Jason Zemmel, perfume expert, pharmacist and founder of health and beauty e-tailer www.halfpriceperfumes.co.uk,
explains how to care for delicate skin as the seasons become colder.
Skin is the largest organ in the body. It protects our internal organs, helps keep our bodies at just the right temperature and allows us to have the sense of touch. In order to protect your skin in the winter months and stay younger there are many beauty and health tips you can follow.
In the colder weather with winds and indoor heating affecting the skin on our face extra attention needs to be paid to your moisturising routine.
Why moisturise?
Moisturising helps to lock in water and in turn leave skin softer and prevent wrinkles from appearing. Whilst it’s a myth that moisturing will lift your eyelids and reverse wrinkles it will allow other treatments to work better.
Say ‘NO’ to soap
My advice is try not to wash your face with normal soap or use alcohol-based astringents. These can really strip the natural moisture from your skin. It is best to use special moisturising soaps or wash with plain water and moisturise straight afterwards.
Oily verses dry
We all have different types of skin and therefore will need different amounts of moisturiser. For example, people with oily skin may need little or no moisturizing and develop fewer wrinkles as they age. While people with dry skin or even normal-to-dry skin need to moisturize. Skin dryness tends to increase with age. Most people over forty have some degree of skin dryness and need to moisturize. This particularly affects women near, during or after menopause, because of low levels of estrogens.
Keeping skin soft
To fully nourish your skin you need to do this from the inside and outside. My first tip is to drink plenty of water, aim for six – eight glasses a day, don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Snack on nuts and avocado as these contains vitamin E with is great for your skin and bones.
A good body scrub and facial exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells from your body. Add this to your cleansing routine once a week. Not only will you feel fresh but your skin will be free from old dry cells. Now you’re ready to moisturize. Use creams that are designed to help your particular skin type.
Scrub up
Exfoliation will get rid of any dead cells that might otherwise leave your complexion looking dull. By removing this top layer you will stimulate cell production lower down in the epidermis.
However, although any skin will benefit from gentle weekly exfoliation, take care as over-enthusiastic scrubbing can undermine the skin’s barrier function.
Try a soft facecloth or flannel as a DIY alternative to a facial scrub, although avoid using one with a harsh, scratchy surface.
Screen yourself from the sun
Don’t say goodbye to your sunscreen just because summer is over. Before you leave your house, apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or more. This will protect your skin from the elements. Alternatively, choose a product that combines a sunscreen with a moisturizer.
Beat the heating
Save the planet as well as your skin by turning the central heating down a degree or two. Central heating creates a low humidity environment that literally strips skin of its natural moisture, while low outdoor temperatures provide a harsh contrast, meaning skin can become more sensitive.
You can counteract the drying effects of your home or office central heating by placing a bowl of water near the radiator to put more moisture back into the air.
Lip service
It’s not just skin that suffers when it’s cold. Lips also need looking after to ensure they stay super-smooth. To de-flake dry lips, massage with a generous amount of petroleum jelly. Allow to sink in for a couple of minutes, then gently rub lips with a warm, damp facecloth.
Rub on a good lip balm and switch to a nourishing lip colour to prevent that unattractive parched look during the day.
Soft hands
Choose a good quality pair of gloves to protect your hands and stop them from becoming chapped. Also spend a few minutes before bed massaging hand cream into your hands so they can recover over night.
Beauty sleep
Money can’t buy the benefits of a good nights rest. If you fail to get enough sleep your oxygen levels drop and your cells will not be renewed as quickly. This is when degenerative skin ageing sets in. Try to get seven, if not eight or nine hours of sleep a night.
Winter warmers
The winter months can be harsh on your skin. Making a few adjustments to your skincare regime will pay dividends when it’s cold and leave your skin soft for the spring.
www.halfpriceperfumes.co.uk offers leading brands including Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Elizabeth Arden and Givenchy at discounts of up to 70 per cent.
Jason’s top products for a healthy winter glow are:
- Burts Bees Natural Remedy Outdoor Survival Kit
- Clinique Superdefence Triple Action for Dry/ Combination Skin
- Dead Sea Magik Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash.
- Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturiser for normal, combination or oily skin
- Clinique’s Superbalm Tip Treatment
- Clarins Age Control Hand Lotion spf 15
