Loving your skin in cold weather.

Winter is almost over but not just yet... This time after a few months of cold temperatures, wind and dry air everyone starts complaining about dry, lifeless and dull skin. The best way to take care of your skin preserving it's beauty and moisture  through the winter months is to pay attention to your skin's protection. Surface layer of the skin protects you from extreme temperatures, harsh winds, and the sun.Yes, the sun, even during the winter months. Temperature of the air is not a factor here.

Unfortunately, as we age, our skin gets thinner and drier naturally and produces less of protective moisture barrier. The result: during cold months your skin gets even drier, duller, thinner, and is more prone to wrinkles as a result. But there is always a solution to support your skin's defensive barrier function during the dry and cold winter months:

1. Cleanse well but gentle.
If there was ever a time to use gentle cleansers, it's winter. Look for cleansers with natural oils in their list of ingredients, like Walnut oil and Argan OIl, so you can cleanse and moisturize simultaneously. Avoid the  "squeaky clean" skin. Walnut and Argan oils are extremely rich in Vitamin E, natural moisturizer and antioxidant.

2. Protect the top layers of your skin with face oils.
Face oils are a key element for your winter skin care routine because they replenish the top layers of aging skin so that it can better retain moisture and defend itself from wind and cold. Face oils penetrate past the epidermal barrier to deliver nutrients to deeper layers of the skin. Moisturizer rich in oils is a good choice if you don't regularly use or like facial oils.

3. Exfoliate.
It is a fact that a regular exfoliation 2-3 times a week makes your skin look and feel better and brighter. But, overdoing it may cause a sensitive, dry, dehydrated skin, which is something you should try to avoid during the cold dry winter months. Opt for more gentle physical exfoliators that remove surface dead layers of the skin without deep penetration. Always follow with a moisturizer.

4. Sunscreen is always your friend.
Just because the sun isn't out as long during winter or doesn't feel as hot, doesn't mean that its powerful UV rays lost their power. Always choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects you from both UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreens with zinc oxide do an especially good job of repelling rays before they can enter the skin and wreak havoc. Wear sunscreen every day, from dawn to dusk, rain or shine, in hot or cold weather.