Good-bye Winter Skin!

Cold winter weather can drain the skin of moisture and hydration but do not despair, there is plenty to do to help your skin be its best.

• Cleanse your skin morning and night with a gentle cleanser. I suggest ZO offects cleanser that comes in formulations for normal to dry skin and normal to oily skin. Using the clarisonic brush also enables you to get a good cleanse with your cleanser and helps remove dead skin from the surface to help brighten the skin!
• Moisturize your skin but look for moisturizer that is composed of nonclogging oils like avocado oil and use products that have humectants. These are ingredients that help attract moisture to the skin like sorbitol, gylcerin and alpha hydroxy acids. Some moisturizing products I suggest are: Skinseuticals hydrating B serum, Neostrata Bionic Cream, Eucerin lotion in small quantities, and the Avene hydrating mask to use at home. Bio-Oil is another product that can help give your skin a little boost.
• Exfoliate twice a week to help brighten skin with a glycolic acid or light scrub. ZO offects exfoliating is gentle on the face
• Gentle peels, like salicylic, lactic and glycolic peels can also help exfoliate and brighten the skin. These can be done every 1- 2 weeks.
• Hydration and exercise are key to getting your blood circulating and helps flush toxins get out of the body
• Wear sunscreen! Just because we cannot see the sun does not mean harmful UVA rays are not getting to our skin causing skin damage like wrinkles and sunspots. It is always important to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of 30 that protects against UVA and UVB. If you are lucky enough to get away to the slopes or the sun, remember to re-apply your sunscreen every 2-3 hours
• Some people find winter weather especially difficult because of how red the skin becomes. I recommend the skinceuticals redness corrector. Do not use a hot bath or shower. This can exacerbate dilated blood vessels. Try a cooler bath or shower and pat the body off when you come out.
• Diet: Foods high in fish oil help maintain water in the skin and therefore helps maintain plumpness. Antioxidants like Vitamin E, selenium and Vitamin B: are also crucial to maintaining moisture in the skin. Foods such as nuts, fruits (mango, blueberries), and dark green veggies are great to nibble on in the colder months.
• Stop the sugar: sugar stimulates the sebaceous glands that promote spot formation