Winter skincare

With the winter months drawing in, taking extra care with your skincare regime is a must. Are you familiar with dry skin and chapped lips? Dr Matthew Moore shares his expert knowledge on what happens to our skin during the colder months as well as solutions on keeping your skin happy.

Dry, chapped skin

Although we may think of Autumn and Winter as being a wet and cold season, it is actually very dry as there is less air humidity. This is especially prominent in exposed areas such as the face, neck and hands, which can cause a ‘weather-beaten’ look, and also those most at risk of developing skin cancer. Moving your exercise regime indoors to the gym can also cause your skin to become dry with increased exposure to central heating or air conditioning systems. Solution: Make sure to use a high quality moisturiser that is enriched with ingredients that can protect and repair your skin against weathering. Using a moisturiser like Enhance & Protect will provide a protective layer against external damage as it combines several ingredients such as retinol, hyaluronic acid, DMAE, antioxidants and hydrolysed wheat proteins which help protect from free radicals and external damage.

Blocked pores

The cold environment experienced by our skin during outdoor activities tightens the skin, restricting the ability of the pores to breathe properly. This inhibits their natural function, clogging them and therefore reducing the release of the naturally-produced protective oils. This can make the skin susceptible to drying and infection (spots and blackheads).  Eczema sufferers will identify with their skin worsening as the weather changes. Solution: Use a cleanser that will go deep into the pores to cleanse any impurities. An exfoliator will also help remove any excess dirt. Our Active Cleanse cleans the skin deeply into the pores to lift away ingrained impurities, pollutants, surplus oils and dead skin cells, and purifies the skin with natural antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities. The core active ingredients include Vitamin C, salicylic acid, and glycerine to leave your skin feeling fresh, clean, revitalized and soft.

Broken veins and increased redness

Capillary blood vessels in the skin act to regulate skin temperature: when warm they will dilate and enlarge to lose heat, and when cold they will constrict and narrow to conserve heat.  When entering a warm building from the cold outside (or vice versa), the sudden change in the size of the capillaries as they respond to the temperature differences, can cause broken veins and increased redness to the skin.  You may also be tempted to indulge in a hotter bath or shower than usual, however the heat from the water melts away the skin’s natural protective oil, and along with the drying action of most soaps, will cause cracked rough skin. We have all got into a hot bath when our feet are cold, giving the sensation of scolding pain.  This is our body warning us that this is not right. Solution: It is more sensible to start in a warm bath and add hot water slowly to raise the temperature. CJ Skinhealth’s Active Cleanse keeps ours pores open to allow replenishment of our skin’s oil and Enhance & Protect has active ingredients to soothe, nourish and reduce inflammation to prevent and reduce the redness of broken capillaries.

Sun damage from skiing holidays

Some of us may be lucky enough to enjoy a ski holiday this winter, but we want to caution against being a recipient of the dreaded ‘ski goggle burn’. The intensity of the sun is greater at a higher altitude, producing similar sun exposure to that found on a beach holiday. Furthermore, the albedo nature of snow reflects the majority of the sun’s radiation back to us. The cold environment cools the skin, preventing the sensation of heat that usually warns us that our skin is getting sunburnt. Solution: Make sure to protect yourself with a high-quality SPF of at least 30+ to avoid damaging your skin.  Our Enhance & Protect’s SPF 30 has been specifically formulated not to run into your eyes and sting if you sweat.

Lack of hydration

During the summer we all know that it is advised to drink more water. However, this advice seems to die down during the colder months, as we are no longer losing water through sweating. During the winter it is equally as important to maintain hydrated for your skin, as a result of the drying effects from the weather. Solution: continue maintaining the recommended two litres of water per day and continue to aide the skin’s moisture by incorporating a good skin care regime to lock in moisture such as CJ Skinhealth’s Enhance and Protect.

Dr Matthew Moore summaries that it’s important we continue to enjoy the outdoors and exercise during the colder months.  We can’t stop our skin’s exposure to wind, cold and other environmental factors, but we can defend against it.  Our skin wants to protect our bodies but comes under daily attack by the elements and environmental free radicals, not to mention the impact our actions have to weaken it further.  We owe it to ourselves to look after our skin.  By using high quality skincare products such as CJ Skinhealth, our skin can remain protected and cleansed. Getting into a good skin care regime will help to reduce signs of ageing and damage, and will prepare you for the day’s activities ahead. Our proprietary formulations put all our knowledge and experience into just two comprehensive skin care treatments, that complement each other, and most importantly are quick and easy to use in our busy and demanding lives.