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Published on November 20, 2020

Winter Skin Care

By Marina

Winter is almost here!

Freezing temperatures outside and extremely dry air from the heaters inside. As a result- your skin feels itchy and dry.

What can we do to minimize the environmental damage and protect our skin?

  • Do NOT use shower gel or soap every day

Just warm water should be enough to keep you clean.  Even gentle soap (or shower gel) will strip away the protective layer of your natural skin oil (sebum). 

When you look into the chemical composition of any cleaning substance you can find the following ingredients: water, glycerin and surfactant (surface active substance). 

Surfactant molecules have a head and a tail and look somewhat like a tadpole. When surfactant moves over the skin the tail attracts the skin oil. The so-called dirt is already attached to the oils. As a result, we are washing off skin oil together with “dirt”. This is how we get this squeaky-clean feeling. But it is not good for our skin in the winter. Our body doesn’t produce as much sebum in the  wintertime and when we wash it off daily our body doesn’t have enough time to restore it, leaving our skin dry and flaky.

  • Are you using the same skin care products as you did in the summer?

The wintertime conditions are different: air is more dry, harsh temperatures outside, frosty winds. You need a new set of skin care products than the ones you rely on in the summer.  It’s best to incorporate more rich formulations with super moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides, fractionated coconut oil and natural butters.  Use cream with higher oil content.

Another tip is to switch your morning and nightly routine: use oil based serum in the morning and water based serum, like hyaluronic acid serum, in the evening.  If you are a winter sports lover or just planning to spend a few hours outside apply water free ointment.  One of the secrets of Inuit’s: they apply animal fat (caribou or whale) on the exposed skin to protect it. Fat creates a film over the skin and doesn’t allow water to freeze out from the surface of the skin. I am not proposing that you do that. What I am suggesting is to try NeoNaturelle Skin Remedy. It is formulated to protect your skin at freezing temperatures. It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

With age, your skin’s cellular replacement process and mechanical protection decrease. So does thermoregulation, production of sweat and sebum. Be extra vigilant and protect your skin if you do not want to see premature signs of aging.

  • Less sunlight means you need vitamins D and E

Winter days are shorter, our skin is covered with clothing, therefore the amount of Vitamin D we absorb drops. Decreased Vitamin D levels are associated with dark circles under the eyes and general paleness. Take supplements, as they will help with your overall energy level and your looks.

Vitamin E is essential to keeping your skin and hair moisturized and protected during winter months. Cold weather can bring dullness and dryness to your skin and scalp, which can be countered by consuming vitamin E supplements such as omega-3 and eating foods like peanuts, sunflower seeds and cashew nuts. 

  • We are less active

It is only natural that we prefer to stay inside when it is cold, dark and windy outside. However, it’s still important to incorporate physical activity at least a few times a week. Absence of sunlight and exercise causes a significant drop in our endorphins levels, that in return will bring your mood down. Naturally we will look for other sources of endorphins such ast chocolate and comfort food. That raises your weight; your mood drops even further; and you are caught in a vicious cycle.

You need to sweat a few times a week, it will boost your metabolism and make your skin produce sweat, sebum, and exude toxins.

Exercise or use a sauna. It will help your skin rejuvenate itself naturally. 

  • Indoor air is extremely dry 

Regular indoor heating systems dont come with a humidifier.  The best-case scenario you invest in one, which will allow your skin to retain some moisture. Here are a couple of tricks  to improve the quality of your indoor air if you do not want to buy a humidifier: leave the bathroom door open after taking a shower, allow steam and moist to go into the rooms rather than extracting it with your exhaust fan. Same goes for the laundry door, especially if you hang dry your clothing. You can boil a pot of water for 10 -15 minutes without covering it, allow steam to go to your kitchen and other rooms without extracting it with the kitchen hood. 

  • You are what you eat

That goes for your skin as well.  Lack of sunshine and physical activity tempt us to reach for more hearty food and comfort snacks.  We tend to eat more sugar as it provides an immediate boost of energy and improves our mood.  However, there is a price to pay: our body and our skin react to the change in our diet.  If we do not provide enough vitamins and minerals – our skin becomes dryer and ages faster. Poor diet may manifest itself in breakouts.  Make sure you provide enough nutrition to your skin and body, take supplements such as sea kelp extract for iodine, omegas for Vitamin E, Vitamin D to elevate your mood, and magnesium for good night’s rest. 

 Follow tips above and enjoy the season!!!