Protect to your active winter skin

Winter is here and hey, it’s freezing! We spend a lot of time wrapping up warm to take care of our bodies, but our skin also needs care and attention. The cold dry weather outside coupled with the heat cranked up inside can lead to seriously dry and itchy skin. Plus, if you work out, active skin can be aggravated by heated indoor spaces, winter sunshine and more. Basically, your skin needs some serious TLC to keep it protected through the winter. Here are skin’s biggest winter challenges and what to do about them.

Sweating leaves skin vulnerable

When you sweat, your pores open up and this makes your skin extra vulnerable. Sweat also makes skin even colder than usual when it evaporates. There’s some solutions though. First of all, don’t rush out of the gym the second you finish your workout. Take the time to cool off and wash your face with a soothing cleanser. Letting your skin calm down before you head out the door is a great way to keep it healthy.

The sun still matters

Ok, it isn’t hot out - at all. And some days there’s hardly any sun to be seen. But here’s the thing...UV damage happens all year round. According to Skincare Expert Sharon Rozenblat, “UV radiation is responsible for up to 80% of aging caused by oxidative stress and collagen loss. Sweat also increases the skin's photosensitivity.” The key to keeping skin healthy and protected from the sun is protection. It’s super important to find a broad spectrum sunscreen that stops UVA, UVB and infrared skin damage and apply it to all exposed skin all winter long. This is especially important for swimmers and outdoor athletes, but also relevant for anyone who spends time outside.

Winter is dry skin season

We can’t stress this enough - skin gets seriously dry in winter. And this is even more so if you workout or exercise a lot. Itchy flakey skin is an unpleasant reality. The solution is to focus on hydration. According to Dermatologist Debora Landau, “In the winter, skin has less water and lipids. It’s important to stay hydrated as usual by drinking a minimum of 8 cups of water a day, but in addition you need to focus on deeply moisturizing skincare. The best solutions are those containing ceramides as they help skin retain water and are amazing hydrators.”

Stay away from hot water

When you finish your seriously sweaty spin class, all you want to do is take a nice hot shower. The thing is, excessively hot water messes with your skin by leaching vital lubricating oils, which can make all the dry skin problems of wintertime even worse. The good news is, you can take care of your skin by shorter, warm showers . Staying away from soaps and cleansers with drying ingredients like SLS and alcohol is another way to make sure those winter showers don’t leave your skin itching.

Maintaining the barrier 

The outermost layer of skin cells and the lipids that hold them together are your skin barrier. This is a protective barrier against pathogens and potential irritants in your environment. Winter dryness can damage your skin barrier and these pollutants can be absorbed, causing blemishes and rashes. To stop this from happening, you can focus on nourishing your skin through deeply hydrating and protective skincare solutions. Click HERE to read more.