Tuesday Tip: The Skin You’re In

Often women change their skincare routine with the weather. It is true that the heated air in buildings in the winter cause our skin to be dryer, as does the cold winds that slap our skin as we scurry from car to office. Summer usually comes with humidity, offering constant moisture to our skin. Even with these changes, it isn’t always necessary to be so drastic in changing your regimen.

Sweat does not equal moisture. We often switch to stronger cleansers and moisturizers geared toward oily skin to keep moisture at bay and prevent our makeup from slipping. Often women go without moisturizer all together, finding it the culprit for shiny summer skin.

Everyone needs a moisturizer, be your skin an oil slick or the Sahara. Moisturizer is a protective barrier for your skin to fight against the elements, also known as free radicals. Free radicals come from environmental pollutants, the sun, makeup, most anything that touches your face. Moisturizers with antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Kinetin, White Tea, etc.) will create a shield to prevent free radicals from attacking your face, reducing elasticity, fine texture and health.

Another reason moisturizer is needed is that when the skin feels over-dry, it fights back by producing oil. The body creates oil as a natural protectant. The more detergent-like cleansers, alcohol-based toners and harsh exfoliants you use on your skin to fight oil and acne, the more your skin will produce oil. Try a week using a vary lightweight gel or oil-free moisturizer and see how much happier your skin will be.

In summer we still need moisture and to protect our skin. If you have very dry skin in the winter, it is pretty likely that come summer your skin is not oily, just sweaty. Try switching your moisturizer for a lighter consistency, but don’t change anything else for a week. Often times all that is needed is a small change to have your skin adjust to the changing seasons. Also consider a makeup primer (I have used and loved ones by Smashbox and Paula Dorf – both available at Sephora). Primers will help your makeup adhere to the skin in the most humid and steamy of days, without yanking precious moisture from your skin.

And finally, EVERYONE needs sunscreen. No matter your skin color, your age, how well you tan. You can get sun damage in the short trip from your house to your car. A minimum of SPF 15 is required for all faces to keep them healthy, elastic and glowing. If you are fair, consider a moisturizer with a higher SPF and look into foundations and powders with sunscreen (Bare Minerals cosmetics have a natural SPF of 20,Almay carries SPF 15 foundations, Guerlain has a foundation with SPF 30). The SPF in your foundation will not replace your moisturizer, but provide an added barrier against the environment.

Here’s a test to show how skin is affected by free radicals. Cut an apple in half. Leave one side bare, on the other side put a coating of your favorite antioxidant-rich facial moisturizer. Let it sit for 30 minutes. You’ll see that the moisturized side stayed the same color and texture, while the uncovered side turned brown and mushy. Think about your day – walking the dog, gardening, walking from the parking lot to the grocery store or your office building, the recycled air in your office or on a plane… so many opportunities to wreak havoc on your skin. Our hands and our faces show our age first because those are the two parts of the body that are exposed to the elements on the most regular basis. Women who regularly moisturize their face and wear sunscreen look younger than their non-protecting peers.

Obviously tanning isn’t good for your skin. If you must have that “healthy” glow, consider some of the new self-tanners on the market. Jergens has one that is a gradual tan – less likely to get streaks and orange palms and builds up to a great tan. In small doses Mystic Tan and the other spray tans can offer a natural looking glow and color to your face and body. And if you must be a sun worshipper, toss the baby oil and grab some SPF 15 sunblock – you will still get color while out on the beach, you just won’t be basting like a Thanksgiving turkey. Reapply often – a tan may look great, but nothing looks better than healthy skin. Sun damage may cause loss of elasticity and moisture to the face, it can also exasperbate stretch marks, increase the number of freckles and moles on the skin, increase wrinkling, cause loss of elasticity to other body parts too (who wants to encourage sagging breasts?) and make you look older than your years. For suggestions on great products with sunscreen in them, check out this link provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation: http://www.skincancer.org/aboutus/documents/SealList.pdf

When you consider what makes you beautiful, consider if that beauty trick or regimen will help you stay beautiful ten years down the line. Proper care of your skin will help you feel great, look your best and keep yourself healthy. Trust your skin – if it’s dry in winter, it can still be thirsty in summer, even if it causing your makeup to dribble off your chin. Even if you seem to have great healthy skin now, invest in a daily sunscreen to keep that skin looking healthy. You only get one body, treat it well. It will outlast your favorite books or handbag and even your dearest friend. Give it the respect and pampering that it deserves.