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Every year I feel the change of season in my skin. It feels tighter, drier and any colour I achieved during summer starts to fade. The change of season has a big impact on the look and feel of our skin and no amount of makeup will make our skin look good if we haven’t done the prep work (or are genetically gifted) for the oncoming cold weather. Here is how to get prepared…

1. Start by changing your cleanser. If you are using a gel or foaming cleanser it will likely be too strong for the drier winter months. Use a cream cleanser such as La Mav Hydra Calm Cream Cleanser. For very dry, sensitive skin use Haven Scent Coconut Cream Cleanser or oil cleansing with Jojoba oil.

2. Scrub away dead skin cells. This allows the nutrients in your moisturiser or serum to penetrate more deeply as they don’t have to work through layers of dead skin cells. It also prevents your skin becoming clogged due to the richer ingredients used during the cooler months. Your skin will feel smoother and refreshed.

3. Use a Night Serum. Oils are so important for skin nutrition. They penetrate the skin more deeply carrying antioxidants and vitamins with them. Ensuring the cellular membrane of the skin cells is healthy allows nutrients and moisture to be retained within the cell and toxins to be effectively eliminated. Just what we want.

4. Keep your lips moist. Dry, chapped lips are a pain in winter. The wind and cold make it difficult for the thin skin of the lips to retain moisture. Give them a hand by applying lip balm regularly. Those containing beeswax will have greater moisture holding capacity that those based on oils alone.

5. Fake your colour. If having a tan makes you feel good then achieve one…the fake way. Sunless tanners used during Winter will help you hold on to the Summer glow a little longer.

I haven’t yet filmed the 3rd in the series on Dehydrated Skin…but will get there! However, I found an interesting article from Jenny of Coconut Magic with relation to dry & dehydrated skin. She writes “free radicals are toxic byproducts that can have the most harmful affect on your health, beauty and longevity. Especially found in heated, rancid and unsaturated oils, free radicals can damage proteins, fats, cell membranes, and vital DNA. They can also help accelerate the ageing process.”

It is so true that the type of fats we consume have an impact on our skin. I have discussed this many times with relation to the fatty membrane of skin skin cells. If the fats in the membrane are comprised predominantly of pro-inflammatory fats, then the skin cell is likely to experience greater damage from free radical production and cellular nutrition and hydration will be compromised. However, if you supply the skin with good fat sources, the fatty membrane will incorporate these and both inflammation and free radical damage will reduce. Cellular nutrition and hydration will also improve significantly.

Topically there are many beneficial oils that can help improve cellular health (for specifics read this article) however, the fats we eat will also have a huge impact. More from Jenny: Coconut oil is a saturated fat (it’s true – not all saturated fats are bad but that is a topic for another blog) that is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA’s). The MCFA’s in coconut oil possess incredible health giving properties. They provide natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, ant-viral and detox benefits. Coconut oil is cleansing, nourishing and helps with the body’s absorption of vitamin E and omega 3’s, which further enhances its beautifying effects.

Coconut oil reverses the free radical tissue-damaging process by displacing the rancid, pro-inflammatory oils from the tissues and providing fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and super nutrition factors directly to the damaged tissue.

In his book The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, ND, details: “Studies show that dry skin contains a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (60%) compared to normal skin (49%). The best oil to use is one that doesn’t create free radicals. Saturated fat fits that requirement.”

For those with dry and dehydrated skin, the protection that good fat affords is critical for skin recovery. Taking up to 4 teaspoons of coconut oil per day it wont take very long to start seeing the major benefits that coconut oil will have on your health and the way that you look and feel.

In the second part to this series I discuss how daily moisturisers help to keep the skin hydrated and what key ingredients to look for if your products.

View Mukti Nourishing Facial Creme
View TSB Rosewood Moisture Lotion
View Organic Skin Co. Rosehip & Orange

In the first of 3 videos looking at dehydrated skin I discuss the primary causes of moisture loss and begin to discuss how to repair the protective waterproof barrier.

