Winter is coming...

We've just hit May, (how it has come around so quickly I'm not sure of) which means winter is not far away. But if you live in Victoria, a lot of readers may agree with me when I say our autumn can sometimes feel like winter. And for some people, this often means a change in their skin.

You may notice you may be feeling a little bit dryer (lacking oil) or dehydrated (lacking water). Your skin may feel more congested, reactive or inflamed some days. But the real question is why? And what can we do to savour our summer skin?

My first and most important tip: Focus on hydration over exfoliation.

To be honest, I don't think our skin could ever be over hydrated. There are so many benefits to well hydrated skin that shouldn't be ignored. And in saying that, this is when we should focus on hydrating dry/dehydrated skin over exfoliation measures.

You may need to change up a few products here and there depending on your skin. I always opt for a good moisturiser first, this will help lock in moisture within your skin and reduce Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL: talked about down further). And sometimes in the cooler months you may need to opt for a richer, thicker moisturiser. My picks are the O Cosmedics Comfort Cream ($117), full of your Essential Fatty Acids (Omegas 3, 6 &9) for optimal hydration. The O Cosmedics Recovery cream ($110) for a more impaired skin type. I cannot go past Medi Soothe ($64) from O Cosmedics, it's TLC in a bottle for inflamed, dry, reactive skin. Lastly, one of my favourites the Environ Antioxidant Defence Cream ($180, little bit more pricey but worth it in my opinion). It's full of antioxidants to help hydrate, nourish and protect against UV damage.

We may need to look at your cleanser too. Avoid cleansing daily with salicylic or even glycolic acid based cleansers, this will lead to more dryness and possibly a more impaired barrier. Focus on a gentle, hydrating cleanser. You cannot go past the O Cosmedics Gentle Antioxidant Cleanser ($59) or the Environ Mild Cleansing Lotion ($84). I have trouble deciding which one I like more.

Serums are your next step. Hyaluronic Acid is an easy way to support hydration levels. Think of it as a drink of water for your skin to help plump up your cells. Usually light enough to be applied under your moisturiser. My recommendations are the O Cosmedics 3D Hyaluronic Serum ($95), the Environ 3D Filler Synergie Cream ($176) or the Environ HA Intensive Hydrating Serum ($160).

A vitamin B serum is another great option. Not only is it a essential antioxidant for skin health, it has anti inflammatory properties and supports skin repair and hydration. My pick again is the O Cosmedics B3 Plus ($129).

Lastly, like mentioned before we want to limit exfoliation that is going to strip moisture from our skin even more. If exfoliation is needed, I would always recommend a gentle Lactic Acid product. The O Cosmedics Multi Functional Peel ($74) is a popular pick. Or something like the Environ Hydrating Clay Masque ($68) is another great option.

My second tip: Supplement Essential Fatty Acids.

Not a new ingredient in the skin health world but often one that can be overlooked I personally feel. You may also know EFA's as fish oils. Proven to have benefits with brain health, heart health, inflammatory skin concerns and general well being.

In relation to winter skin, think of EFA's as a way to help hydrate your skin from the inside out, reduce inflammation and promote healthy cellular functions. Sounds good right?

I personally take and stock the O Cosmedics EFA's Max Complex and swear by them. Sustainably sourced, quality and potency lab certified and complies with Australian GMP standards. And did I mention affordable? These will set you back only $42 for 100 capsules.

Simply, affordable, high quality supplements are usually going to be worth the investment.

(Remember to consult your doctor before consuming for precautionary reasons.)

My third tip: Invest in professional in clinic treatments

Your time to relax Aaaaand revive your skin.

My go to when I see someone concerned with dry, dehydrated winter skin is usually chemical peels or LED's. Something that is going to focus on hydration and soothing the skin.

When opting for a chemical peel on a dry, dehydrated skin I always like to test and assess their skin barrier. And this can usually be assessed when cleansing or when a pre peel activator is applied. How your skin reacts gives me my answers.

Chemical peels that contain ingredients like Lactic acid or your AHA's are a better suit over your BHA's. And sometimes your enzyme peels may be a better suit for a more impaired skin. These are going to help promote hydration levels within the skin while also gently exfoliating the surface.

As always we will look at what you are using skincare wise, because as mentioned above sometimes we may need to tweak some things in your routine.

My fourth tip: Avoid washing your face in steaming hot water

I will admit I am sometimes guilty of this. When it's cold outside and you are having a nice warm shower, it's way to easy to just wash your face with steaming hot water. I understand, it's cold out there.

But what this is actually doing is stripping your skin of its natural oils which in turn can lead to increased feeling of dryness, dehydration and an impaired skin barrier. That tight and dry feeling you have post shower is a perfect sign that you may have stripped your skin more than we would like.

Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) is another phrase to become familiar with. Simply meaning the moisture within our skin is evaporated out due to either our external environment or an impaired skin barrier. And this is something we can see occur from this exact situation.

So let's try to avoid this as best we can by washing our face with luke warm water. Not cold, not hot, just luke warm. Still feel free to do this in the shower, just turn down the heat a smidge.

My fifth tip: As best you can, avoid exposure to dry heat ie. heaters.

Now this isn't the easiest thing to do. If you work in an office or any indoor area to be honest you are probably doing to be surrounded by heaters in the cooler months.

This is another area where we can see Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) present. The dry, artificial heat is drawing out the moisture in your skin. And sometimes causing a little bit of inflammation if too warm and we start going a bit pink in the cheeks.

If you are in this sort of situation, just do your best. Focus on layering clothes to avoid needing heaters if that helps. If you are following all the above you may find your skin is more resilient to this type of heat.

Karlee xx

Links below

To purchase the recommended products directly from me, click the link below or feel free to contact me.

https://www.fresha.com/store/skinware-dermal-clinic-n9tfvaxg?pId=864420