Fall & Winter Skin Care

While walking through Bed Bath & Beyond and hearing Christmas music yesterday it struck me that Fall is in the air everywhere but Los Angeles. It was here for about a week, but with the temperature spiking to 90 again today I have to wonder. Regardless, that obscene, too early, holiday music reminded me that Fall is here and it’s time to talk about the changes your skin needs to for the winter months ahead.

The weather is a major factor in what your skin needs and doesn’t, so it’s no wonder that as the air gets cooler and drier that you will need to boost with additional hydration. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that more hydration isn’t the only thing you need. You need a different sort of protection as well. In the Summer and Spring your main protection is from the sun. In the Fall and Winter you need protection from wind and cold as well. You NEVER put away the sunscreen, but just as you add a few more layers of clothing for the colder seasons so too do you add a few more layers to your skin care routine.

Basic Skin Care 101 states that all anyone really needs is a cleanser, a pH balancer (a.k.a Equalizer, Spritz, Spray, or for an out dated term “Toner”), a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. Of course there are TONS of specialty items, but I am just going to focus on the basics. As the cooler/harsher months come into play you will need to change up your routine so that you can battle the electric heaters and variable weather. This means taking a serious look at your cleanser and moisturizer. Usually your skin balancer can stay the same. If you use an SPF for your daytime moisturizer consider taking on an additional moisturizer under it.

If you are oily/combination then you want to be sure you are on a gentle cleanser. This doesn’t mean it has to be creamy, but it can’t be stripping. Every skin care line has at least one cleanser that meets this requirement. It is usually a soft, mildly foaming cleanser. My personal favorite is Bioelements Sensitive Skin Cleanser It won’t necessarily leave your skin feeling squeeky clean, but trust me it’s better without the squeek this time of year. What it will do is clean it and leave it perfectly balanced and protected.

For a moisturizer you want to be sure you are using something with enough water hydration to keep you moist all day long. This feeling is often described as “sticky” or “tacky”. Neither seem flattering, but try feeling a baby’s skin. See how it has a little moisture to it? A bit of a stick? That’s all you are looking for. You don’t want to be gummy, just moist. It’s a fine line, I know. I find that most people don’t know the meaning of real moist skin anymore, but once you begin to experience it you will see the light. The type of moisturizer you are looking for is usually housed in a gel, but can also be in a very light cream base. You should NEVER feel tight or itchy. If you do you need something with more moisture. Often I move my clients from a gel based moisturizer to a cream.

If you are dry/mature then something with oil is going to be necessary. Your cleanser can probably stay the same, but you need to seriously up your daily moisturizer. You will probably need a special night cream as well that has a lot more oomph to it. I know we live in a world where “oil-free” is the answer, but this is all bogus nonsense. Oil isn’t the devil. Bad oil is. Be sure you are using good products and the oil that’s in them won’t clog or sit on the skin. Dry/Mature clients NEED oil as well as water hydration. What they don’t need is mineral oils and lanolin’s. Stick to essential oil enriched products or jojoba, olive oil, and grape seed oil. For night time use get something heavier than day time use since you can wash off any remnants in the morning.

Dehydrated/Acneic/”Oil Slick” skin. I put all these together because they always seem to go hand in hand. I have an entire article in the making about dehydration and H₂0, but you will all have to wait for that one (Update! Here’s that article: H₂0 SOS). The number one thing I preach to clients is that if you have oily skin you are probably dehydrated. If you have acne you are probably dehydrated. Dehydration is the number one cause of skin problems and it comes mainly from improper skin care. Period. The best thing I can tell this skin type is to seek out professional assistance. Really. Only a professional can discover what type of skin you really have and then help you take care of it.

Acne. Well you are kind of the hardest. You can’t really change your routine too much because it is catered to keeping acne at bay. What you can do is add an additional water hydrator. This is usually a gel based item. Be sure to check with a professional or your dermatologist. But always ask for it. I bet you need it. Acne patients are the number one patient I sell hydration too. All those products that help your acne don’t necessarily keep your skin hydrated.

I know that all this seems rather simple, but I think we often forget to change up our skin care with our wardrobe. As usual, any questions feel free to email me or post it as a comment below.