Take me to Mukti Calendula Cream
Take me to Devita Rx Ultrahydrate

One of the product formulators I admire, Lisa Phipps (creator of the Remedica range) recently wrote an article titled “Skin Care Truths”. I agree with so much of what Lisa has to say particularly about the use of skin nutritional oils and skin hydration. In this blog I have included some of Lisa’s comments about skin hydration and how to achieve well hydrated skin. Lisa writes:

Hydration means more than just drinking enough water.

While drinking plenty of water means assisting metabolic mechanisms such as optimum digestion, organ health and elimination of toxins, it is important to know that drinking buckets of water will not translate to plumped hydrated skin surface. When we want to obtain optimum hydration of the skin 3 things are necessary:

1. fluid intake internally
2. topical application of hydrators (humectants) to the skin
3. topically applied moisture retainers (occlusives).

Examples of humectants range from 100% synthetics to synthetically modified naturals and 100% natural ingredients. Lecithin, glycerine, sodium lactate, sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) or some of my favourites. Water IS NOT a humectant. Water is an example of a natural chemical compound that when it evaporates it takes existing moisture with it. So when you apply a simple rose water or lavender water that is advertised as being a hydrating mist, unless the formula contains ingredients that when compounded assist in “occlusion”, retaining moisture or blocking loss of moisture they will have no real meaning to skin care other than temporary relief. Any topically applied Hydrating formula worth its money must be a combination of humectants and occlusives. Simply put, humectants function in water soluble environments such as a water base BUT occlusives function in oil soluble environments such as olive oil, jojoba, tamanu oil, baobab etc. Humectants attract water molecules from the atmosphere and bind that moisture to the skin however the occlusives retain or lock that moisture in so it is not then lost back to the surrounding air.

What is the difference between hydration and protection from dehydration?

Hydration means just that – hydrating the skin….attracting moisture from the atmosphere and binding that moisture to the skin. Protection against dehydration is the “occlusive” mechanism in place to support the skin from not loosing excess moisture. Natural products best used for protecting against dehydration are those formulated with higher lipid (oil), content. 100% oil products would of course offer the most protection against dehydration. The level of comfort to the skin and rate of absorption however would be determined by the individual formulation. Some oils are heavy and some oils are light. Rose hip is an example of heavy oil that is too dense and too nourishing for some skin. Baobab is an example of highly nourishing oil with a very fast absorption rate. This all comes down to personal preference.

When is the best time to concern oneself with protection against dehydration?

Well, of course as stated above, it is always important to incorporate “occlusives” in ones skin care but overall the easiest way to assist the skin in repair, nourishment and protection against dehydration is at night. We are vulnerable to dehydration while we sleep. Using an oil preparation while we sleep is an excellent and simple way to assist the skin in retaining moisture. As mentioned some oils are appropriate and some are not. It is important to always ask about  the suitability of the oils in question for your skin type when purchasing.

View Remedica products

Yes its that time of year again – cool weather equals drier skin. The question that has been most asked is “what can I do about my dry skin?”. As always I like to give you a complete answer so I will outline below internal and lifestyle solutions as well as the topical products you can use to improve skin dryness and dehydration.

Firstly a short explaination about why your skin is feel dry and tight. Basically, with the cooler weather the humidity decreases and moisture evaporates out of your skin. This reduces the skin’s ability to protect from the external environment and so it reacts more readily to wind, cold weather and topical irritants. You may find that as well as feeling dry, your skin is also more sensitive during winter. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce moisture evaporation and increase skin protection and resiliance.

Environmental Factors

Sun, wind, cold air and hot water all increase water loss. You can reduce evaporation by making a few changes to your routine:

• Have short showers – long hot showers and swimming in heated pools opens up the pores and increases water loss from your skin.
• If you are in airconditioning, make sure you keep hydrated. To increase the fluid uptake into your cells add a squeeze of lemon or orange juice to your water bottle.
• When out in the wind or cold apply a lip balm to help minimise moisture loss from your lips.
• If you know you are going to be exposed to the elements, wear a richer moisturiser or a thicker sunscreen to help avoid sun and wind damage.

