Fighting winter skin woes: The basics

 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. 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.
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 throughout the winter.
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.
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 labelled as “night creams” are oil-based.)
But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for “non-clogging” 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 suncreen
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.
4. Give your hands a hand
The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it’s harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking.
Wear gloves when you go outside, remember to apply moisturiser after washing your hands. The Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream is an essential in any handbag. (For the men we have ClarinsMen Active Hand Care.)
5. Dress in layers
The most common triggers of the scratch/itch cycle are sweating and overheating. Wearing layers allows you to remove clothing as needed to prevent overheating. Be sure to wear loose-fitting cotton fabrics next to your skin.
6. Hook up humidifier 
Central heating systems (as well as space heaters) blast hot dry air throughout our homes and offices. With the heat on and the windows closed, the air inside can become very dry in the winter, making the dryness and itching of eczema even worse.  Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. Place several small humidifiers throughout your home; they help disperse the moisture more evenly.
7. Hydrate for your health, not for your skin
Drinking water helps your skin stay young looking. Water is good for your overall health.
8. Grease up your feet
 Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.
9. Pace the peels
If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are “deeply hydrating,” rather than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often. Saying this, you must still remember to exfoliate skin on your face and body, use a gentler exfoliator, this will better enable your skin to absorb your product to their best potential by buffing away the dead skin cells which can make your complexion look dull.
10. Ban Superhot Baths
Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. 
A lukewarm bath can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy. Hot water removes natural oil from the skin, making it dry and itchy. Limit your showers to 10 to 15 minutes. Apply moisturiser while your skin is still slightly damp for more effective penetration.
We recommend patting your skin dry with your towel rather than rubbing with your towel. Use the Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion  for the ultimate soft, supple skin.
Enjoy winter with Clarins whatever your needs are.

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