Sunday 16 February 2014

Winter Skin

Winter Skin

Over the past couple of weeks it has certainly become much colder and I think it won't be long until Jack Frost makes an appearance or we see some snow! I don't know about you but the change in temperatures and those Arctic winds aren't doing my Skin any favours. For some reason this year, my Skin is misbehaving despite doing all the right things! I think this has to do with the fact we had lovely mild weather up until recently and the sudden plummet in temperatures hasn't helped and has contributed to Dehydrating Skin!

I've now had to change my moisturiser to a more intensive one and I've also been using a serum with Vitamin C to help keep my Skin in check! My Rosacea which only started to develop last year is more noticeable but I'm lucky that it's nowhere as bad as some of my patients who are suffering with Acne Rosacea. I'm happy to say after a week of intensive hydrating and moisturising my Skin is back on track!

I've been asked a lot recently about what Skin Care Products should be used in winter and if I've any tips for avoiding Dry Skin. I know you all want to maintain your glowing Skin so, I will share with you my top ten tips and hopefully they will do the trick for you!

One of the most common complaints I see at the clinic in winter months is Dry, Flaky and Itchy Skin. This is very common in winter especially as humidity is low. The electric and storage heaters are now switched on and the air con is still in use in some areas! We are going from warm to cold air and our Skin isn't liking it!

With all of this going on our Skin becomes Dehydrated and loses its flexibility and so becomes Dry, Flaky and Itchy. Moisturising will help but it sure isn't good when you're trying to apply your make up and your Skin is noticeably Flaky! I even bought a primer to see if that would help but it was no addition. I even went back to the make up counter to see if I was applying my make up and primer correctly. I was doing all correctly but it was just the Dry Skin that needed sorting!

For anyone suffering at the moment you need to get your Skin Hydrated and use the correct Skin Care regime before you'll see a difference. You will get there so be patient and stick to your Skin Care regime. This is just a normal occurrence in winter!

My Winter Skin tips for you are:

1. Go to see a Skin Specialist about your Skin. They will prescribe the correct Skin Care products for you.

2. Moisturise more than you did in the summer. You need to use a more intense moisturiser in winter. I would ensure that it is non comedomgenuic - one that doesn't block your Pores. An oil based moisturiser works very well. Don't over moisturise!

3. Ensure you are using a Night Cream that is oil based. Alpha Hydroxy Acids attract moisture which will give you more hydration.

4. Always remember to apply your Sun Screen. An SPF50! The UVA and UVB rays are still as strong as they were in the summer and you still need to protect your Skin.

5. Remember to use a hand cream and wear gloves to protect your hands. You can still get Age Spots in winter from the rays!

6. If you can get a humidifier. This will put moisture back into the air and try to combat the drying effect on your Skin.

7. Ensure you are still drinking enough water daily. 8 glasses or 2 litres per day! More will be required if you're sweating after exercise!

8. Have warm baths rather than hot baths. Make sure you moisturise afterwards. A good tip is using Baby Oil on your wet skin. I love the Johnson & Johnson Baby Gel with Camomile. Leaves my Skin feeling soft and is a nice treatment prior to a night out!

9. Don't forget your feet! Make sure you cream your feet. One of the things I badly miss from London is a proper pedicure where the dead, dry skin is shaved off your feet with a blade! I cannot find a beauty salon in Ireland that does this AND I won't do it myself as I have had a couple of mishaps!

I wasn't lucky enough to try the Foot cream in a sock from Penney's but I have heard that they were good. I did try another brand that was kindly given to me by my sister but it didn't remove any hard Skin. It did moisturise my feet and I think you could do this your self with a cotton sock and some body lotion if you're on a budget.

10. Try to avoid wet socks and gloves. There's nothing worse than sitting in wet clothes for hours on end! Your Skin won't be happy.

In winter I use the following Skin Care Products to keep my Skin Hydrated and Glowing.

* K Ceutic Intensive Moisturiser with SPF 50
* Hyal Ceutic Moisturiser
* Foamer 15
* Cleanser 5
* Turnover
* Collagen Shots Anti-Ageing Drink
* Lycogel Breathable Camouflage
* Obagi Blue Peel Radiance

There are so many Skin Care Products at the clinic and I always tailor the Skin Care to the individual Skin needs and prescribe accordingly. Our Skin Care is Medical and can only be prescribed by Medical Professionals. These brands cannot be found in Pharmacies, in Beauty Salons on the High Street and won't do the same for your Skin as over the counter products.

We also have a dedicated Obagi Medical Doctor at the clinic as well as a Cosmetic Doctor so, between the 3 of us we will get your Skin looking flawless!

For further details on any Skin Care Product or treatments available at the clinic, check out our website at www.claudiamcgloinclinic.com or call 071 9140728 to book a Skin Consultation.

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