The shift from long hot summer days to shorter cooler winter days brings limited sunlight and cooler temperatures… that, combined with central heating, can begin to take a toll on our delicate skin. Our summer glow begins to fade and we end up with more of a dry, dull complexion that craves some serious nutrition and hydration. It’s time to work from the inside and the outside to see true results.
Here are some of our top recommendations to keep your skin radiant as we transition to the season of dry skin.
Drink Water
An easy way to keep hydrated is to drink water! Well hydrated skin cells are plumper, more resilient and therefore less prone to wrinkles.Our skin is the last organ to receive water so make sure you drink enough. Herbal teas are another great way to keep hydrated and warm in winter. Some good ones for the skin include green, jasmine, rooibos, white and oolong they are antioxidant rich and great for anti-aging. Chamomille, peppermint, passion flower and kava can work by calming you from the inside out, blood cleansing teas can be great for clearing up the skin and things like burdock, echinacea and milk thistle are purifying and can help prevent breakouts.
EFA’s
Internal
An esthetician’s goal is to strengthen the barrier of a dry skin. They do this by using emollient products high in lipid content to support the skin’s ability to retain moisture. We can use all the help we can get and that’s why we love to tell our clients to eat a diet rich in EFA’s. Cell membranes help hold onto water and EFA’s assist the cell membrane in retaining moisture! Foods abundant in EFA’s include brazil nuts, almonds, chia seeds sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and wild caught fish. Adequate EFA’s really do make the skin glow and protect against moisture loss. Organic cold pressed hemp oil has the perfect ratio of omega 3,6 & 9 and contains a high amount of linoleic acid which is a natural component in skin oil and when the skin is lacking an adequate amount the pores can become sticky and clogged. Cold pressed Hemp oil also contains a high amount of Omega 3 & 6 that can help protect, aid in healing and improve elasticity. Coconut oil contains tryglicerides, which are healthy fats that plump skin membranes and cells by keeping them hydrated. Without these fats the skin becomes dehydrated no matter the amount of water you drink.
External
The immediate anti-aging benefits of topically applying face oils out weighs the fears people have about them. There are several different oils that can be beneficial for different skin types. Overall they allow deep and lasting plumping and leave the skin with a radiant glow. We call the Facial Recovery Oil from Eminence liquid gold for it’s incredible hydrating and repair properties and the Calendula Oil is perfect to soothe and calm a irritated skin. The Rosehip Triple C & Serum that will be introduced January 1, 2016 will be a great source of Vitamin C & E and will help prevent glycation of the skin cells.
Exfoliate
Although exfoliation does strip the skin of moisture, getting rid of those dead skin cells will make it softer and allow your moisturizers, masks and serums to penetrate deeper leaving the skin less dry in the long run. Winter is the best time of year to follow an exfoliating regimen. Come in monthly for a professional peel and maintain the results at home with either the Vitaskin Solution Peels, Pear and Poppy Microderm polisher or The Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. Schedule a complimentary private skin consultation to find out which exfoliate will be most beneficial for your winter skin.
Masque
Maintain that healthy glow to your skin this winter with weekly face masques. There are several varieties to choose from between hydrating, stimulating and pore refining. Eminence has some nice warming masques that use Hungarian Paprika to stimulate blood circulation and activates the lymphatic system to carry excess waste and fluid in the tissues. These masques will leave the skin firm, plump and radiant for days to follow. We love the Lime stimulating that invigorates, oxygenates and re-mineralizes a dull winter skin. The Carrot Vitamin Masque is full of vitamins and healing ingredients and contains linseed a great source of Omega 3’s. You can put it on and go sleep, when you wake up your skin’s hydration will be restored.