Editor's Pick for cream cleansers

Topical Solutions

• Synthetic foaming agents such as sodium or ammonium laurel sulphate are a significant cause of acid mantle disruption and coupled with cooler weather can lead to issues such as dehydration, roughness, infection, redness and irritation. Switch to a cream cleanser over winter. You can go back to a gel or foaming cleanser as soon as the weather starts to get warmer again. Our cream cleanser picks include:
  • For very dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin choose the Haven Scent Coconut Cream Cleanser. This is almost like using a cold cream to remove make up as it is very rich and creamy. You can use a moist flannel to wipe the cleanser off.
  • For combination skin, where congestion and dryness occur choose the AUM Brightening Cream Cleanser instead. This includes enzymes to help clear congestion but is gentle on skin at the same time.
  • For normal skin types, the Mukti Cleansing Lotion is ideal.
• Use an oil serum at night to help improve the moisture holding capacity of the skin cells. You can apply the serum under your moisturiser (only use half a pump) or instead of a night cream. Any serum you use should sink into the skin completely within 5 minutes. Our product picks are:
  • Remedica Regenerate Visage or VitaleVisage – either of these lovely serums will nourish the skin deeply and more than that, help improve the skin cell health. (Ed note: I love Vitale Visage and it is the key product that got me through the onset of the dry weather).
• Choose a richer moisturiser. This may seem like a simple solution but it is a very effective way of preventing moisture loss from the skin. You don’t have to jump from a light lotion up to a rich cream, just choose the next moisturiser up from your current one. eg. I have gone from Devita Solar Protect which is quite light up to Devita Rx Ultrahydrate. Alternatively, try using your night cream during the day. If it sinks in without a greasy feel, then it is suitable for day use. Our picks include:
  • Devita Rx Ultrahydrate - a rich cream with hyaluronic acid to increase skin moisture holding capacity
  • AUM Regenerating Night Cream – great for moisture depleted skin
  • Mukti Nourishing Cream – a lighter lotion that has a lovely moisturising effect.

Nutritional Help

• Drink enough water as adequate water intake is required to maintain cellular fluid.
• Essential fatty acids from good fats help maintain the fatty membrane surrounding the cell, holding in moisture and nutrition. Good fat sources include deep sea fish, olive oil, nuts & seeds, avocado and flax seeds.
• If your skin is really dry, try the Lemon Detox drink for 7 days. The difference this will make is truly astounding.

If you have any additional winter skin tips, please write in and let me know. I would love to hear about them.

Dry, chapped lips

Agghhhhh! My lips are dry again. The first sign of even cool weather and my lips seem to lose all moisture and crack up! Then of course the temptation is to chew them, or lick them to stop them from drying out – both of which just make the situation worse. So in an effort to avoid dry lips for the entirety of Winter, I have developed a “lip-care routine” which sounds silly but is helping. I have outlined what I do below but would love to hear about any tips you may have:

1. If your lips are dry avoid licking them. Once the saliva evaporates, your lips dry out even more.
2. Exfoliate your lips – to help improve dry lips, gently rub over your lips with a face washer or face scrub as this will exfoliate any dry or dead skin from your lips. This allows moisture to soak into live skin cells where it is really needed.
3. 

   La Mav Lip Balm with Hyaluronic

   Apply lip balm before bed – particularly if you mouth breathe apply a natural lip balm rich in beeswax. Beeswax holds in moisture without having an occlusive effect unlike mineral oil based products. Even organic oil based lip balms aren’t ideal. They are great for a high gloss look but not for stopping immediate moisture loss. Some of our beeswax rich lip balms include Suvana Paw Paw & Honey Lip Balm, any of the Badger Lip Balms and Third Stone Botanicals Chocolate Lip Balm. The other good option is La Mav Soothing Lip Balm with Hyaluronic, an ingredients that attracts and holds moisture in skin cells.

