Welcome To...Winter Skin Care by Holly Ralston Oyler
Several weeks ago, I was sitting on the front balcony reading in the afternoon sun. Last week, the temperatures were hovering in the low teens with wind creating wind-chill factors in the single digits. This past we had sleet and snow showers and dry air blowing around for a few days.
And I wonder why my skin is sitting up and yelling at me 24/7 saying “you there with the brain, I’m in trauma here. I hurt, I’m itchy, I’m cracked and if you don’t do something quickly, I’m going to get down right prickly!”
Changes in the skin as the weather becomes cooler are pretty much the same, nationwide – no matter where you live. Shorter daylight hours, less sun, drier air, colder temperatures (not to mention temperatures going from the 60’s to zero in a matter of days) all have a dramatic influence upon skin conditions.
Cooler temperatures sedate the sebaceous gland; producing dramatically less sebum and necessitating the added protection of increased emollients on the skin. You will find that as sebum decreases, you will need to incorporate more protective skin care products into your daily routine. Dryness, burning, flaking, itching and redness are all readily apparent signs that your skin is in trauma and needs some help.
Cold air and wind are the skins most dreaded enemies during the winter. Dehydration of the skin can happen overnight and lead to cracking and flaking. Even teen and mature oily skin types experience this problem. Cold and dehydration make sensitive skins even more sensitive, so plan on using products with aloe, chamomile and Vitamin C.
Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize some more… Use a moisturizer that works for you. Changing to a goo-like product may feel like a logical choice, but it may not be good for your skin – especially your facial area. Body lotions and creams can be heavier and more goo-like with no problems. Putting the same product on your face may feel good at the time, but after a few applications, your skin will feel weighed down and appear dull looking. You may also notice blackheads and milia (those hard little white bumps). If you are prone to oily skin during the rest of the year, acne eruptions will usually follow. Bottom line is different products for the face and body.
Change the products you use during the winter months… Changing household and personal products used during the winter months can save you a lot of discomfort when it comes to dry skin. Switch to unscented products if needed. Use fabric softeners in the laundry and change your laundry detergent if you find yourself itching at night.
Know your fabrications… Avoiding fabrics that make you itch would seem easy to do. It’s not. You can wear a garment and not itch and the very next time you put it on, you will itch like crazy. TIP: In your Winter Car Kit (what? You don’t have one? See sidebar) pack a long-sleeve cotton tee and a long-sleeve cotton turtle neck shirt. If you start itching during the day, go to your car and pull the shirt you can best hide under the garment that is creating the itch. Go to the rest room and put the shirt under the garment and just like that – no itching.
Try to be formaldehyde free… It is estimated that 4 to 8 percent of the general population is sensitized to formaldehyde. Unfortunately, it is one of the most widely used ingredients and you will find it in everything from nail hardeners to shampoo, carpet/fabric dyes to hair-growing products. It is used as a disinfectant, germicide, fungicide, defoamer and preservative – so you can see the wide range of products that could possibly use it in their formulations.
Have you ever walked into a fabric store and had your eyes tear up right away? Formaldehyde. Did you ever have new carpet installed only to experience shortness of breath, vertigo, headaches and again, itchy, red and irritated eyes? Formaldehyde. The first and common treatment option is exfoliation – a cosmetic technique aimed at removing dead skin cells from the face and body. Don’t panic, we are not talking an expensive salon, spa or physicians office treatment here. There are several methods and products which do an excellent job at exfoliating without being expensive, time consuming or difficult to do.
Drink lots of fluids… Staying hydrated on the inside is just as important (actually more so) than keeping your skin hydrated. Drink lots of water in place of sodas and caffeine – which are extremely dehydrating. For those of you that know me personally, you can stop laughing now, I really am trying to drink water instead of Diet Cokes® – it really does make a difference.
Create a home environmental oasis… Purchase a humidifier to make the air less dry in your home, or a least your bedroom. You can also put pans of water near your heater vents or on top of radiators to help out. Plan your trips in and out of the house and be sure you have moisturized any areas that will be exposed when you do venture out.
Use every tip, trick and treat in the book… For winter comfort. You will find several quick and easy tips, tricks and treats in the side bars of this newsletter. Use them and enjoy. By the way, don’t feel like you should have known most of them before reading this. I didn’t know most of them before researching content for this newsletter and I have been “in-the-industry” for 49-years!
Do you travel by car a lot during the winter months? Be sure to read the Winter Car Survival Kit
Copyright 1994 - 2009 by Holly Ralston Oyler, Holly Cosmetics, Hollycosmetics.com and Medical Image Products. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. Individuals may download and print pages for their personal use. All articles and content are available for reprint used with permission and author credit. For permissions, email Holly at hollyoyler@mac.com
