Brrr, baby, it’s cold outside!!
As we creep towards the colder days and darker nights, our skin starts to feel the inevitable dry, itchy, and flaky wryness from hopping between cosy, warm indoor rooms to the bitter cold winds of outside. The winter months can play havoc with our skin but stay tuned for 8 x tips to help protect your skin from winters cruel game.
Why does wintry weather affect my skin so much?
Put simply, the change in environment has a cause and effect on our skin and its ability to regulate. Debbie Thomas, award-winning celebrity facialist told The Independent “The cold is drying, and the wind has a tendency to strip the skin, while the contrast between the cold outside and warm inside causes a more pronounced vascular reaction, resulting in flare-ups of inflammatory conditions like rosacea, eczema and psoriasis,”
If you have dry skin or dry patches you may feel the winter chill more than most due to the combination of dry, frigid air outside and central heating inside. In extreme cases, this combination can cause ‘winter itch’ (a form of dermatitis, where the skin is crazy itchy and is most likely to affect the legs, especially around the knees, inner thighs, and ankles).
During these months, no matter your skin type, you could also experience other forms of urticaria or hives. Every year, Sarah will suffer from a ‘heat rash’ around her neck, on her thighs and anywhere exposed, that looks like she’s fallen into a giant nettle bush! Even with a cosy warm scarf, the moment she steps outside into bitingly cold wind – WHAM! “Antihistamines and warming up slowly is the only way I have found to ease and get rid of the hives. Never try to warm up quickly, that will just add fuel to the fire! It’s called Primary Acquired Cold-Urticaria, and it’s essentially being allergic to the cold!” – Sarah, Co-Owner.
OK, so what can I do about it?
Don’t overhaul your skincare routine
Dr Beibei Du-Harpur told Bazaar “I would not recommend a complete overhaul of all products due to a change in seasons – I don't think there's a need for it," she went on to say, "I think that the most important thing is to develop an awareness and understanding of your own skin and how it responds to different environments and products and make simple changes to help skin adapt for a change in environment. Being aware of potentially irritating ingredients is important too, such as retinoids, exfoliating acids and vitamin C.”
Instead, we recommend looking to tweak your skincare routine. For example, if you are finding that your skin is ‘parched’ throughout the day, try switching to a cream-based moisturiser. Remember, excellent quality products should be able to take you seamlessly through all season. Plant oils are especially good at this, working on both oily and dry skin extremes, which is why we keep getting amazing reviews from our Time Repair serum.
Re-assess what you wear
Make sure the clothing next to your skin has a smooth texture instead of woollen or flannel material that could cause irritation. Layering up is great, we recommend wearing lightweight layers that you can adjust when moving into warmer or colder areas.
Don’t forget your SPF
It may be cold outside, and the sun seems to always be in hiding, you still need to protect your skin with sunscreen. A broad-spectrum SPF protects your skin from long UVA rays which can still seep through clouds and cause long term skin damage, including premature ageing and hyperpigmentation. Not to mention protection from photosensitivity.
Layering is for bedtime
Your night-time skincare routine is the perfect time to layer up and use a more occlusive rich product, as they form a protective layer on the surface of your skin, protecting your skin barrier and preventing moisture loss. Try moisture inducing face masks, usually labelled as ‘recovery masks’ – these usually contain rich ingredients that are great for moisturising.
Don’t be put off by ingredients such as petrolatum and mineral and essential oils, dermatologists often turn to these for some skin concerns and dry skin as they are great ‘occlusive warriors’ - shielding the skin, giving it time to repair itself or maintain its natural barrier function.
Stay hydrated
I don’t know about you, but during these winter months, I’m more likely to turn to a hot drink than my usual water and cordial. It’s just too cold right! Well, that would be a mistake. Your body still needs its recommended daily intake of water to function, as does your skin, especially as your skin is likely to be dryer with the onset of the colder weather and central heating. Making it even more important to keep your hydration level up.
Along with liquids, make sure your products offer moisture and hydration. From your cleanser to serums to moisturisers, always think hydration! You never want your face to feel tight, dry, or itchy.
All three of our launch serums have hydration top of mind – you honestly can’t go wrong with any of these:
Hydra B5 and Hyaluronic Acid serum - A blend of exceptional ingredients that creates smoothness and radiance while deeply hydrating skin.
Time repair serum - A deeply moisturising, cell-regenerating serum that concentrates on nature’s active ingredients.
Energising vitamin serum - A powerhouse of vitamins that renews, revitalises and plumps your skin.
And feel free to layer all 3 if you want to, both Sarah and I do!
Use bath time to hydrate
I LOVE a warm bath, it’s my time to pamper and de-stress. But baths can also help your skin to rehydrate, especially when paired with quality bath salts and aromatherapy essential oils. If you suffer from dry itchy or even eczema-prone skin, give it a go.
Don’t lick your lips dry
Chapped and painful lips are a staple in winter for most people, and unfortunately licking your dry lips can become an out-of-control habit. STOP! Over moistening the skin on and around the lip area only exacerbates the dryness and causes what is often referred to as ‘lick eczema.’ Make sure you keep a lip ointment/balm close by to use when you feel the urge to lick coming on.
Eat, drink, and be merry – without drying your skin out
Research has shown that alcohol can exacerbate dry skin and skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea, by increasing inflammatory levels in the skin. This is the time of year to eat, drink, and be merry but making sure your water intake is up during party days, will help to limit the damaging effects alcohol can have on the skin, not to mention your poor liver!
Takeaway
These winter months can affect us all, in various degrees, and people with sensitive skins can feel this change more than most. Remember to layer your skincare and use more occlusive, hydrating products. Adapt your skincare routine when/if needed and look after your skin – it works hard for you.
If you suffer from skin problems during the winter chill, let us know. Sarah spent years dealing with Primary Acquired Cold-Urticaria, having no clue what it was and that there were others out there going through the same – we are here for you!
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