by Shannon Hall, AnamCara Spa + Beauty Bar –
Skincare in the winter can be extra challenging because there is a marked change in the weather. Winter, in particular, is host to a number of skin issues that make your skin appear dull, dry and chapped.
Here are some common winter-skin conditions and their solutions.
Dry Skin. Even oily skin types dry up in winter. That’s because the prevailing chilly winter air sucks the moisture out of the skin, not to mention the electric and gas heat in our homes that tend to dry out our skin even more! This can be more problematic when you already have naturally dry skin.
• Exfoliate! Exfoliating may dry out your skin even more, but if you don’t get those dead skin cells off and help facilitate a skin turnover, your skin will become more flaky well into the winter months.
• Use a serum to instantly hydrate skin.
• Using richer moisturizers will protect your skin from the elements and keep a better level of hydration!
• See your skin therapist for a professional facial that includes a more advanced exfoliation process and decadent hydration in the forms of serums, masking and moisturizers. Your therapist will be able to provide you with a homecare routine to get you through this skin-challenging season.
My favourite at home treatment right now is the Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel; it is a professional-grade at-home peel that helps reveal brighter, healthier skin in just minutes a week. This exfoliant delivers powerful results with no downtime, using a unique complex of phytoactive AHA extracts, lactic acid and fermented plant enzymes to help reveal new, firmer skin. Breeze through winter with this treatment and a customized winter moisturizer.
Chapped Lips. Even in winter, the best therapy for chapped lips is exfoliation and deep moisturization.
• Scrub using an essential oil and wash cloth or, mix brown sugar and olive oil for a yummier lip treatment.
• Keep lips moist with a chemical free lip balm! If you’re an outdoorsy person, a good lip protectant with SPF will be a lip saver. Keep it in your purse or pocket for regular applications throughout the day.
Dull Skin. Winter exercise and continuing to use your sunscreen will noticeably improve dull skin conditions. It’s true: improved circulation through exercise will help you get that naturally glowing skin that only exercising can give.
Winter Skin can be frustrating, but if you already know what to expect and how these issues can be resolved, you will be ahead of the winter game. It takes daily, conscious practice to instill these good skin habits but in the end, you get only well-hydrated, healthy skin, even in winter.
