Help Your Winter Skin Glow Up

Winter time can be a drag, especially to your skin.  The cold air outside and the dry air inside can leave your skin feeling itchy, irritated, and red from head to toe.  Hot showers, wool sweaters, and sitting by the fire can feel nice during the winter, but your skin will be left dehydrated and irritated.  So how do you get your skin moisturized?  Think lotion will do the trick?  Not so fast, your winter skin needs a combination of seasonal care.  Here are ways to get your skin to glow up during the winter months.

Moisturize your skin

Seems simple, drink water and use lotion – you should be done.  Yet, the dryness of winter skin needs a bit more love.

• Use a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep and in your office to add moisture into the air and hydrate your skin. Heating your home too much can be a culprit – try keeping the temperature at 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit
• During the winter months, choosing a cream over lotion is a better choice – as it is more moisturizing than most lotions
• Use cream or lotion twice a day – once in the morning and once at night to consistently moisturize your skin
• Moisturize right after your bath or shower – use lukewarm water rather than hot water as this can make your skin turn red and irritated
• Look for moisturizing products with ingredients that repair your skin such as retinol, ceramides, linolenic acid, and adenosine
• Moisturize your face and hands frequently, paying special attention to your lips as they can become chapped and cracked during the winter months

Use sunscreen

You may think that the gloomy, gray skies of winter mean that sunscreen isn’t needed.  However, the UV rays that can cause the skin to age and skin cancer are still there during overcast cold days according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.

• Apply a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher
• Make sure to apply sunscreen when there is snow as it reflects the sun’s rays up to 80% which can increase your risk of exposure

Dress in layers

Many fabrics for cold-weather clothing can make dry winter skin worse – such as wool

• Protect your skin with cotton or softer fabrics under irritating materials
• Wet and cold weather can also cause wet clothes and shoes. Change out of them as soon as possible to avoid itchy skin

Itchy Skin

As the winter progresses, skin can become flaky and itchy.  In addition to moisturizing here are ways to help stop the itchiness:

• Exfoliate with a soft scrub gently – when you rid your skin of dead cells, your skin will be clearer and the moisturizer you use can penetrate deeper
• Pat your skin dry after a shower or bath instead of rubbing which can irritate your skin further
• Use a skin cleanser that is gentle and without natural ingredients to help your skin retain its natural oils
• Eat a diet in healthy fats like omega-3 rich foods such as flaxseeds, walnuts, mackerel, tuna, herring, salmon, sardines, and halibut

Winter and eczema

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin condition that causes the skin to be inflamed, scaly, itchy, red, and very dry.  Flare-ups can increase during the winter.  Eczema can worsen in the winter due to:

• Dry indoor heating
• Cold dry air
• Too many layers of clothing or blankets
• Stress
• Skin irritants
• Infections
• Allergens like dust and pet dander

Using a humidifier, gentle soap, thick moisturizer, and skipping hot baths can be helpful for soothing eczema flare-ups.  Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and taking vitamin D supplements can help reduce the symptoms caused by eczema.

Winter and psoriasis

As with eczema, during the winter months, psoriasis symptoms can flare up for the same reasons previously mentioned.  Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that causes flaking, inflammation, swollen and stiff joints, dry, cracked skin, and thick red, white, or silvery patches of the skin.

Psoriasis triggers

• Cold, dry weather
• Infections
• Stress
• Smoking
• Certain medications
• Risk factors include family history, smoking, and stress

In addition to the aforementioned ways to soothe winter skin and eczema, it is recommended that those with winter psoriasis flare-up also try to ease stress and boost their mood with sunlight or light therapy.

Supplements for Dry Skin

In addition to winter, dry skin can be exacerbated by allergies, dehydration, aging, and nutrition deficiencies.  Moisturizers and changes to your environment and lifestyle can go a long way, but you can also help your skin from the inside with nutritional supplements.

