✨Why does my skin dry out in winter?
Your skin is made up of many layers. You may be familiar with the epidermis – the outermost layer of your skin. The epidermis is covered by a protective skin barrier formed of lipids and dying or dead skin cells which protects the skin from harmful toxins and free radicals. Moisture is essential to maintain the delicate ecosystem of the skin barrier and without moisture, the skin barrier is vulnerable to damage which shows as dry or irritated skin.
Your skin may be drying out in winter due to three reasons:
- There is less moisture in the air during the winter months
- Cold weather makes us forget to stay hydrated
- You are using indoor heating without replacing the moisture
- You’re taking extra hot baths and showers to stay warm
✨ How to care for dry winter skin
Replenishing lost moisture is the most obvious fix for dry skin but you should also aim to increase your water intake and humidity levels around your home. Here’s how to care for and even prevent dry winter skin:
1. Modify Your skin care regime
Cleansers
With the right skincare regime, it’s possible to have hydrated and plump skin all-year round and counteract the effects of the cold, dry air. The kind of cleanser you’re using matters as well. You should switch to a creamy cleanser which contains humectants and will leave your skin feeling hydrated.Moisturisers
Whether you’re using it on your face or your body, ensure your moisturisers are thick – being more of a creme that a runny lotion to lock in the skin’s moisture.
After hot baths and warm showers it’s essential to apply a body moisturiser to repair damage. We suggest the Dermaquest GlycoBrite Hand and body lotion
Lip Care
To cure and prevent dry and cracked lips, it’s essential to incorporate a medical-grade lip balm to your skin care routine. Biomedical’s Metabolic Lip Balm is one of the brand’s more specialised products to deliver effective solutions and maximum results.
2. Use sleep Masks
Overnight masks create a permeable seal on top of your skin that makes anything underneath it penetrate better.
You can apply other hydrators (serums and oils) first and then coat all of that with a thick layer of the sleep mask and it will help everything soak in more effectively.
General Moisturiser:
When choosing a moisturiser for winter, simple is best. You’re going to want to avoid creams and lotions that contain perfume and fragrances and focus more on thick and greasy options containing emollients. After hot baths and warm showers it’s essential to apply a body moisturiser to repair damage. We suggest the Dermaquest GlycoBrite Hand and body lotion
Facial moisuriser
Emollients fill spaces in the skin where it has started to crack due to low water levels in the skin. They fill these spaces with fatty substances, called lipids, which make your skin smoother and softer while coating the skin in a light-weight oily barrier to prevent water loss. We recommend the Dermaquest Essential Moisturizer
Lip care
To cure and prevent dry and cracked lips, it’s essential to incorporate a medical-grade lip balm to your skin care routine. Biomedical’s Metabolic Lip Balm is one of the brand’s more specialised products to deliver effective solutions and maximum results.
Use sleep Masks
Overnight masks create a permeable seal on top of your skin that makes anything underneath it penetrate better.
You can apply other hydrators (serums and oils) first and then coat all of that with a thick layer of the sleep mask and it will help everything soak in more effectively.
Ingredients to look out for in your skincare products
Your skincare regime should be dynamic – changing with your skin requirements and even the seasons. Here’s what you should be incorporating into your skincare regime this winter:
Vitamin C
By using this essential nutrient in winter, your skin tone and texture will improve dramatically while reaping the benefits of this antioxidant.
We suggest using the Dermaquest C Infusion Serum on clean skin before applying additional products.
Hyaluronic Acid
HA is a vital part of any skincare regime to prevent dull, dry and saggy-looking skin. It’s found throughout the body and plays the important role of maintaining the skin’s biochemical properties. HA also helps maintain moisture levels in our skin as it’s a natural humectant.
We suggest the Dermaquest C infusion TX Mask which promotes hyaluronic acid production:
Exfoliants
Exfoliating is an essential part of your skin care routine. As dead skin cells lay on the surface of the skin, they hide new skin cells and dull complexion. During winter, your skin lays burdened with more dead skin cells which will prevent product penetration, exfoliating assists with ridding the skin if these cells.
Chemical:
Green tea:
The most important component of green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which soothes and detoxifies the skin.. Your skin is able to soak up all the goodness of this natural ingredient when it is applied topically.
3. Your Diet and hydration habits
- Drinking plenty of water and eating foods/taking supplements that contain omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids boosts skin hydration. Fatty acids like Omega 3s are essential for supple skin. If your diet is low in them, eat two servings each week of a fatty fish such as salmon or take an omega-3 capsule every day.The recommended amount of water you should be drinking is 2.7-3.7 litres each day.
- IV Drip Therapy: Packed with fluids and electrolytes, our hydration drip aims to deliver wholesome hydration in an instant when your skin and body needs a quick pick-me-up.
4. Sunscreen is not just for summer
Although your days outside may be a little cooler, don’t let this fool you into skipping on your sunscreen routine.
For ultimate sun protection:
- Apply the recommended amount (2 mg/cm2 of skin) half an hour before sun exposure as the final step of your skin care routine.
- Reapply your sunscreen every two hours when exposed to direct sunlight
5. Restoring moisture in the air
Humidifiers are a great way to restore moisture levels in the air during winter while keeping colds and flu at bay.
When purchasing a humidifier, check to see whether it has a ‘skin’ function to assist with combating dry skin.
Round up
As your trusted medical-grade skincare partner, we’ve put together a skincare plan made up of the products mentioned in this blog. Using these throughout the harsh winter months will save your skin! You’ll thank us later. For more intense treatments, book yourself in at our clinic! We promise to keep you warm and toasty.Morning and night:
It’s important to switch to a milky cleanser during the dry winter months. We recommend the Dermquest Delicate cleansing cream
Once a week
Chemical exfoliant
Dermaquest C Infusion TX mask
Every morning before moisturiser and sunscreen
Morning and night
Every morning
For dry and cracked lips:
Step 8: Lip care
Morning and night
During the day we recommend using the Mesoprotech sun-protective repairing stick while allowing your lips to recover at night with the Biomedical metabolic lip balm.
Step 7: Body cream
Night