Winter skin care tips.

So what are our simple suggestions for glowing winter skin?
  1. Be kind to your skin. Avoid long hot showers and baths. As tempting as they are, the intense heat actually breaks down the skin’s lipid barriers, leading to moisture loss. Overheating at night will have a similar effect. And don’t forget to moisturise your skin all over after a shower, ideally applying to slightly damp skin for optimal absorption.
  2. Moisturise more. Consider changing to a heavier moisturiser if your skin is feeling tight or dry, or becoming flaky. Heavier creams or ointments will provide better moisturisation than light creams or lotions (such as those in pump packs), which have more added water. You can also look for lotions containing "humectants," a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol and alpha-hydroxy acids) that draw moisture to your skin and bind it.
  3. Lubricate your lips. Use a hydrating, SPF 50+ lip balm to avoid dry, cracked lips.
  4. Give your hands a hand. The skin on your hands is thinner and has fewer oil glands than most other parts of the body, so it can dry out more easily especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking of the skin. Remember to moisturise your hands after washing and wear gloves if it’s cold outside.
  5. Slather on sunscreen. Make sure you still use a sunscreen in winter as winter sun and snow glare can still damage your skin. Deeper penetrating and ageing UVA is present all year round and even penetrates cloud cover. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and hands (if they're exposed) 20-30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours if outside.
 

Winter skin care tips.

So what are our simple suggestions for glowing winter skin?

  1. Be kind to your skin. Avoid long hot showers and baths. As tempting as they are, the intense heat actually breaks down the skin’s lipid barriers, leading to moisture loss. Overheating at night will have a similar effect. And don’t forget to moisturise your skin all over after a shower, ideally applying to slightly damp skin for optimal absorption.
  2. Moisturise more. Consider changing to a heavier moisturiser if your skin is feeling tight or dry, or becoming flaky. Heavier creams or ointments will provide better moisturisation than light creams or lotions (such as those in pump packs), which have more added water. You can also look for lotions containing "humectants," a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol and alpha-hydroxy acids) that draw moisture to your skin and bind it.
  3. Lubricate your lips. Use a hydrating, SPF 50+ lip balm to avoid dry, cracked lips.
  4. Give your hands a hand. The skin on your hands is thinner and has fewer oil glands than most other parts of the body, so it can dry out more easily especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking of the skin. Remember to moisturise your hands after washing and wear gloves if it’s cold outside.
  5. Slather on sunscreen. Make sure you still use a sunscreen in winter as winter sun and snow glare can still damage your skin. Deeper penetrating and ageing UVA is present all year round and even penetrates cloud cover. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and hands (if they're exposed) 20-30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours if outside.