How to Take Care of Your Skin in This Freezing Weather?

Extreme weather might have played havoc with our day-to- day lives over the past few weeks, but it's been having an impact at a more personal level.

With freezing temperatures outside and central heating cranked up to the max, chapped lips, sore red patches and flaky skin have become a daily occurrence.

But what actually happens to our skin in weather like this?

'When it's very cold, there is less moisture in the environment,' says consultant dermatologist Dr Susan Mayou.

'This lack of moisture is compounded by wind, which blows moisture away from the skin, and central heating.'

In a dry environment, water is lost from the keratinocytes - or skin cells - leaving skin feeling sore and chapped. And don't assume that slathering on moisturiser gives skin a shot of water: sadly, it's not that simple.

'Moisturisers work in two ways, using two types of ingredient,' says Dr Mayou. 'There are humectants, such as hyaluronic acid and urea, and occlusives, such as paraffin.

'Humectants draw water from the lower levels of the skin - this comes from the water we drink - to rehydrate the upper levels of the skin, while occlusives have a barrier function to help lock in this moisture.'

Winter weather demands a moisturiser that's heavier on the occlusives than your normal everyday moisturiser, making it more of a balm than a cream.

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Relief & Repair Balm, is a heavyduty cream which helps dry skin repair itself within five days. But it has a high paraffin content, so skin can look shiny.

If you want something a bit lighter over which you can layer foundation, try Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Multi-Repair Cream.

Lips are particularly susceptible to cold weather and can take a greasier formulation than skin. Vaseline works wonders.

And don't forget your body. Garnier Skin Naturals Hydralock Moisturising Milk, contains a blend of glycerin, paraffin, urea and propylene glycol that leaves skin feeling soft but not sticky.

Ideally, prevention is better than cure, so you should use a barrier cream on your skin as soon as the forecasters are predicting a drop in the mercury.

One beauty editor friend simply won't go skiing without the protection of Dermalogica's Climate Control, which contains soothing, anti-bacterial extracts of lavender, shea butter, vitamin E and oats to help boost the skin's natural defences.

Oats are one of nature's brilliant dry skin remedies.

Ordinary oatmeal sprinkled into a bath, or stuffed in tights and used as a poultice on dry skin, is one of those old wives' remedies that really works.

Or you could try the incredible Aveeno range.

If your skin has got really dry and damaged, you might find that everything you put on it stings.

In this case, Dr Mayou advises buying 1 per cent hydrocortisone over the chemist's counter - choose the ointment rather than the cream as this doesn't contain any preservatives.

Guide to Winter Skin
LIPS can be the first part of the face to show an adverse reaction to cold weather, so use them as your early warning system. If your lips feel dry and damaged, treat them - and start preventative measures for the rest of your face.

The skin around the EYES is very thin, and when the air is cold and dry, you might well see an increase in fine lines in this area. Use a separate eye cream and apply it gently using your ring finger, without dragging the skin.

Because the CHEEKS are so exposed, they are susceptible to cold weather damage, especially if sun is also involved - when skiing for instance. Always wear high-factor sun protection.

Wearing a SCARF can exacerbate the problems caused by cold weather. As you breathe, condensation can form on the material and rub against your skin, so look for breathable materials that wick away moisture.

From dailymail.