Here are some dry skin tips you can use this winter!
- Do consider Vaseline or Aquafor as your best friend! If you have areas that are dry from the elements you can use either product to protect barrier impaired skin. Use the product before you apply your serums if you have areas of the skin to protect. Make sure when you do apply exfoliants like Mandelic Serums, Salicylic or Retinol products to cover chapped lips, cracks, cold sores, or any other sore areas. You can apply before you cleanse your skin. Its great to have two cleansers one that exfoliates and one for gentle skin, just in case your skin goes from normal to sensitive, dry, or chapped.
- Do keep your lips hydrated. Aquafor or Vaseline make great lip products too, the size of the molecule is too large to penetrate the pore and lead to blackheads around the lip. Keep in mind your Chapstick can have exfoliants in them leading to dryer lips. Plus, almost all over the counter lip products have comedogenic ingredients in them like coconut oil or shea butter. They may feel good on the lips but will lead to blackheads around the mouth in 3-6 months in the acne prone!
- Do take shorter and cooler showers! The hot water in your cleansing or showering routine can dehydrate skin.
- Do drink lots of water!
- Do layer your skin care like you layer your clothes. Include a serum or two, that hydrates and provides protection into your skin care routine. Choose ingredients like hyaluronic, vitamin C (protects the skin), and green tea (antioxidants and skin protection). Apply lots of a high quality moisturizer and layer this over the top of your serums and finally, as always apply your sunscreen!
- Don’t put your moisturizer around the eye area or on top of the eye unless its an eye cream! Layering those products can be irritating and lead to irritating skin problems, not to mention run into the eye. Eye creams are specially created to be applied in that area because it is more sensitive.
- Do use your sunscreen! Number one product to use year round is your sunscreen! If you use any products that are exfoliants (and I know you do) it is a must, and if you add in winter elements like sun, wind, or rain, its best to be protected. Ingredients like Zinc, in sunscreens help soothe, heal, and protect skin! If you have redness in your skin that never goes away or have Rosacea where sun is one of your skin triggers, it’s best to protect it and keep it safe! Even if you have acne there are sunscreens that are cosmetically elegant for your skin, see an acne specialist for many options. Keep in mind sunscreens cannot be saved from summer to summer! Consider it expired in a year, so use it year round for beautiful skin!
Rachel Geschke
Skin and Acne Specialist LLC