Winter ready skin!

 When the temperature outside drops and the temperature inside rises, your skin is under assault.
Low humidity, coupled with heavier clothing, and longer, hotter showers and baths can leave your skin feeling dry and itchy. Most people start slathering on lotion and hope for the best, but there are more effective ways to prevent and combat winter skin.
Your skin is stripped of moisture during the cold winter months, which is why it’s so important to seal moisture into the skin to prevent dryness and cracking. This is the perfect time of year to adjust your skin care and moisturising routine.
The skin is made up of several layers of cells and thousands of oil glands. The oil that the glands produce keeps the skin from losing moisture and makes it supple and soft. But your skin is constantly losing moisture into the air and every time you wash your skin, you strip away much of the oil, letting more moisture evaporate and drying the skin.
However, in humid conditions, the skin can replenish itself by soaking up moisture from the air. So, when the humidity drops, as it does in many places in the winter, your skin loses another opportunity to moisturise itself. Couple that with the low humidity of indoor heating, and hotter showers and baths, and your skin can become dry and irritated.
Winter stressed skin is also common on the rest of the body. In fact, severely dry skin is less effective at providing a barrier against infection and can split and bleed, creating a greater chance for an infection.
Dry skin is a very common skin problem and is often worse during the winter when environmental humidity is low (i.e. winter itch). It can occur at all ages and in people with or without other skin problems.
This article discusses the causes of dry skin and how to treat and prevent this problem. We hope you find it useful.
For many people, the cold clear days of winter bring more than just a rosy glow to the cheeks. They also bring uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. For some people, the problem is worse than just a general tight, dry feeling: They get skin so dry it results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed). Sound familiar? Read on to get the Clarins’ Top 10 Tips for boosting your winter skin care regimen, so that your skin stays moist and healthy through the winter months, when you may need to give your skin a little extra TLC to combat the combined damaging and drying effects of the cold weather, lower humidity and central heating.
1. Seek a specialist
If you go to your local Clarins counter, you’ll find a salesperson who can give you good advice on the skin care products you should be using. What’s most important is how your skin responds to the product — and how you like its feel.
However, if your irritation persists or becomes worse, going to a dermatologist even once is a good investment. Such a specialist can analyse your skin type and troubleshoot your current skin care regimen.
2. Moisturise more
The more oil a moisturiser contains the more effectively it protects against moisture loss. You may have found a moisturiser that works just fine in summer, but as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine. 
Find a moisturiser that’s oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. (Hint: Many lotions labeled as “night creams” are oil-based.)
But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for “nonclogging” oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. The Clarins Face and Body Treatment Oils are hazelnut oil-based, making them rich in Vitamin E, which nourishes the skin.
3. Slather on the sunscreen
No, sunscreen isn’t just for summertime. Winter sun can still damage your skin.
Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they’re exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.
Apply a heavy layer of moisturising broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to the face, hands, and any other skin that may be exposed. This will act as a barrier to help protect against the harsh elements and is especially important if you will be outside for any length of time.
Try the Clarins UV Plus SPF 40 face essential sun protection.
To be continued next week.