facial can be customized to drench your skin in hydration while releasing tension in muscles, iron out fascia and smooth facial expression. And, Neurotris Micro-current stimulates muscles, improving circulation and oxygenation while increasing uptake of remodeling & moisture-rich products.
- Celluma LED is perfect for helping your skin prepare for and recover from cold weather exposure because the low level light waves of red & near infrared work deep with the lower layers of the skin to stimulate mitochondria to make ATP, the energy carrier of the cell. This increases wound healing and proliferation of healthy, plump new cells.
- Take short, cooler showers.
- Stop taking long, hot baths.
- Come see me at the studio for customized treatments to help your skin thrive!
