It’s that time of year again. Even in Los Angeles, the temperatures drop, the air becomes a little dryer than we’re used to, and our skin begins to struggle. Every year like clock work. This year is no different. My dryer than normal lips are telling me it’s time to send this friendly reminder.
We should definitely show our skin a little extra love as we welcome the fall season. It’s the perfect time to help our skin recover from summer and prepare for the cooler winter months. Seasonal changes with a loss of moisture from the air can provoke problems; flaking, itching, stinging, redness and inflammation. These are signs that your skin cannot properly protect you from environmental challenges, including a change in season. These symptoms mean your skin is crying out for help! Let’s try and stay ahead of this! As they say… an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
1. Gentle cleansing: Opt for a gentle oil cleanse. My absolute favorites Michele Corley Pore Clearing Cleansing Oil for acne prone skin, or the Michele Corley Calming Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover for dry, compromised, and sensitive skin.
2. Switch up your moisturizer: So what can we do if the lotion we know and love feels like it’s no longer working? Well what we don’t do is blame the moisturizer and the horse it rode in on (it’s me, I’m the horse). Instead we need to shelf that moisturizer and move into one that will suit us for these colder months.
Let’s take a little science detour here..
Skin barrier. I know, it’s my favorite topic. ;) One of the ingredients that makes up our skin barrier is Ceramides. Ceramides have become quite the buzzword lately, as they should, as they are SO important for skin health, and hydration!
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Ceramides are a crucial part of the lipid (oil) portion of our skin barrier. They are directly responsible for our skin’s ability to retain water. They are the mortar of the ‘brick & mortar’ analogy of skin. Check out the above visual. If you left a glass of water sitting on the counter, eventually that water will evaporate. Now, pour oil in the glass, this keeps the water from evaporating. Translation… this keeps our skin hydrated, while staying protected from the environmental aggressors.This is especially important as we make our way to the colder months.
The skin barrier is solely responsible for the sustained retention of hydration. And it’s not just a change in season that creates a challenge for our skin barrier. There are many factors that contribute; age, diet, medication, peeling the skin (don’t get me started on ‘peel season’), wrong skin care, and the list goes on. Embracing and protecting skin barrier health is the philosopy I align myself with. No surprise there. And the products I choose to work with also follow the corneotherapy principles.
TheAnteAGE® Moisturizers and Dermaviduals DMS Creams are designed to provide your skin with deep hydration, moisturization, and assist in repairing the skins protective barrier. Following corneotherapy principles, these formulas respect skin functionality. |
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| Now let’s get back on course |
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| 3. SPF: Yup! Even in winter, protect your skin from UV rays with daily use of SPF! ~ first two full finger lengths worth for face and neck.
4. Avoid hot showers: Sorry. Hot showers can dehydrate your skin. Opt for luke warm water instead. This one will be tough for me, too. 🙂
5. Invest in a humidifier!: A humidifier can help bring moisture back to the air. This is something I repeat every year. A reminder never hurts. :)
Cheers to fall and winter! We can get through this together! |
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