In winter, we alternate days at the beach with cozy evenings indoors, open-toe stilettos for black leather boots and a glass of rosé at sunset for cocktails in the dark that warm from within.
So why not swap our daily skincare routine for an ideal winter skincare regimen?
It’s that time of year to re-evaluate how we take care of our skin, where the change in temperature and humidity that comes with winter often wreaks havoc on our complexion.
Marie Claire Beauty Director Sally Hunwick spoke to Dr. Ceylan Yilmaz, Cosmetic Doctor and Cosmetic Chemist and Director at Skinology, one of Melbourne’s leading skin rejuvenation clinics, to find out the science behind what our skin needs in the colder months.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
Different season, different needs
“In the winter, the air becomes significantly dry and has low humidity, which sucks all the moisture out of the skin and affects the balance of our skin’s ‘natural moisturizing factor’ component,” explains Dr. Yilmaz Marie Claire Australia.
“If the skin barrier is not functioning properly, it becomes dehydrated. Dehydrated skin means irritated skin and irritated skin means angry skin in the form of redness, dryness and itching.
“Fine lines and wrinkles can also appear worse in dry and dehydrated skin.”
For this reason, Dr. Yilmaz says that during the cold, dry months we need to focus more on maintaining the moisture levels in our skin.
“Well-hydrated skin is happy, normal, functioning skin,” she says.
“Another thing people don’t really know is that we also need to pay attention to how we exfoliate our dry, wintry skin — and how often we do it. If not done properly, hydrating products and moisturizers won’t penetrate properly.”
An essential skincare for winter
for dr. Yilmaz has one ingredient that we should definitely add to our wintery skincare routines: hyaluronic acid.
“One of the most studied ingredients in the skin care literature, [hyaluronic acid] is a ‘humectant’ of the sugar molecule, meaning it attracts and retains moisture,” she says.
“We naturally have hyaluronic acid in our skin to do just that, as well as other functions, including regulating collagen formulation. It holds 1000 times its weight in water, but unfortunately the levels of HA in our skin decline as we age.” become.”
She suggests using research-backed, scientifically proven topical serums containing Hyaluronic Acid SkinCeuticals HA Enhancer-to increase and regulate the moisture content in the skin.
“It’s one of my favorite products to use and recommend in the clinic because we really see it helping patients’ hydration levels in the winter,” she says.
Scientific studies have shown that the moisturizing and multi-correction serum boosts the skin’s hyaluronic acid content by 30 percent*. It also has powerful anti-aging benefits, with one study^ showing that it reduced sagging skin by 9 percent and improved skin texture by 18 percent after just 12 weeks of use.
A boost to your daily skincare routine
dr. Yilmaz recommends making small adjustments to your regular, daily skincare routine to ensure we’re giving our skin the support it needs.
“Focus on products that minimize further irritation or dryness in the winter – and that may mean adjusting or changing products from your summer routine.
“An ideal morning routine would be to cleanse – with something gentler than usual to avoid that tightness after use – exfoliate and moisturize.
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“I recommend adding a moisturizing serum like: SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier, before the humidification step. Think of this as your “drought treatment,” she says.
And in the evenings, focus on giving your skin the nutrients your skin needs in the form of topical vitamins.
“My non-negotiables are vitamins A and C, as they are multi-purpose, but promote your skin to function at its best,” she says.
“That means a stronger barrier that loses moisture less quickly. However, retinoids can dry out and irritate a bit if not used correctly, so choose products with gentler delivery systems to avoid this in the winter.”
And, she says, don’t neglect your SPF sunscreen just because the sun isn’t shining.
“It should be worn all year round. We need to protect our skin, especially in Australia.”
Watch the video above to learn more about essential winter skincare products.
Sponsored by SkinCeuticals†
*Protocol: A 4-week study in 12 women aged 45-65 years. 4mm Punch biopsies taken at baseline and after 4 weeks of daily forearm application of HA Intensifier. The hyaluronic acid content was quantified with a commercially available ELISA kit. The localization of hyaluronic acid was visualized using biotinylated hyaluronic acid binding protein and streptavide-conjugated horseradish peroxidase.
^ Protocol: A 12-week, single-center study was conducted in 59 women, aged 42-60 years, with mild to moderate facial sagging and loss of firmness, rough skin texture, nasopharyngeal folds, marionette wrinkles, and presence of fine lines/wrinkles in the crow’s feet. HA Intensifier was used twice daily in combination with Gentle Cleanser and a sunscreen. Evaluations of efficacy and tolerability were performed at baseline and at weeks 4, 8 and 12.
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