Enough of those winter snow storms! It’s wreaking havoc on the skin! Not to mention everyone’s mood.
Maybe it’s time for a little skin rehab, some TLC for poor dehydrated winter skin.
Here are a few of my tips to help coax life back into your skin.
For dehydrated skin it’s important to look for not only moisturizing ingredients but also humectant ingredients. Humectants retard moisture loss by keeping water locked in the surface layers of the skin but also by drawing moisture from the surrounding air. A great example of a humectant is sodium hyaluronate. This is a key ingredient of several great moisturizing creams that have the added benefit of plumping the skin and reducing the look of wrinkles.
Two of my favorites are: Embryolisse creme riche Hydratante which has hyaluronate with antioxidants and La Roche Posay Redermic [C] UV, a powerful mix of hyaluronate and vitamin C.
Which brings me to vitamin C which is a great ingredient for dull skin. If you feel your skin is lacking in it’s glow department , think of moisturizing and adding a brightening cream loaded with antioxidants , such as vitamin C. Many of these creams are labeled as brightening creams, I really love Clarins Bright Plus HP Repairing brightening night cream.
Another way of brightening up tired skin is to exfoliate gently. Exfoliating speeds up cell turnover leading to a brighter complexion. I say gently because I think many people mistakenly think they need to scrub their skin which I think leads to more irritation and stripping the skin of it’s natural oils. For a gentler exfoliation, try ones with glycolic acid, AHA’s ( alpha hydroxy acids) or lactic acid. I’m really into Le Weekend de Chanel, part of a trio of products , Le jour, La nuit and Le weekend. I love this one though for it’s scent of rose and glycolic acid for exfoliating and moisturizing. (Oh and I’ve been known to use it during the week too…oh la la!)
For those with redness and sensitive skin, look for creams that are specifically labeled anti redness and sensitive skin. They should be formulated without the common ingredients that irritate skin such as fragrances, essential oils, certain preservatives and even alpha hydroxy acids. Avene has a great line of products specifically for redness and irritation. I really like Avene skin recovery anti-rougeurs.
If you really want to get into some home pampering, curl up by the fire, tune in to netflix (I’m still going back and forth between Game of Thrones and Homeland) and pop on one of those cloth masks. I love the one from Missha called White Cure, hydro gel mask that helps to eliminate dark spots and increase brightness. Add some serious lip balm , like Dior’s creme de rose or Elizabeth Arden’s eight hour lip protectant, and you will wake up in the morning looking refreshed.