By Dr. Chau Phan, Pharmacist and owner of Humaniti Beauty
I begin this article with a reminder: Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It affects your overall health by what you expose it to from the outside (sun, wind and air temperature, as well as creams you apply) and by what you take into your body as liquid, food and medication.
Because your skin is your outer cover, it reflects what is happening with your immune system. This is especially important for those who suffer from auto-immune skin disease, such as eczema. And all of us can do things to keep our skin healthy and beautiful, no matter our age, individual skincare challenges or the time of year.
As a Doctor of Pharmacy, I welcome the opportunity to help you get through winter with minimal to no damage to your body’s outer cover by showing you how maintaining healthy skin translates to having beautiful skin.
Baby, it’s cold outside (and hot inside)
Winter is when we are most exposed to temperature extremes. The obvious extreme is cold (often accompanied by wind). You should know that exposing your skin to cold is not necessarily a bad thing for short periods. In the same way a cold splash of water on your face in the morning can rejuvenate you, going out into the cold can increase blood flow and reduce inflammation; both actions promote healthy and healthy-looking skin by carrying needed nutrients to the skin and decreasing puffiness.
The cold also tightens pores and decreases the production of sebum (the fatty stuff that can cause acne). But extreme cold (in terms of temperature and / or exposure over time) – especially when the wind is blowing – sucks moisture out of the skin and can lead to something called “cold stress”. At its worst, cold stress can lead to chilblains (clusters of small blood vessels that get red, inflamed and itchy) or, worse, frostbite (numbness in areas of the skin experiencing low temperatures over time).
So, go ahead and ski, build snow people, make snow angels…just do it in moderation and in warm, breathable clothing.
Now, for that other extreme – heat. Long hot showers feel good after you’ve been out in the cold. But hot water strips away the oils naturally present in your skin and dilates your blood vessels. Warm water baths, on the other hand, allow your body to retain moisture.
We tend to turn up the heat indoors in winter, and prolonged exposure to high heat decreases the amount of moisture in your skin. If you can tolerate it, keep the thermostat at 68 degrees; it will increase the efficiency of your heating system and help keep your skin healthy. You can also run a humidifier to maintain optimum moisture levels. Remember to moisturize your skin, especially overnight, to protect it from both extremes – heat and cold.
Here comes the (winter) sun
If you’ve been following my blog since I began writing it, you know what I’m going to say next: The sun’s UV rays are still a danger – even on the gray days of winter. Wear sunscreen of SPF 30 (or higher) and lip balm containing sunscreen.
Layer your clothing, protecting the skin on your head, hands, arms and legs with hats, gloves, long sleeves and pants. Inner layers that touch your skin should be of soft material that does not irritate your skin. Be careful exercising as temperatures rise, to minimize sweating, and remove wet clothing and socks immediately when you get inside.
Fight dryness and the spread of germs
Your skin takes a beating as it protects you from bacteria and viruses you pick up from surfaces and contact with other people. Wash your hands after using public restrooms or touching surfaces in high traffic areas. Then use hand and face cream to replace moisture lost in cleansing.
And, we tend to drink less water in the winter, so remember to give back to your body the water that leaves it during vigorous activity.
Special cautions for those with eczema and psoriasis
A colloidal oatmeal bath before bed will help alleviate the flaking, itching, and dry symptoms of eczema, which can be worse in the winter months. Also, apply a moisturizing cream all over your body after your bath to help heal the affected areas and protect the unaffected ones. An eczema cream containing grapeseed oil and ceramide is best. If it doesn’t disturb your sleep, try wearing gloves and protective sleeves to keep the healing cream from coming off on the bedsheets.
Anyone with a skin disorder needs to pay special attention to my cautions about wearing layers when outside, avoiding scratchy inner clothing, stripping off wet clothes once you’re inside, applying sunscreen and lip balm, and protecting your skin from dryness, germs and allergens. Remember: Your immune system is more easily compromised than that of other people.
Several of the products I offer on the humanitibeauty.com site may be just what you need to follow my recommendations in this article. If you would like more information about Humaniti Beauty’s products or about me, you can contact me at info@humanitibeauty.com or call me at 510.200.9984.
Sources for this article:
Bernstein, Lisa, MD (reviewer). “What Does Exposure to Cold Do to My Body?”. Website of WebMD LLC. https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/exposure-to-cold-do-to-body#2.
Davis, Susan. “10 Winter Skin Care Tips”. Website of WebMD LLC. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/ten-winter-skin-care-tips#3.
De Silva, Dr. Julian. “7 reasons why the cold weather is actually good for your skin”. Website of NetDoctor, part of the Hearst UK wellbeing network. https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/beauty/a27237/reasons-why-the-cold-weather-is-actually-good-for-your-skin/.
“10 ways to protect your skin in cold weather”. Website of UCI Health (affiliated with CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County). Publisher: The Regents of the University of California. December 05, 2017.
http://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2017/12/cold-weather-skin-care.