Alumier's Victoria Hiscock Explains How To Properly Take Care Of Your Skin This Winter
Winter: a season for cosy nights in, Winter walks and hot chocolate. Whilst the festive season brings with it much joy, the cold weather can wreak havoc on our skin, and our usually perfect skin care regimes can lose their magic.
Whether you are suffering from dryness, dullness or irritated skin, Victoria Hiscock, Medical communications manager for award winning medical skincare brand Alumier, shares her tips on how to tailor your skincare routine for the Winter season, so you can look and feel your best self.
Winter is here - What are your tips for keeping skin in top shape?
‘Firstly, get to know your own skin. We get so much broad brush information about we should all do for our skin during winter, but only you know how your skin changes in the cold months. When you pay attention and get to know your own skin, you’ll be better equipped to work with your skincare pro and give it what it needs. Combine ‘skin care’ with ‘skincare’ – It’s worth taking notice of your environment and habits around caring for your skin during winter. Do you crank the heating up? Do you spend time going outdoors and back in again? Do you swap your 8 glasses of summertime ice cold water for cosy hot chocolates? Keeping an eye on these things and addressing them can help keep our skin in shape before you even start thinking about products.’
Can you explain a little about what factors in winter lead to problems with our skin?
It’s all about the amount of moisture that’s in the air. In the summer, heat from the heighted UVB rays in the atmosphere evaporates moisture from the lush greenery and the air is filled with water. This means our skin has constant contact with moisture and humectants, like hyaluronic acid, that draw moisture towards the skin have plenty to work with.
When winter comes, the UVB rays more or less go. Less heat and no greenery means less water in the air. Our skin doesn’t have contact with moisture and humectants have less to work with. We whack the heating up in our dry homes and hey-presto- water starts evaporating from our skin. This is known in aesthetics as trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) and can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can lead to lines and dull skin. Furthermore, as hydration is an important part of our skin’s barrier, dehydration can lead to sensitivity too.
"When you pay attention and get to know your own skin, you’ll be better equipped to work with your skincare pro and give it what it needs."
How should our routines change, and what should they look like?
There isn’t a one size fits all change that we should ALL make for winter. That’s like saying everyone has to get a haircut on December 1st. Having said that, most people will notice the impact of cold days on their skin and be familiar with the dry, dehydrated and slightly sensitised winter complexion everyone talks about. Changes that can help our adapt to the cold months ensuring a bright, radiant complexion all year round include:
- Protecting the skin’s barrier and delicate eco-system/microbiome with antioxidants and most importantly, sunscreen.
- Upping the amount of hydrating ingredients in our skincare to counterbalance the lack of humidity. This can be done by adapting your existing skincare routine or adding a hydrating mask like Aqua Infusion Mask to what you’re already using.
- Using a more nourishing moisturiser if needed. Microbiome friendly HydraRich is a great step up whether you want to address the signs of ageing or sensitivity.
- Make the most of the cooler days with chemical exfoliants like AHA’s found in Enzymatic Peel which can soften and smooth the skin.
Should a morning and evening routine be different from each other?
Yes! Definitely!
In the morning we need to armour our skin for the day ahead. It’s a tough world out there and our skin is up against it all. We need antioxidants to defend against free radicals and pollutants, as well has sunscreen to protect against damaging winter UVA rays.
At night, for most of us, our skin is safely tucked up in bed away from outside environments. This is when the skin does most of its rejuvenation so we want to support it as much as possible. It’s VITAL that we all cleanse at night, whether you wear make-up or not. As we go about our day we collect all sorts of pollutants and microorganisms. You can think of it like you’re taking the day off.
Exfoliating and using retinol use are recommended at night time so you don’t use them before going out in the sun. Furthermore, your body can use the retinol to enhance its overnight rejuvenation. And you obviously don’t need sunscreen at night.
How often would you recommend professional treatments throughout winter, such as facials, peels etc?
The skin’s turnover is 28 days in youthful skin (that’s how quickly it takes the skin makes a new skin cell at the bottom layer, push it up through the layers towards the surface where it becomes a dead skin cell that we exfoliate off). Therefore, it makes sense to have a treatment once a month to keep your skin on its toes and keep it’s turnover to as close to 28 days as possible. You can boost your in-clinic outcomes with “pre-clinic results”; visible differences with exfoliators like Enzymatic Peel before you even step foot in the clinic door. Presenting your pro with resilient, hydrated skin will mean they can deliver more intense treatments, fast tracking you towards your skin goals.
"It’s VITAL that we all cleanse at night, whether you wear make-up or not."
How should those with acne prone or combination/ oily skin change their routines throughout this time?
For someone with oily or acne prone skin, the idea of swapping a serum for a thick moisturiser is stomach churning. But AlumierMD offers plenty of oil-free formulas that can boost your skin’s hydration without that oily feeling. Our Aqua Infusion Mask is a great addition to any breakout management routine. It’s oil free with three different sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules to deeply hydrate the skin.
What are your staple AlumierMD products?
Any aesthetic pro will tell you the same three ingredients are absolute MUSTS all year round- vitamin C, retinol and a broad spectrum sunscreen. With that in mind-
- EverActive C&ETM + Peptide. With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid that YOU mix with the serum only when you’re ready to use it, it remains fresh and active the entire time you’re using it meaning the vitamin C can reach its potential in addressing premature visible ageing as well as antioxidant defence for brightening the skin.
- Retinol Resurfacing Serum. At varying percentages, each with pure, United States Pharmacopeia grade vitamin A encapsulated in a nano-technology that slowly releases the retinol overnight, these serums pack a punch delivering visible differences in skin health for all skin types and conditions.
- Clearshield. Formulated with physical broad spectrum sunscreens only, this oil-free, hydrating sunscreen is a go-to for all skin tones, types and conditions, regardless of personal opinions on chemical sunscreen filters. Winter UVA rays are a threat to our skin so it’s essential 365 days a year!
EverActive C&ETM + Peptide. With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid
Retinol Resurfacing Serum
Clearshield Broad Spectrum SPF 42
And, finally, what lifestyle changes should be made to keep skin in tip top shape?
Drinking enough water will have the biggest impact on your skin. It will aid skin hydration and boost the body’s built in detox system. You can get your water in-take from herbal tea in the winter if cold water is too chilling. Keeping the temperature indoors warm, but not hot, is key, too. This will help prevent TEWL and keep the skin hydrated. One of the most important factors is sleep! Maximise the rejuvenation time by getting enough shut eye.
Of course, the most important is ensuring you keep up with your multiple product skincare routine. Even if the bathroom is freezing and you’re home late from a festive party. Get in there and do your thing. You will thank yourself for it down the line.
Shop the full range of products from award winning medical skincare brand Alumier at alumiermd.co.uk
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