"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -Albert Camus
Between the holidays, winter break, vacations, and even playing in the snow, it’s easy to forget about skin care. After all, you have a whole list of other things on your plate, right? The truth is taking care of your skin should be on the list (even for a few minutes) every day. We compiled a short list to keep you on track.
#1 Hydrate
Oftentimes, cold air has less humidity in it. Ever watch your breath condense in cold air? You are actually losing water when that happens. Considering your skin is over 60% water and you are losing water by just breathing, where is that difference in water going to come from? The answer is you need to drink more water. Though not a perfect science, here is a quick link to calculate the average amount of water you need a day.
#2 Wear Sunscreen
Even when it’s cloudy, it’s important to wear sunscreen. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, approximately 80% of UV rays reflect off snow and go right through clouds. If you are snowmobiling, skiing, or even driving to work on a cloudy day, you are not safe. A simple fix is to put sunscreen on when you start the day. Try and use a physical block with an SPF of 30+ that has titanium or zinc in it. If not a chemical based sunscreen will work as well.
#3 Use Vitamin C Serum
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean your skin won’t get affected by the elements. If anything, you are more susceptible to aging and issues with pigment. According to Dermatologist Dr. Amy Paul, “Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and a useful addition to a skincare regimen for improving signs of sun damage and brown spots.” When exposed to dry air, wind, and sun, it takes its toll on your skin in terms of inflammation. Vitamin C can help slow down this process. There have been several studies to support vitamin C’s efficacy in the fight against aging so it’s worth looking at! Easy tip: try using Citrix’s 15% L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).
#4 Shorten The Shower
Okay, we don’t want to be a buzzkill here because everyone loves a hot shower, but the longer you take a shower or bath the more oil you will strip off your skin. Taking too long of a shower can really dry out your skin. An easy way to avoid this would be to cut down the amount of time and use a medical grade moisturizer. Easy tip: in lieu of warming up in the shower try using hot water with lemon or even green tea (which has antioxidants). Not only will it warm you up, but this will help keep you hydrated.
#5 Don’t Over Exfoliate
There are several blogs and other articles out there that swear you have to exfoliate your skin. In theory, this may be true in times of lower humidity, but you can cause more damage than good. Easy tip: use a cleanser with AHA alpha hydroxyl acid or BHA beta hydroxyl acid. They are generally found in PH balanced formulas with medical grade products and won’t overdue it on your skin.
Moving Forward
Regardless of the season, it’s always a good idea to take good care of your skin. Making minor changes here and there will really help keep you from getting dry skin and staying healthy. We are always huge proponents of sunscreen and hope that you wear it moving forward (along with some of the other suggestions we have). Stay safe and healthy out there!
To avoiding dry skin,
Team Reflect
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