Before you venture out into winter's cold and winds, medical esthetician Emily Doster, RN, LVPG Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has tips to help you keep your skin hydrated and healthy throughout the season.
“You want to be hydrated from within. Skin is a very inside-out story, so make sure to drink water,” she says. “I get a lot of people who say they have tried every lip product out there and their lips are still chapped. It really means they are dehydrated.”
Doster says there are several preventive strategies for you to shield your skin from the ravages of winter and the magnified sun exposure from snow cover.
Along with hydration, Doster recommends drinking hydrolyzed collagen. Collagen provides amino acids that not only help to maintain hydrated skin, they also provide proteins to hair, skin, nails, joints and the digestive system. Hydrolyzed collagen can be stirred into herbal teas, coffee or soup.
Doster also recommends that other beneficial supplements, such as biotin or multivitamins, be taken in liquid form or dissolved in liquid for better absorption.
To supplement your regimen, Doster offers in-office corrective treatments such as chemical peels, microneedling and laser skin rejuvenation and hair reduction.
Good skin care: the basics
Regardless of season, Doster says, good skin care starts with the cleansing basics: removing makeup and sunscreen with close attention to moisturizing and hydration.
“My favorites include a micellar water and/or an oil cleanser – a gentle, nonfoaming cleanser for fall and winter; a mild, gel-based cleanser for spring and summer – a toner (enzyme or gentle acid base – no alcohol) and a season-appropriate moisturizer.”
Best skin-care routine should include:
- A thin, protective layer of moisturizer – gel-based in the summer or heavier cream or balm in winter should be applied first to moisturize and hydrate the skin then followed by a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, applied last to offer the best protection from the suns harmful UVA/UVB rays.
- A high-quality antioxidant serum such as vitamins C and E.
- A gentle daily exfoliant, preferably a form of vitamin A, (retinol or retinoic acid) that your skin can tolerate. Retinol, which speeds the process of cell turnover, visibly improves tone (even color), texture (smooth fine lines) and overall skin clarity (fewer visible pores and breakouts). Vitamin A can be used with a moisturizer to prevent possible side effects such as dryness or flaking.
- If vitamin A is not for you, try gentle alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs). Doster recommends blends of lactic and glycolic acids or lactic acid and salicylic acids. Glycolic acid body wash and lotions also will exfoliate dry skin all over, including feet, arms, legs and elbows.
“Lactic acid gently sweeps away dead surface skin, attracts water to the surface of the skin and allows hyaluronic acid molecules more water to hold on to. Hydrated and exfoliated skin doesn't wrinkle as easily and also looks dewy and healthy, even during the most brutal winters.”
- Add a sunless tanner to face and body moisturizers to give skin a healthy glow in winter.
Doster also says winter is a great time for in-office procedures such as medium-depth chemical peels, laser hair reduction or laser skin rejuvenation and microneedling treatments.
Make your skin care routine a priority this winter. For a consultation with Doster, visit LVHN.org/facialesthetics or call 888-402-LVHN.
Lehigh Valley Health Network | lvhn.org
This post is a sponsored collaboration between Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh Valley Style.