4. Wear lipstick or a rich lip balm during the day and apply regularly – air-conditioning, cold, wind and low humidity will exacerbate or even cause dry lips so keep them glossed!
5. Consider a lip balm with SPF if you are playing sport or exposed to the sun for extended periods of time. Lavera SPF10 Lip Balm is ideal in such cases.
6. Drink plenty of water – dry skin and dry lips can result from dehydration – it’s that simple sometimes!
7. Good oils – if your skin is dry in general as well as your lips, consider adding a few extra essential fatty acids into your diet as they help the skin cells hold onto moisture. Good sources include avocado, nuts, seeds, deep sea fish and flax oil.
8. 

   Suvana Lip Balm

   Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol as they dehydrate your skin, lips, everything basically!

9. If the body of your lips is smooth but you regularly get cracks or irritation in the corners (I get them from eating potato chips – now you know all my bad habits!) it may be related to a vitamin deficiency. Generally cracks in the corners of the mouth equate to low B group vitamin levels. If this is the case, you will see very rapid improvement by taking a B supplement. If not, consider seeing your Dr to get your iron levels checked  as these cracks, known as angular stomatitis may also be linked to low iron levels (don’t take iron tablets without having your levels tested first though).

And all of this in an attempt to get a kiss no less! You may not need to do everything on the list but remember that all these tips apply to your skin in general. Keep in well moisturised and nourished and it won’t get dry or dehydrated during winter. Something I must remember! I am off to get a glass of water…and apply some lip balm!

Have you ever looked in the mirror the morning of a big event only to discover a huge pimple or noticed that your skin is unusually red and blotchy? Don’t stress, it will only make it worse! It could actually be the case that stress was the trigger for your breakout in the first place. Stress affects our lives in all ways, some motivational and positive, others subtle and more insidious. While not historically recognised as a contributing factor in skin conditions, there is now growing body of evidence to show that stress has potentially harmful effects on the skin. From acne to eczema research shows us that during times of acute stress, rashes and breakouts become worse, sometimes significantly so. It also points to the potential role of chronic low-grade stress as a causative factor in persistent skin conditions.

Stress can affect our appearance in a number of ways including increased perspiration, brittle nails, dry, thinning hair and sensitive more reactive skin. Where there is an existing skin condition, worsening can be seen in the following ways:

• Acne lesions and breakouts become more inflamed, last longer and take longer to heal
  

  Stress causes skin changes

• Worsening of the inflammation (redness) and dryness in eczema and rosacea
• Increased tendency to flushing and blushing
• Increased incidence of congestion and oily skin due to sebum production
• Increased sensitivity to irritants and infections agents

These effects are primarily caused by the impact of stress on skin permeability. In most chronic skin conditions there is an abnormality in the skin’s permeability barrier. The body responds by trying to repair the barrier and in the process initiates an inflammatory process in the deeper layers of the skin with the result of worsening skin symptoms. Even in people without existing skin conditions, stress has the ability to reduce skin permeability and increase dehydration and sensitivity. This may go some way to explaining why some people react to certain topical agent only some of the time; generally skin permeability is normal however during times of stress it is affected leaving skin more vulnerable to irritation.

Dry, stressed skin is stressful in its own right!

When exposed to stress, hormonal and chemical levels increase. Hormones in the brain trigger the release of adrenalin and norepinephrine, creating the classic flight or fight response – our body’s are readying for an emergency, which most of the time doesn’t occur. Glucocorticoids are also released from the adrenal glands, and when stress is ongoing it leads to the decrease in skin barrier function. Interestingly, while a decreased barrier function often causes water loss, increased oil production can also occur due to the role of stress in the disruption of normal hormonal balance and an increase in substance P. So yes it is possible to have moisture dehydrated skin and be oily (usually through the T-zone) at the same time.

In addition to stress directly affecting skin permeability, chronic stress can also affect the functioning of the immune system. Stress down regulates the immune system making us more susceptible to infection. It also plays havoc with skin conditions that have immune involvement such as psoriasis, eczema, cold sores and shingles, most commonly causing worsening skin condition. Stressed individuals are also more likely to eat and sleep less healthily or be more likely to drink more alcohol further suppressing the immune system.

