If you understand why it affects your skin, you can be well prepared to combat the ill effects of winter.
Keeping the skin moisturized in the dry season is quite difficult. This is because your skin goes through a lot of time, forced to endure harsh winds as well as changing humidity. The most important thing you can do to combat skin problems is to understand why skin damage is happening in the first place. So, let's start by diving into why skin is dry in the winter.
How does your skin work?
Your skin is composed of many layers of depth and thickness. The bottom layer consists of the subcutaneous fat layer, which insulates the body so that it can withstand temperature changes. Skin also helps store energy.
The next layer on top, the dermis, is a thicker layer that contains sweat and sebum glands as well as hair follicles.
The outermost layer of the skin is called the epidermis and is the thinner layer that acts as the skin's protective barrier. The epidermis is where the skin suffers the most damage, especially in winter.
What cold weather affects your skin?
The drastic temperature changes we tend to experience during the cold season can upset the balance of this moisture barrier. The cold air and harsh winds, combined with dry heating in the home and reduced humidity, have created a disaster for the moisture barrier.
The lack of moisture in the air, coupled with dropping temperatures, can damage the skin by causing the brick and mortar to loosen and essentially stripping the skin of its protective barrier. This leads to small cracks in the skin, which manifest as redness and irritation. Plus, as it gets cooler, the water in your skin tends to evaporate faster. As you can see, these processes easily lead to dry, flaky skin.
How to protect skin in the dry season
It's best to fortify your skin's moisture barrier so it can better protect you from inclement weather. A healthy barrier is made up of a combination of fats like cholesterol, free fatty acids and ceramides, to protect it from the effects of weather.
To keep your body soft and smooth, make sure to choose a moisturizer rich in lipids, ceramides, and seed oils that deeply nourish the skin and moisturize it without leaving a greasy residue.
How to deal with redness?
Your skin can become red because prolonged exposure to cold temperatures constricts our blood vessels, so there is less microcirculation in the skin as well. When you return to the warm house, your skin looks flushed.
Using a lipid-rich moisturizer will help keep your skin barrier intact and protect it from environmental damage, alleviating some of the resulting redness. You can also use products with soothing ingredients to calm that red, irritated area.
Above all, don't forget to protect your face and wear a scarf when outdoors. Never forget to take care of your face.
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