IS WINTER MAKING YOUR SKIN CRINGE?!
Winter can be brutal to our skin, depending on where you live. Negative temperatures, freezing cold wind, dry heat, lack of humidity in the air, constant temperature changes from blasting heat in the car to shocking cold when you step outside. All of that can wreck havoc on our skin.
In Ayurveda, Vata, the principle of movement is the ruling dosha for late fall and winter seasons. These months are marked by the same qualities that characterize vata: coldness, dryness, lightness, and movement. Luckily, through the understanding of Ayurvedic principles, we can take steps to pacify Vata and keep our skin balanced and glowing throughout the winter months.
In my practice i like to combine the Ayurvedic principles with my knowledge of Corneotherapy. So first and foremost, we have to make sure our skin care products are suitable for this season. Oil-reducing and exfoliating cleansers that we tend to use in warmer months won’t do any good for us now.
Choose a gentle milky or oil based cleansers, that won’t strip your lipid barrier and expose your skin to harsh environmental factors. Remember, impaired lipid barrier won’t protect your skin from cold, wind, pollution, microorganisms and water evaporation. Two amazing products that i recommend for that is Dermaviduals Cleansing Milk with DMS and Living Libations Seabuckthorn Oil Cleanser. They will remove all the make up, dirt, oils without stripping your barrier and will leave your skin feeling clean, hydrated and plump
Don’t over exfoliate. During this time i recommend exfoliating only once a week, with gentle exfoliants. Avoid using harsh, abrasive scrubs or peels. Again, it’s all about that lipid barrier. If your skin is feeling dehydrated and flaky, common mistake is to try to scrub it off, causing even more dehydration. I recommend gentle, enzyme or jojoba based exfoliant. It will gently slough off the flaky skin and decongest your pores but without stripping that barrier. I recommend Dermaviduals Peeling Cream with jojoba beads or my Customized Dermaviduals Enzyme Mask (available only upon consultation)
Don’t skip the TONER. This is a step in a skin care routine, that is often misunderstood. Toners are very beneficial for any skin condition. Skin that is congested, or starving for hydration, vitamins and nutrients. Toners are amazing thirst quenchers for dehydrated skin. Avoid alcohol based toners. Look for ingredients like cucumber extract and aloe. Dermaviduals Face Tonic with cucumber extract is super soothing and hydrating as well as Dermaviduals Lotion N. It’s like a one-stop shop bursting forth with restorative lipids. I absolutely love flower essences- hydrosols with rose, helichrysum, calendula, chamomile, geranium, sandalwood or melissa. TIP: immediately after getting out of the shower, spray the toner on damp skin and gently press it in. Right after that, before it dries out apply your serum. That will drive in all the goodies in to the deeper layers. Your skin will love you!
Serums contain a potent concentration of active ingredients to pack a punch and target different skin concerns. Serums are applied before your moisturizer to allow ingredients to absorb into skin. A hydrating serum is a perfect way to give some moisturizing and anti-aging benefits to protect against dry winter air. Look for products containing hyaluronic acid, that attracts and holds on to moisture in skin cells leaving your skin more hydrated and plump. Other ingredients i like to add are D-panthenol, Vitamin E, Boswellia, Vitamin C. What i love about Dermaviduals line is that any serum or cream can be customized with ingredients that your skin needs.
Choose a rich bio-compatible moisturizer to feed your skin. The skin barrier forms a line of defense for our bodies; the first three lines of skin barrier defense easily affected by dry skin conditions are the acid mantle, corneocytes (the outermost layer of our skin), and the multilamellar lipid structure. Without these three lines of skin barrier defense, the inner world of the epidermis and dermis is open to the extremes of the outer environments that contain allergens and pathogens. The creation of the skin barrier is dependent on a number of factors; components that are critical to skin barrier functions include; Free Fatty Acids, Ceramides and Cholesterol. These are part of the multilamellar lipid structure of the stratum corneum. Without these components, skin remains compromised and the vicious circle continues that can trigger the innate immune system. Dermaviduals creams contain patented technology, DMS (Dermal Membrane Structure) which mimics the composition and structure of the stratum corneum. DMS ensures the maintenance of the natural skin barrier; it effectively supports the prevention of premature ageing and above all, it is focused on maintaining skin health. DMS assists in strengthening the structure and function of the cell membranes and the bilayers of the skin and is effectively able to promote healthy, stronger and more refined skin. Which is what are skin needs at all times but especially during winter. Any Dermaviduals DMS Creams can be customized with extracts and vitamins.
BESIDES THE RIGHT SKIN CARE PRODUCTS THERE ARE FEW OTHER THINGS WORTH TAKING IN TO CONSIDERATION:
GET A HUMIDIFIER
A cool air humidifier increases the moisture level in the air, helping skin’s barrier stay hydrated.
DON’T TURN UP THE HEAT TO HIGH
this will avoid the extra dryness in the air. And let your body regulate its temperature.
AVOID HOT SHOWERS
i know how tempting it is to take a hot, steamy shower but that often damages keratin cells, which are the cells that make up the outer layer of our skin. They exist to keep the moisture inside your skin, but exposure to heat can often damage the epidermis, and worsen the condition of your skin. Hot water strips oils from the skin faster than warm water.
DIET
add more healthy fats to your diet like avocados, walnuts, sardines, olive oil, olives, ghee. Avoid iced drinks and opt for warm water and hot teas. Add warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger.
BODY
add warm oil body massage, it will nourish your skin and prevent from dehydration.
Winter won’t last forever, even though it seems like it!
Stay Warm My Friends!
Paulina I.