Autumn signals shorter days, cooler nights and drier skin. Being born in a tropical climate, I can say that the weather in Toronto, is not everyone’s cup of tea. Whether it’s for our emotional well-being or our skin’s well-being, we have to prepare ourselves for what’s coming next…..Winter!
I have very sensitive skin, so over the years I have had many bouts with acne, allergic skin reactions, irritations and I’m still fighting the odd break out of eczema. I’ve been in and out of doctor’s offices, seeing anyone who could help me from Dermatologists to Naturopaths, all having their own expertise, viewpoints, experiences and various solutions. Some have been successful, some, not so much!
But what I’ve learned from all the years of suffering from ridiculously sensitive skin is this one simple fact; at some point we all experience troubling skin issues. Fall normally triggers mine and I know I’m not alone. I’ve had to adapt and adopt so I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve learned over the years with you.
Dry Skin
First let’s acknowledge some of the symptoms of dry skin. This can be obvious to some and not so obvious to others. Symptoms of dry skin include itchy, flaky, peeling, scaly, ashy, graying or redness in the skin; horny, bumpy, rough skin or skin tightness; fine lines, wrinkles and deep cracks which can cause fissures or bleeding. Some symptoms may occur at the same time intensifying the discomfort dry skin can generate.
There are different factors that can cause dry skin but not all are seasonally related. In some cases there can be underlying medical issues or the use of certain medications. In other cases hereditary or choice of lifestyle can cause dry skin. Regardless of the cause, if not properly addressed, symptoms can lead to anything from premature aging to severe skin infections. If you’re just not sure which category you fit into, or how to address your dry skin issues, please speak with your choice of a professional.
Let’s dive into how the seasons can affect our skin. Cooler temperatures indicate a lack of humidity compared to summer heat. Our skins epidermis tends to reflect its environment so when the humidity drops, the epidermis shrivels as the lipids contract. Lipids which are located in the outermost layer of our skin play a significant role against our skins moisture loss.
Heating cooled air contributes to seasonally dry skin. Use of central heating, space heaters, fire places and wood burning stoves, significantly reduces humidity. This causes our lipid barrier to become compromised; thus losing moisture and contributing to dry skin.
Another cause of dry skin is taking long showers or baths in excessively hot water. Why would this be a seasonal issue? OK I admit it! And again I know I’m not the only one so fess up! You get out of bed, it’s a chilly morning and you want a nice warm shower. The water doesn’t feel as warm as it used to so you turn it up just a little more until the bathroom fogs up. STOP! So much steam in your bathroom is a clear sign the water was too hot and that’s how it becomes a seasonal issue.
This hot water then exacerbates our skins dryness as our showers lengthen from 7 minutes to 15. Then harsh soaps or antibacterial products may be used throwing off our skins natural PH and lipid balance thus increasing the loss of natural oils. Voila! Seasonally dry skin is born!
Now that we know what not to do, how do we fix this? Here are the things we need to do to protect our skin and to prepare for the season to come.
Moisturize , Moisturize, Moisturize!
The first “MOISTURIZE” is about finding WHAT moisturizer is right for you. Lotions are great to moisturize dry skin but there are other options that can be looked into depending on how much water you want or need in a moisturizer. It’s not enough to slather on some lotion and say: “I’ve done my part.” Hell naw you didn’t!!
Lotions have the most water in them with a few drops of oil and other important ingredients. They are less greasy than oils, butters or creams and are lightweight. Lotions absorb quickly leaving very little residue on the surface of the skin making them quick and efficient moisturizing options. However if your lotion is not meeting your needs, you may need to look into using a cream.
Creams contain about 50% water and 50% oil therefore they are very thick and greasier to the touch. Due to the consistency of a cream, you can normally find them in tubs or tubes where you can then squeeze its moisturizing benefits out. If you find that a cream still doesn’t contain enough moisturizing benefits for you, try a carrier oil.
Carrier oils are generally vegetable based oils used to transport essential oils for massage or moisturizing purposes. These oils contain high emollient qualities meaning they soften and nourish the skin while being easily absorbed. There are some carrier oils that are waxes but contain the same wonderful properties as regular carrier oils such as jojoba. Jojoba (hu-how-buh) is a liquid wax and acts much like the sebum our skin naturally produces making it an easily absorbed moisturizer. If carrier oils or liquid waxes are still not enough for your skin, the final option is a butter.
Butters provide the strongest protection for your skin barrier locking in moisture and preventing evaporation of the moisture from within the epidermis. Butters are often very greasy in texture containing somewhere between 95% -100% oil, depending on if it’s a whipped butter or crude. The greasier the moisturizer, the more effective it will be. Guess what? Butters are super effective!
Now let’s tackle the when. That second “MOISTURIZE” is about WHEN to moisturize. Here’s the tip. We should all be using a moisturizer right after we have showered, bathed or right after we have washed our hands. Moisturizers are most effective when our skin is still damp, as damp skin best absorbs the moisture and locks it in for a longer period of time.
Any good moisturizer worth its salt has at least three types of ingredients to seal in moisture after a cleansing regiment. There needs to be a humectant ingredient for starters. Humectants rehydrate the top layer of our skin by pulling moisture from the environment (humidity) towards the surface of the skin. Humectants are ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid and lecithin (among others).
A second much needed ingredient is an occlusive. The function of an occlusive is to seal in moisture within the skin by forming a protective layer on top. Occlusive ingredients include liquid waxes, beeswax, cocoa butter and any carrier oil that is high in oleic acid. Mineral oil, petrolatum, silicone and lanolin also have amazing occlusive properties, but are not vegan or vegetable based products.
The third ingredient needed in any moisturizer is an emollient. Emollients include ingredients such as linoleic, linolenic and lauric acids. Emollients restore lipids. They lubricate and smoothen out the rough surface of the skin by filling in the gaps between skin cells in our stratum corneum.
So now that we’ve tackled WHAT and WHEN, let’s discuss the HOW.
So you’ve got your choice of moisturizer, and you’ve just finished taking your nice short refreshingly cool shower with a nice gentle soap (wink wink). Have you ever thought of applying that moisturizer with the water still beading on your skin? No? It’s an option. But if you prefer to towel off, dab your skin with your towel in an upward motion so as to not pull on your skin. Make that same motion when applying your moisturizer.
It’s not always about what we put on our skin and how we do it that can help us effectively moisturize. It’s also about what we do daily that can make an impact on our skin during this season. Here’s HOW you can minimize having seasonal dry skin issues.
When the heating kicks in, place a humidifier in your home to reconstitute the moisture into the air.
If thanksgiving has made you a happy drunk, replace those lost fluids by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.
If your skin still remains itchy and flaky, think about changing your clothing and sheets.
Are you wearing wool or acrylics that can be irritating and scratchy? If so, give those bad boys away!
Are you washing your clothes and laundry in heavily scented detergents? If so, use a milder or scent free detergent.
Are you using fabric softener to avoid static? If yes, use a dryer ball instead and F.Y.I., that humidifier will help with that too.
Lastly, exfoliate gently with an oil based product at least once a week to promote healthy skin renewal. In cooler temperatures we need no more than that, especially if you have dry, sensitive or irritated skin.
We do hope that some of these tips will help you during this season of change and we’d love to hear from you regarding your skin care routine. Until next time...
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