We can prepared for most things in the winter: freezing temperatures, icy sidewalks, adding additional layers, and overheated rooms. What most of us don't expect is painfully dry skin—one of the biggest pitfall of winter.
As it turns out, your skin loses about a quarter of its ability to hold moisture in cold, dry weather. Transitioning from the humidity of summer to the dryness of winter means switching up your summer-loving skin care routine.
If you’re similarly looking to combat dryness and protect your skin’s overall health, here are a few easy to implement and essential skincare routine tips.
Morning Routine //
Step 01. Cleanse
Once winter hits, skin stops producing as much sebum, so it’s important to maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier. Switching to either a more gentle cleanser, or a non-foaming, cream-based, or oil cleanser will help moisturize your skin and replenish its natural oils. Look for key ingredients when buying a creamier cleanser: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides. All of these ingredients work to bind water to your skin, which will better hydrate your face and prevent damage throughout the day.
Step 02. Treatment
We highly recommend applying a vitamin C serum after cleansing. Serums are made of very small molecules, which allows the skin to absorb them quickly and deeply. Vitamin C has been proven to increase skin elasticity, stimulate collagen synthesis, and boost the skin’s immune system, as well as repair damages caused by external elements. The vitamin C serum is also high in antioxidants, which increase water absorption in your skin. We love our ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules which contains the Vitamin C we need, but it also contains Hyaluronic Acid to provide needed moisture to blustery dry winter skin.
Step 03. Moisturize/SPF
Biting winds, freezing temps, and dry indoor heating is a recipe for dry skin. The most obvious and vital way to fight flakiness is to apply moisturizer. Consider a heavy-duty moisturizer that is noncomedogenic (i.e., won’t cause you to break out) and contains ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid, which attract and lock in moisture. We are in love with our SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2. It's dreamy consistency is perfect for EVERY skin type and replenishes much needed moisture to dry, flaky skin.
And remember, even in the winter, it’s important to apply SPF. So before you complete your routine, swipe on a light layer of our EltaMD SPF to protect yourself from the UV rays.
Pro Tip: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
All the experts we polled had one universal tip: Drink more water! Dry winter air can draw water out of the epidermis by osmosis, making the skin dehydrated. Your skin is just another major organ that needs water to properly function. In the winter, it is recommended that you increase your water intake by 20 percent. So, if you normally drink eight glasses of water, start drinking ten.
Evening Routine //
Step 01. Makeup Remover (or double cleanse)
This step can easily be missed in our rush to get to bed. Not properly removing makeup, however, increases the chance of your skin absorbing the debris, oil, bacteria, and free radicals built up throughout the day. This not only clogs your pores (hello, breakouts), but it also prevents your skin from absorbing nutrients from your serums and moisturizers. You can use our ISDIN micellar water, a makeup remover wipe, or even just double cleanse with your regular cleanser to thoroughly remove junk and is vital if you want to really benefit from your entire skin care routine.
Step 02. Cleanse
After removing makeup, it’s important to fully wash your skin. The water-binding ingredients will help your skin absorb the nighttime moisturizer as you sleep, so you can wake up with glowing, supple skin.
Step 03. Gentle Exfoliation // 2x a Week
With dry skin comes dead skin, and that is where exfoliation is key. Exfoliation removes dulling skin cells, debris, and other impurities, leaving the complexion feeling soft and smooth. It also stimulates healthy cell renewal, giving skin a healthy, glowing appearance.
Dr. Neal Schultz, an NYC dermatologist, host of DermTV.com, and creator of BeautyRx, recommends using glycolic acid. “Glycolic acid works by gently dissolving the glue that holds the dulling, clogging discolored dead skin cells, revealing smooth and even-toned skin.” You can use our SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Overnight Cream or even our SkinCeuticals Micro Exfoliating Scrub (both available at Marigold). But be sure to only exfoliate two times a week in the winter or one time a week of you are more sensitive. Over-exfoliation can actually damage your skin, making it more sensitive and susceptible to damage.
Step 04. Treatment & Moisturize
The nighttime is when your skin goes through an intense healing process. Cells repair and rebuild during sleep, and the majority of skin cell turnover occurs during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep. Because your skin is working hard to regenerate, it will naturally lose moisture as you sleep. To bolster this repair process and retain water in your skin, try using a heavy-duty moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid or glycerin and retinol. Retinol boosts collagen production and encourages epidermal cell renewal, while hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates skin. We also love the line of SkinCeutical Retinols because they are a 2-in-1 treatment: retinol and night cream all in one!
Pro Tip: Humidifier
Speaking of nighttime skin healing, dry heat from your radiator or central air system can seriously suck the life out of your epidermis. Investing in a humidifier that replaces moisture in the air can benefit your overall health, including your skin’s. Any humectant ingredients in your moisturizers will draw in this moisture to plump and heal.
Schedule a Complimentary Skincare Consultation
At Marigold Esthetique we believe that there isn't one solution or product line to meet all skincare needs. This is why we always provide complimentary skincare consultations to help ensure you are using the correct products and ingredients for your skin. Yes, we do carry a small line of various medical-grade products. But, if we don't have what would meet your needs best, we will make sure to recommend another solution for you even if it's at Target, the drugstore or a department store!
To schedule your complimentary consultation CLICK HERE or give us a call at 610-340-1555.