How winter damages your skin and what is the best way to protect it
Skin barrier damage may occur also in winter. Actually, there are many factors that have an impact on our skin, but we’re not always aware of this. Winter brings big changes in temperatures and humidity levels, causing major stress on the skin: dryness, tightness, sensations of irritation, flaking, roughness, and small blisters are the main symptoms we may experience during colder months, often at the same time.
The idea of spending the entire winter season battling skin dryness and itching is certainly not appealing, so it’s better to find a solution before it’s too late. Don’t waste your time and embrace the motto: “Prevent, prevent, and again prevent!”.
Prevention means above all building a proper routine based on your skin type: everyone’s skin is different, so it’s essential to listen to your skin and choose tailored products and treatments that best fit its needs.
Enemies of your skin in winter
Winter can be very challenging for some of us: the season change and settling into new routines can negatively affect the way we may be feeling. Our skin cannot but be triggered more easily by the stress of everyday life. At Beauty Thinkers we wholeheartedly support the idea that skin care is above all an act of self-care: a mindful, proper skin care routine not only keeps your skin healthy and radiant, but it’s part of a lifestyle that will excellently benefit your mental and emotional health, too.
“A healthy mind in a healthy body”, said the Roman poet Juvenal: taking care of our body paves the way for psychological well-being, and keeping our skin healthy is part of this process. After all, skin is the dress we are born in and stays with us throughout our lives, becoming a mirror reflecting both physical and inner changes. Why shouldn’t we take care of it?
Our skin is an easy target for several threats: if we are concerned with our overall health and wellness, we should do everything we can to prevent it from being damaged. It’s time to discover what are the worst enemies for the skin in winter.
The cold
Cold weather can be the worst enemy to our skin. Those who prefer winter over spring and summer should know that all harsh weather conditions – from hot and humid to cold and dry – may negatively affect the skin.
When temperatures get lower, the vessels that supply blood to the skin temporarily narrow in response to cold exposure. This phenomenon particularly affects face and hands and is called vasoconstriction.
By decreasing the blood flow, vasoconstriction has the effect of slowing cellular regeneration. Consequently, the skin, which is not adequately oxygenated and nourished, appears cracked and dull.
But winter cold is also responsible for the alteration of the skin’s hydrolipidic film, mainly made of sweat, water, sebum and other lipids. This may compromise the skin barrier, our body’s frontline defense against external aggressors.
Cold climates can have lower humidity. Heating systems are used more frequently, and our skin is more subject to sudden temperature changes.
During winter, whether you’re staying indoors or outdoors, skin dryness can occur more quickly.
This is also true for those who travel frequently for business or pleasure: spending a lot of time on transportation may be affecting your skin adversely.
For example, airplane cabins have very low humidity. So, frequent flyers spending time in colder climate can experience skin dryness more often.
When exposed to cold temperatures, the skin gets thinner and dehydrated, losing its natural elasticity and vigor. Pay special attention to those body parts that are more exposed to external stressors, like face and hands.
Wind, smog, pollution and lifestyles
As you may have guessed, the list of the skin’s worst enemies is quite long. There are many other factors that may contribute to skin barrier damage. Let’s see how:
- the wind’s abrasive action triggers skin’s dehydration.
- during the day, smog and airborne dust are deposited on the skin and may occlude skin pores.
- pollution and stress increase the formation of free radicals, which may cause oxidative stress.
- Lifestyle choices strongly affect skin aging and loss of tone. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption cause the direct release of toxic substances in our body that may damage our skin, too. The holiday period can encourage increased consumption of both.
How to protect the skin in cold weather
In order to keep your skin healthy and adequately hydrated during the coldest months, we recommend choosing the right skin care prep based on our skin type.
By choosing Beauty Thinkers products, you will discover the benefits of Hydroxytyrosol, our star ingredient. Hydroxytyrosol is considered one of the most powerful natural antioxidant active that can protect against damage caused by free radicals.
Follow these simple steps to keep your skin happy and radiant all winter long!
Morning: Start the day with our dynamic duo, Antioxidants and UV, to protect your skin from oxidative damage caused by free radicals and external aggressors. We fundamentally start our routine with a moist face (not damp). This is a little “trick” that makes a big difference in improving skin hydration and helping the skin absorb actives better (it also is more effective than Reverse Skin Routine).
Extra tips:
- For those with hard municipal water, best to pat skin dry and mist face with a toner instead to moisten skin.
- For those who use retinol and chemical exfoliants, these actives should always be applied to dry skin to minimize irritation.
Evening: For re-hydration and re-nourishment to support the overnight “repair” mode the body goes through (also, as the skin stops producing lipids for a period of time while we sleep). It preps the skin for the next day – fully hydrated and nourished.
For those with very dry skin, consider cleansing only once a day, at Evening (with tepid water). For Morning, rinse face with tepid water only.
If your skin needs a boost of hydration and nourishment, we recommend semi-slugging, our no-petroleum version of the latest K-beauty skin care trend.
As the final step of your daily preventative routine, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from UV rays.
Those who are planning a snow holiday this winter should know that UV exposure at high altitudes is greater than at sea level: applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen will help prevent sun damage. We recommend using our UVA UVB SPF30 Mineral Filter.
Our UVA UVB SPF30 is a moisturizing broad-spectrum sunscreen which also helps to protect against the abrasive effects of the wind and lower temperatures. Which is why golfers and outdoor snow athletes love it. It contains our Enzymatic EVOO to help nourish the skin. And remember, every sunscreen from every sunscreen brand and every SPF (including SPF50) should be reapplied every two hours!
Protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays also in winter: apply our UVA UVB SPF30 Mineral Filter to prevent oxidative stress and premature skin aging.
Shop our Prevention Kit including AB (Antioxidant Boost), the Oprah Beauty O-ward winning original vanishing texture facial oil, AC (Antioxidant Cream), the breakthrough olive antioxidant serum moisturizer, HY3 (Hydrator 3), the biotech barrier support, and UV (UVA UVB SPF30) the broad spectrum mineral filter sunscreen.
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