{From Marie Veronique}
As we move into the winter months it's time to revise our skin care routine to hydrate and protect our skin. But not by much—we all know by now that we don’t pack away our sunscreen along with the bathing suits until summer. Here are a few tips to make the winter months easier on you and your skin.
Keep Your Skin's Environmental Barrier Intact
The stratum corneum, the top layer of skin, keeps moisture in and protects against all sorts of environmental assault, whether cold, wind, glare or UV rays. This lipid barrier requires almost constant replenishment as wind, cold, sun exposure and too much indoor heating leads to lipid loss which compromises its integrity.
We recommend applying Argan Oil under a tinted moisturizer with SPF in the morning and Argan Oil at night to replenish lost barrier lipids.
When outdoors, especially if you are out skiing/skating for the day, reapply moisturizer (again Argan oil/Vit E oil/Coconut oil) as needed.
Misting with water before the oil application hydrates the skin and helps the oil spread more smoothly, while the green tea provides extra protection from UV rays.
UVA Protection Every Day
We now know that the best way to delay the visible signs of aging is to make year round UV protection part of your daily routine. Ideally your UV protection will contain zinc oxide, which is proven to provide the broadest spectrum of protection, up to 400 nm. This covers the whole UVB and UVA range, i.e., from 280 to 400 nm.
UVA protection is essential because even on sun-free days UVA rays, sometimes referred to as the aging rays, are present from sunrise to sunset, penetrate clouds and glass and are 1,000 times more prevalent than UVB rays.
They are called the aging rays because they:
Cross link collagen and elastin
Damage DNA
Are potentially carcinogenic
Turn melanin darker and create problems of hyper-hypo-pigmentation (sun spots)
Induce broken capillaries
A Lower SPF is Generally Okay in The Winter Months
Since in most geographical settings you will be receiving less UVB exposure (the earth orbits away from the sun during winter, which especially affects northern latitudes), an SPF of 15-20 is usually sufficient during winter months.
A Higher SPF is Still Required in Certain Conditions
An SPF of 30 would be recommended during the winter months in the following conditions:
1. Latitude UV levels are greater in tropical areas near the earth’s equator. The farther you are from the equator, the smaller your risk of too much UVB exposure
2. Altitude As you ascend atmospheric pressure decreases, air is thinner and less oxygen is available. It is also colder, drier and the ultraviolet rays from the sun are stronger.
3. Setting UV levels are greater in wide open spaces, especially when highly reflective surfaces are present, like snow and sand. In fact, UV exposure can nearly double when UV rays are reflected from the snow. UV exposure is considered less likely in urban settings, where tall buildings shade the streets. But beware of traffic jams or settings where glare from shiny surfaces can inflict damage. Many people will spot developing problems first on the side of the face that gets the most ultraviolet exposure while driving.
4. Climactic conditions. Extreme cold and wind strip the skin of the protection provided by the lipid barrier, found in the uppermost layers of the epidermis called the stratum corneum. Skin is more vulnerable to burns under cold, windy conditions because UVB rays partially blocked by the strateum corneum penetrate more readily.
Bring on the Winter!
