Winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin. Refresh your face with these three easy steps to keep your skin as healthy as possible.
by Fabiana Santana
Step 1
How we look on the outside starts with what is on the inside. Drink plenty of water to help cleanse your system of toxins and keep skin hydrated. Model-turned-health expert and skin care developer Kimberly Snyder stresses that “our food choices directly impact our ability to keep ourselves youthful and maintain glowing, smooth skin.” She encourages a diet full of raw greens, açai, and onions – which contain sulfur that helps cleanse the skin and liver.
Step two
Treat the problem.
It is important to know your skin type. If you are prone to dry patches, choose a treatment that will moisturize properly. Dry skin is a very common skin problem and is often worse during the winter when environmental humidity is low. Look for products that contain humectants – ingredients that attract moisture from the environment to your skin. And it is always important to choose a moisturizer with SPF, like Estée Lauder DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Lotion SPF 15. There is even a tinted lotion so you can use it in lieu of foundation.
Those with sensitive skin should consider products specifically designed to accommodate their issues, like the sensitive skin line by Patricia Wexler MD Dermatology . The line protects skin from the sun and other environmental aggressors that can cause irritation and redness. “Because I’ve had sensitive skin my entire life, I’ve always developed my products with an eye to delicate complexions,” explains Dr. Patricia Wexler. “However, my new Anti-Aging Sensitive Skin collection is the first developed expressly for sensitive skin, with the added benefit of the potent anti-aging effects Wexler fans have come to expect. Now there’s no reason to compromise when it comes to treating sensitive skin.”
Acne prone skin needs to be carefully treated, since so many products contain harsh abrasives. Nelsons Pure & Clear is a new, all natural line of products that designed to treat acneic skin. The topical range fights blemishes with a blend of plant extracts including Calendula – which soothes damaged skin and acts as an antioxidant, Tea Tree Oil – a natural antiseptic to cleanse the skin, and Arnica Montana – which eases tenderness of troublesome skin. Makeup artist Mark Carrasquillo included the Acne Treatment Gel in his list of must-haves in a recent issue of Elle, claiming that once you apply the gel, “in three days, pimples are gone.”
For emergency breakouts, consider spot treatments. ZENO, a leader in skincare technology, launched a Fashion Week initiative for models with their new Blemish Clearing Device the HOT SPOT. Essentially a “BlemishBuster” hotline, models emailed or texted their pimple problem to Zeno, and within 6 hours received a complimentary HOT SPOT – the perfect treatment to keep their faces always runway ready.
Step 3
Stay stress free.
Stress is a know reactor for breakouts and bumps or reactions like redness and swelling. Incorporate a stress relieving routine like yoga or deep breathing meditation into your day. Model Anja Rubik lent her 3 years of yoga practice to the developers of Wii Yoga game and credits her fitness routine with staying stress free. Remember to keep cleansing wipes like Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths, made with coconut, oat and amino acid-based surfactants for extra gentle cleansing, on hand in your gym bag to refresh skin after workouts and particularly stressful days.
