Baby It’s Cold Outside! The Winter Skin Care Matrix of Excellence
Is it snowing outside? No, it’s flakey skin! Welcome to winter everyone, where the days are shorter, the air can bite and our skin is as dull as our mood. Never fear, there’s an action plan to tide you over from January to the first daffodil blooms in March.
Enter, the Winter Skin Care Matrix of Excellence.
This works just like the original, but the dividing price between high and low is $40. And, this takes into account your winter world beyond your skin to include scalp hair, nails and even laundry products, because chillier air takes it’s toll everywhere.
At the doctor:
1. Right now is the best time to check out getting a laser treatment or chemical peel, because there is less sun, most people get less sun exposure and it’s cold out. Both heat and sun are much stronger after April and can undue all the work of the treatment because your skin is so raw.
In your body:
2. Omega 3 supplement. Take 3000mg a day to start your metababolism and burn fat like tinder. Avocados, salmon and lots and lots of water also keep you moisturized from the inside out. Yes, you can include guacamole.
On your face:
3. Switch to a rich,non drying cleanser like CereVa Hydrating Cleanser. About $12
4. I get lazy about sunscreen in the winter, especially if I’m just walking to and from work. So I wear a moisturizer with a sunscreen baked in. A nice one to try is Avene Hydrance Optimale SPF 35. About $30.
5. Exfoliate, but not too much. You need to remove those flakes or they’ll get trapped under all that rich moisturizer and that would be gross. My choice is Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel, especially the one with the self tanner so I don’t look like a pasty. About $28
6. Boost your moisturizing with a serum underneath. There seems to be nothing Jose Moran Argon Oil (about $48) can’t do, but I also like the pricier Ren Rose 12 Moisture Defense Serum for about bout $80.
7. Retinol. This is not new news girlfriends. Winter is the perfect time to start so it can get adjusted while the sun’s still feeling a bit timid. But, no matter what time of year this should be in your product line up.
8. To rescue those flaky, chapped, lips, on the cheap you have the miraculous Aquaphor Lip Repair for about $5, and if you want a splurge, try Josie Moran High Gloss Lip Quench for about $16. Remove the flakes with a mixture of olive oil, sugar and a baby toothbrush, Rub gently until they’re history.
In the air:
9. Humidifier. The air gets so dry and is only make worse by the inconsistent hot hair that varies from building to building. This stylish baby can be yours for around $55 at Target.
In your hair
10. Kerastase Intensive Scalp Treatment. About $60. Have you ever noticed you sometimes flake in the winter? Happens to the best of us, so what you’ll need is a scalp treatment. I swear by this one anytime of year.
11. Mrs. Meyers Dryer Sheets. Around $5. Carry a few in your purse to avoid static hair and static on your clothes. Just a few swipes will do you.
On your body:
12. Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Soak. About $5. This can actually be a little drying if you soak for too long, but just 20 minutes a few times a week draws out toxins, relaxes muscles and just makes a nice end to a brutal winter day.
13. Switch to a gentler body wash like the reasonable Eucerin Calming Body Wash (about $8) or the more indulgent Fresh Brown Sugar Lemon Body Wash (around $18).
14. Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish. About $38. Grains of sugar are suspended in a rich, almond and apricot oil base that naturally rids you of dead skin and deeply moisturizers your skin. Just be sure to clean the tub afterwards, or someone will slip and crack their skull.
15. Moisturizer with lactic acid. Milk and lactic acid is a natural moisturizing exfoliant. My favorite is AmLactin, about $22. Smells gross and can sting a little when you apply to especially dry sensitive areas (like you’re butt), but do this before bed and you’ll wake up with the smoothest skin possible. Another favorite is Caudalie Divine Oil Spray (about $50) because it’s rich, soaks in and really moisturizes.
16. The Laundress Unscented Detergent. About $19. What, you ask is laundry detergent doing on the list? It’s important that you switch to watching your clothes in a gently hypoallergenic formula with out perfumes. The prevents the irritation that can come from winter air dry skin meets overly detergenty clothes.
And for your hands:
17. L’Occintane Shea Butter Hand Cream. About $28. Packed with all the moisturizing super heros hands need: honey, almond oil, coconut oil and shea butter. And it smells so good you’ll want to lick yourself!
18. Dr. Hauschka Neem Oil Pen. About $20 This stuff is a miracle for the nagging dryness you can get around your cuticle, or the peeling you get on your nails. Best part is that it works even on top of nail polish and comes in this handy pen form.
Any tips you want to share for keeping the flakes on the slopes and off our persons?
Resources
- Winter Head to Toe Skincare Tips (Huffington Post)
- 13 Winter Skin Care Mistakes (Allure)
- Changing with the Seasons (Daily Perricone)
- 10 Winter Skin Myths (MarieClaire)
- Epsom Salt Baths (How Stuff Works)
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Great suggestions- thank you! I didn’t know Kerastase had a scalp treatment. I followed the link and I’m wondering if it’s new- no reviews and it’s not in stock on their website. I’ve used the Aveda Invati scalp revitalizer. I like it but I haven’t found it to have any moisturizing properties- although it doesn’t claim to either. I just received Alterna’s Caviar Daily Root and Scalp Stimulator. I read a couple of reviews on Sephora that some found it helped with itchy, winter, dry scalp. Now I want to try the Kerastase too! Love your blog- thank you.
Hi Amy – I LOVE the Kerastase scalp treatment and have done it twice. I’ve tried Aveda and Phyto makes one, but this is my favorite because it’s easy to use and my scalp feels great. It’s not easy to find though, even up here in NYC, but you can buy it from Amazon or any of the salons that carry the line (although it’s hit or miss there as well). One thing to note about the scalp treatments is that while they really help with flakes, I haven’t found them to be that moisturizing on application. Rather, they seem to stimulate your scalp to turn over the dead skin in healthier way.
Becca
Can you please just move in and take care of me?
I’ll bring my lasers right over. Oh, and I forgot to mention Pinot Noir is an essential element for surviving winter.:)
The wine is a given
I do have a legit question, though: thanks to sun damage and birthing small humans, I have tiny red spots on my face. They’re not raised, but seriously ugly. Any suggestions what I can use to get rid of’em?!
Hmm…I’m not a doctor or NP, so I don’t know, but it sounds like a great idea for a post. In the meantime, my go to resource for all things derm are Realself.com, Skintour.com and laserskinsurgery.com (Dr. Gernonemus and crew are amazing). You can find the links in the Resources page up top. All this aside, red spots are a common complaint from women and take the form of either hemangiomas (little red moles) or broken capillaries, but only your doctor can tell for sure. The good news is, there are simple treatments to zap em! Hope this helps.
Becca
It does help! THANK YOU!
~Steph