Ask the Experts Blog

With winter weather in full swing, what better time to draw attention to the seasonal effects on your skin than now? Medical Skincare Specialist, Almond Pond of BellaNova Women's Health shares more about what exactly is happening to our skin during the dry, cold months and how to keep it healthy. 

"All summer long, our skin mixes with natural oils and the moisture in the air, keeping it hydrated," explained Almond. "But as winter nears, the air becomes drier and colder. This leads to the skin becoming dehydrated."

Skin “turns over” approximately every 28 days. Yet when it becomes dry, the cells die faster and the body can’t keep up, leaving irritated, flaky skin. Aside from discomfort and itching, this can lead to clogged pores and increased acne.

But fear not! There are several steps that you can take to avoid dehydrated skin and keep it healthy during the winter months.

1. Change Your Moisturizer - Remember the air is drier now, so the moisturizer that worked so well for you during the summer might not be as effective in the winter.
2. Consider A Serum - If you are someone with naturally oily skin, a serum may be more beneficial to you, as they specialize in penetrating the skin. This can be difficult for some creams if the skin is oily. Almond recommends hydrating B5 gel as an effective serum product to look for.
3. Mixing Serums with Humectants - A combination of a serum with a cream on top hydrates the skin 10 times faster than the cream would on its own. Furthermore, a humectant cream provides a protective layer on top to help keep the wind and harsh weather at bay, while the serum does its work. Emollience is a humectant cream that Almond recommends.
4. Drink Plenty of Water - It’s not just your skin that is losing moisture, but the rest of your body as well. Make sure to drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated, which in turn also benefits your skin’s battle against the elements.
5. Be Aware of Sensitive Skin - Due to the humidity, wind, and temperature, your skin is much more sensitive in the winter months than the rest of the year. It is for this reason that you should be cautious when using over-the-counter drugs, as they may be too strong. This can lead to sensitive skin becoming irritated and developing contact dermatitis.
6. What About Sunscreen? - It may seem like a strange idea, wearing sunscreen in the winter, but Almond says, “snow reflects up to 80 percent of the UV rays, so our skin is actually getting hit with the same UV rays twice, that is why SPF is necessary even in the winter.” She recommends a minimum of 15 SPF, and encourages the use of overall moisturizers with sunblock, such as Anthelios SX.