Is Your Skin Ready For Spring?

Winter’s lasted way too long. And, by now, your skin knows it. But it’s not too late to give it some seasonal TLC, to make sure it’s ready for warmer days ahead. Is it just us, or has this winter been especially long, miserable and damp? Winter is tough on your skin. And it’s not just in the ways that you might think. Yes, the cold, the wind and the horizontal hail mightn’t be your skin’s best friend. But actually, what it hates most is change.

So stepping out of a toasty car into the home end to watch 90 minutes of football in a force ten gale isn’t ideal. Nor is nipping to the shops from the centrally-heated womb of your apartment. 

That’s because skin likes things to be stable. And it does all it can to keep things in balance. So sudden changes can result in acne breakouts, itchy dry patches, broken capillaries and cracking as the skin tries its best to regulate oil production, protect against the elements and cool down when you get indoors. It’s tough being skin. It’s always on duty. Always protecting you from the outside world.

So give it some extra-special love now, and when spring comes around, you’ll be ready to face the world again.

 

Let’s get moist 

Radiators might make curling up watching The Walking Dead a guilty pleasure, but heated air won’t do your skin any favours. All that warm air sucks moisture out of the air, and out of our skin. Cue flaky skin, eczema flare ups and cracked lips. Cure? Invest in a simple humidifier, or leave a bowl of water in the room, next to the radiators. And drink more. Water, preferably, but any liquid is better than none. Whisky excluded.

 

It’s a wrap

Heading into the cold outdoors after a spell by the fire causes causes the capillaries in the face to contract and expand rapidly leading to broken veins and skin redness. Spider veins are never a good look. Keep the extremes to a minimum, by keeping your skin protected. A layer of barrier cream will help (barrier cream, unlike water-based lotions, will contain oils such as lanolin, or almond oil, to form a physical barrier between your skin and the elements), as will a judiciously placed scarf.

 

Warm your cockles 

Hot baths and showers seem like the ideal way to warm up fast. But water that’s too hot can actually exacerbate the effects of the weather, by stripping your skin of its delicate protective acid-mantle (the film on the surface of skin that acts as a barrier to bacteria and infection). Same goes with washing or shaving with water that’s too hot. Keep things nice and warm, sure. But don’t get too steamy in there.

 

Stay for the night

Give your skin a weekly treat of an overnight mask. The best bit? It’s very, very low maintenance. Slap it on, go to sleep, it gets to work while you snore. Result. Slather something decent on, though. Your skin doesn’t want to sleep with just anyone. Try Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation - it’s packed with antioxidants. Or Kiehl's Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque, which will help calm winter redness. Or be generous with our moisturizer - it’s designed for day, but it’s more than happy to do the night shift and will leave your skin dewy soft by morning.