Vitamin D

The skin cells that make up your outer layer of skin, also known as the epidermis, are called keratinocytes.  Keratinocytes can form vitamin D from its precursor 7-Dehydrocholesterol and the only cells in your body that can.  People with low levels of vitamin D were found in studies to be associated with skin conditions – such as eczema and psoriasis. Studies show a correlation between vitamin D levels and skin moisture.

Vitamin D also supports skin function in the following ways:

• Integral to skin barrier function
• Supports skin cell growth
• Supports the skin immune system
• Helps improve symptoms from skin disorders including eczema
• Help reduce symptoms of dry, itchy skin
• Improves skin hydration

Collagen

Collagen is the protein that determines our skin physiology.

• Maintains the skin structure
• Supports smooth, firm, and strong skin

Collagen makes up about 75% of your skin’s dry weight and is the most abundant protein in your body. Collagen supplementation can help increase skin hydration and decrease the depth of wrinkles.  Studies also show that collagen improves skin elasticity as well. As we age collagen formation decreases, along with environmental and lifestyle factors such as sunlight, smoking, pollution, alcohol abuse and nutrition deficiencies begin to cause diminished elasticity, wrinkles, and lines, and the skin is drier and thinner as a result.

Fish Oil

Fish oil contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)  both essential fatty acids that support skin health:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Boosts skin hydration
• Reduces water loss in skin
• Relieve skin dryness and itchiness
• Helps with dry, scaly skin like with psoriasis

Vitamin C

The skin contains a lot of vitamin C, is essential for collagen production, and is a skin-protective antioxidant.  Studies show that vitamin C boosts skin moisture and reduces roughness in the skin.

Aloe vera

Traditionally used for its medicinal benefits for centuries, aloe vera is a skin-healing cactus that has more than 75 active compounds including minerals, enzymes, vitamins, salicylic acids, and amino acids.  Well-known for its ability to soothe and heal sunburns, aloe vera’s skin benefits only just start there.

Aloe vera is beneficial for skin:

• Helps to fade dark spots
• Moisturizes skin
• Helps to replenish hydration and soothe irritation on your scalp
• Stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid
• Decreases the appearance of fine lines
• Supports skin elasticity
• May clear acne
• Soothes psoriasis and eczema
• Treats dandruff
• It May help fade stretch marks

Probiotics

When you think of probiotics, you may think of your gut instead of your skin, however, there is a unique microbiome (microbes) in your skin.  These microbiomes regulate inflammation and help protect us against pathogens.  Since skin is the largest organ in the body it is exposed to physical, bacterial, chemical, and fungal challenges constantly.

Therapies for skin using probiotics have also been found useful when treating eczema, atopic dermatitis, acne, allergic inflammation, and UV-induced skin damage.

Keeping your skin microbiome balanced is the key to skin health.  A healthy gut microbiome helps your skin heal faster, reduces allergens, reduces UV damage, reduces inflammation, and makes your skin glow.  Imbalances can lead to skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne, rosacea, eczema, and fungal infections.  Poor gut health can also increase inflammation, cause thinning and wrinkling of the skin and increase sun damage and oxidative stress.

Balance your skin microbiome by:

Avoid overusing anti-bacterial soaps which can throw your microbiome off balance

Add probiotic-rich foods (fermented or containing active and live cultures) to your diet including yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, gouda, sourdough bread, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar

Prebiotics found in high-fiber-carbohydrate plant foods including oatmeal, oat milk, yams, asparagus, apples, leeks, and jicama

Self-care for winter skin

Finally, during the winter months, your skin can become more sensitive and need more care.  Find a skincare routine that is simple and includes a gentle cleanser, a good cream or moisturizing lotion, a serum to give your skin nutrients, and a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

• Moisturize throughout the day and at night before you go to sleep to keep your skin consistently hydrated.
• Avoid over-washing you’re your skin and stay away from harsh exfoliants
• Use tepid water instead of hot water
• Test new skin products before using them to see if your winter skin reacts badly to it
• Use fragrance sparingly, many have chemicals that can irritate already sensitive skin