So how does stress reduction help with the treatment of skin conditions? Firstly, it helps by decreasing the release of

Dull, Dehydrated Skin

pro-inflammatory hormones, which results in less inflammation, redness and rash like symptoms. It also reduces blood vessel hyper-activity resulting in less frequent skin flushing, which is particularly important in rosacea. Time will see an improvement in skin permeability, which means greater hydration and less sensitivity. Oiliness will improve as hormones settle back to normal. This may take up to 3 months. Reducing stress will result overall in better condition both for those with existing skin disorders as well as those with normal skin.

Taking the time to incorporate some simple stress reducing techniques into your daily routine will help improve the condition of your skin:

• Avoid excessive consumption of stimulants such as coffee and soft drink. One caffeine-containing drink per day is ample. For those that are particularly sensitive, drink green tea instead of coffee.
• Exercise can significantly reduce stress levels. The release of endorphins following exercise increases feelings of
  

  Rob's Satsang - singing meditation

  happiness and wellbeing. In addition it increases circulation and therefore nutrition to your extremities, including your skin.

• Meditation or breathing techniques. Meditation reduces cortisol release and increases immune function – ideal if you are suffering from a skin condition. If you are a beginner, take a class in Buteko breathing or follow a guided meditation.
• Alcohol and smoking suppress the immune system. Smoking has many detrimental effects on the skin and so is best avoided completely. In moderation, alcohol consumption may help reduce stress however it is a fine and individual line, so stick to physician guidelines – one standard drink per day for women and two for men.  In addition, try to go without at least 2 days per week.

Check out our natural solutions to dehydrated and sensitive skin.

Related Articles:

Why Me – Sensitive Skin Solutions

Topical Ingredients by Skin Type

Natural Solutions for Dehydrated Skin

Last year I wrote an article called Solutions for Dehydrated Skin. I have had so many responses to this article and with the change of season approaching I thought I would update on this topic. Dehydrated skin tends to get worse in Winter due to the decrease in humidity. The “drier” air draws moisture out of the skin so that even if you usually have good skin moisture content, during Winter, it can feel tight and even look drawn or flaky. The most common response is to lather on more moisturiser or a richer cream. This will work but there are some other key tips you can use to help your skin stay hydrated:

Switch to a cream cleanser during the cooler months: foaming cleansers tend to disrupt the acid mantle to a greater degree than cream cleansers. While this is fine during Summer, during Winter, less protective surface oil means more moisture loss. Avoid SLS containing cleansers completely. If you have fine, dry skin you can even use the ancient Ayurvedic oil cleaning method which uses oils to clean your skin.

Use a richer cream during the day: if you have no issues with skin congestion, the richer cream will act as a physical barrier to moisture loss which means more of it stays in your skin cells. Alternatively, if you are prone to congestion, continue with your regular day moisturiser and use a serum at night.

Night Serums: these are ideal for managing congestion while increasing the water holding capacity of your skin. They also carry nutrients into the skin doing great things like increasing the antioxidant capacity and reducing inflammation. I still can’t go past Remedica Regenerate Visage as one of the best night serums for dry/dehydrated skin I have seen in action. I am inclined to devote a blog to the Remedica Serums as I think they are just magic.

Hyaluronic Acid: hyaluronic acid attract moisture from the air and binds it to the skin tissue, thereby increasing the moisture content and hydration of the skin. I often recommend that customers use Hyaluronic acid in Winter and then change over to Vitamin C serum during the warmer months. This is particularly good as part of a “slow” ageing strategy.

Keep up your Fluids: it is hard to drink cool or even room temperature water when the temperature drops. I shy away from water and crave hot drinks (Soy Chai Tea is my weakness!) during Winter. So to manage my internal fluid levels I make sure I  start the day with at least 300mls of warm water  and lemon (just squeeze half a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink before any other food or drinks). Throughout the day I sip on herbal teas or just plain warm water.

Good Oils: yes I know I bang on about fish or flax oil regularly but they are so good for increasing the internal moisture holding capacity of the skin. See my previous blog about the Lemon Detox Drink with lots of lovely flax oil as it would be an ideal way of increasing “good” oil intake. That or you could increase oily fish intake or take a fish or flax oil capsule.

If you give any of these tips a go I would love to hear what the results are for you.