DId you know that your winter skincare routine should differ from you summer skincare routine? Different weather brings changes in our skin that we need to pay attention to. I stopped by one of Atlanta’s best medical spas, Derma-Luxe and chatted with Michaels Lynch to get a few tips!
It’s good to think of your skin care routine as a series of steps or layers that you build upon. Keys to winter skincare: keep the skin exfoliated and moisturized. It is also a good time of year to do a few maintenance treatments. Because we are in the sun less during winter it is a good time to do peels, photo facials, etc. Michaels said that winter is actually Derma-Luxe’s busiest time of the year.
For daytime there are 3 key factors to concentrate on:
1. Layering a hyaluronic acid serum underneath your moisturizer will help keep the skin hydrated during cold winter days. Hyaluronic acid is actually a protein found in our skin, and by adding it to a serum, the acid draws moisture from the air into the skin. Look for the term “hyaluronic acid” on serum labels.
2. You need a daily moisturizer (maybe something a little thicker then you wear in the summer) geared towards your skin’s needs (dry, oily, combination, normal).
3. Sunscreen! It is always important, no matter what time of the year! If you are outside for short burst of time then it is fine to use a combination moisturizer and sunscreen. Just make sure the SPF is at least 30. If you plan on being outside for longer, find a sunscreen that you can reapply every hour or so. Sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc provide the best barriers against the sun.
Tips for nighttime skincare:
1. A retinol product will help reduce fine lines, age spots, and sun damage. It really is a must-have product for healthy, youthful looking skin.
2. Layering a hyaluronic serum with your retinol will help reduce any redness or dryness.
3. Finish layering with a nighttime moisturizer (it can be the same as your daytime as long as it is not tinted or you don’t have especially dry skin).
4. Nighttime is a great time to gently exfoliate your skin with a Clarisonic.
5. Don’t forget your eyes! It is important to find an eye cream to help fill in fine lines and reduce puffiness. A trick that I recently learned: Don’t apply your eye cream directly underneath your eye line. Instead apply it slightly below (about where the bone of your eye socket is). As eye cream begins to work, the heat of you skin will draw the cream into the proper place underneath your eye. If you ever have itchy eyes after using eye cream, applying your eye cream too close to your lash line could be the reason!
Favorite Medical Skincare Products (click on images for more product information):
Tri-Retinol Complex from Skin Medica
$55 at Derma-Luxe
Michaels is a big fan of this retinol product specifically because it is contains a time release formula which helps reduce the drying side effects of retinol. Layer underneath your moisturizer at night.
Tinted Moisturizer from Revisions
One of Michaels’ favorite tinted SPFs. The tinted moisturizer comes in two formulas, original (which gives a bit of a dewy look) and matte. And, the 45 SPF keeps your face covered!
Nectifirm from Revision Skincare
Nectifirm is a product specifically designed for your neck. Don’t use it on your face! The ingredients are formulated to shrink fat cells in your skin. Which in turn will make your neck appear firmer and tighter. And, Michaels let us in on a little secret: Some people also use Nectifirm to help get rid of cellulite.
Teamine Eye Complex from Revision Skincare
Micheals love this eye cream in particular for it’s ability to diminish dark, under-eye circles. It is also good at reducing puffiness and fine lines.
IPL PhotoFacials
Not a product, but a treatment that Micheals really believes in. IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light. The treatment removes sun damage and age spots, reduces acne, stimulates collegen growth, and tightens pores. And, the best part, you don’t peel. You can even put on a little makeup and head out to dinner that night! IPL PhotoFacials start at $250 at Derma Luxe.
Thanks to Michaels Lynch and Derma-Luxe Spa! Here’s to happy, healthy winter skin!
