Depending on where you live, the past few winter months may have left your skin a dry, flaky mess. Now that you’re counting down the weeks to trade your parka for a spring jacket, it’s the perfect time to give your skin some TLC to help it recover from winter’s cold damage.
Did you know that cold weather can trigger everything from acne breakouts to itchy dry patches? Cold temperatures often mean low humidity, which dries out skin. Dry skin is more susceptible to flaky and wrinkling. Throughout the winter months, many people find their skin to be rough, scaly and thirsty for some extra moisture.
Even when you’re inside, your skin isn’t safe. Cranked up heating also dries out the air, leaving less moisture in your environment pretty much all day.
On top of that, our habits during the winter just make things worse. Hot showers make dry skin worse, exacerbating what’s already a major skin problem. According to WebMD, “hot showers strip your body of its natural oil barrier, and you need that barrier to help trap moisture and keep your skin smooth and moist.”
Another harmful habit is that lots of people ditch the sunscreen during the winter. Big mistake! Just because you can’t see the sun’s rays doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting your skin. For those of you in snowy places, the snow glare can be especially harmful to your skin.
Now that winter’s (slowly!) coming to a close, this is the perfect time to repair the cold weather damage, and give your skin a fresh, new start in spring. Here are Sano Naturals’ top 5 Winter Skin Repair Tips, to make sure you spring into the new season with the best skin possible:
1. Get back into the sunscreen routine! Make sure to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face before heading out. Even on those pre-spring days when it’s looking gloomy out, you don’t want to risk UV damage. Remember – exposure to sunlight is one of the major causes of wrinkles and premature aging.
2. Moisturize! A good habit to get into is patting dry post-shower and immediately slathering on your favorite lotion to lock in moisture. Don’t forget about your body! Your hands, arms, legs and back all suffer from dry environments, so don’t neglect those very important parts. Humidity below 30% does a real number on our skin, particularly your hands, especially if you’re over 50. As we get older, our ability to make natural protective oils declines. Give your body some help with a medium to rich moisturizer daily.
3. Replenish your skin’s vital nutrients. The cold weather dries out skin, and dry skin is more susceptible to wrinkles. Vitamins C and E play crucial roles in our skin’s health, the formation of skin’s protective barrier, and the production of collagen. Use a deep penetrating, easily absorbable serum like Sano Naturals Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E. Apply this before your moisturizer for a boost of hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and a boost of collagen-strengthening skin vitamins. Using the right serum can even enhance the effects from your moisturizer by doing some of the “heavy lifting” before your moisturizer goes on.
4. Give your lips some love. Lips can be the first part of the face to show adverse reactions to cold weather. The skin on your lips is thin, and exposed to the elements. Go with a topical ointment or balm that contains Vitamin E, shea butter or aloe vera to restore moisture to chapped lips.
5. Be kind to your eyes. The skin around your eyes is very thin. When the air is cold and dry, fine lines around your eyes start to form. Couple this with the fact that you have no functioning oil glands along the orbital bone (the area directly under your eyes), and the eyes become a key area to repair right after winter. Look for an eye cream or gel with a humectant. Humectants bind moisture to the cells, drawing moisture to the upper levels of the skin. Sano Naturals Vitamin C Eye Gel is fully immersed in Hyaluronic Acid, a natural, botanical humectant that is safe to use around the eye area. Just make sure to gently apply it using your ring finger to dab the product, without dragging the skin.
Want to learn more about repair cold-weather-damaged skin with Sano Naturals? Read more about our products.
