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Beauty

How To Protect Your Skin For Winter  

When your skin sends an SOS.
By Andrea Arterbery |
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While we may not be experiencing bomb cyclones (aka no snow storms), the temps here in Dallas have been on the chillier side – which means it’s time for you to switch up your skincare routine. Cold weather can leave the skin can looking (and feeling) dry, super ashy, flaky, red and sometimes itchy. If you’ve noticed that slathering on your favorite face lotion might not be alleviating the issue, then that’s probably because your skin is changing. Don’t worry – it happens to the best of us, even me! So, I chatted with Texas-based Renee Rouleau (Demi Lovato is one of her top clients, so you the aesthetician clearly knows what’s up) to get tips on how to keep your skin looking and feeling its best during the chilly months ahead.

If your skin is dry…..

Dry skin is easily one of the top issues that people deal with in the winter. Here are a few ways to alleviate that:

1. Try using a facial oil. But, Rouleau warns that it’s important to make sure that you’re using it properly.

“Pure facial treatment oils are really in demand these days,” Rouleau says. “After all, an oil gives the skin an instant moist and dewy glow. However, many people are using them improperly.”

Rouleau advises patting on a skin oil as the last step over your face moisturizer as a great way to add another protective barrier to help prevent moisture evaporation. Try Renee Rouleau Pro Remedy Oil.

2. Pay attention to the ingredients in your moisturizer. Using a heavy moisturizer might seem like the obvious choice to make if your skin is dry and flaky, but it’s actually the opposite of what you should be doing.

“Finding the right moisturizer to hydrate dry skin lies in the ingredients used in the formula – ones that actually repair the lipid moisture barrier in the skin and prevent transepidermal water loss,” Rouleau says. “There have been many breakthroughs in the science of moisture retention and it all comes down to choosing the right ingredients.”

Rouleau advises looking for emollient barrier-repair ingredients like these when choosing the best moisturizer for dry skin. “These ingredients will correct both the lack of oil and lack of hydration deep within your skin and actually repair the skin’s lipid moisture barrier to make your skin moist, supple and smooth,” she says. Try Renee Rouleau Glow Enhancing Crème.

 

3. Gently exfoliate your skin on a regular basis. Rouleau says that dry skin actually means that you have dry skin cell buildup which can be worse if you keep layering on the heavy skin creams. “Increase your exfoliation to remove the dry skin cells and then moisturize the new skin cells which will result in moist skin,” she says. Try a gentle serum like this Ultra Gentle Smoothing Serum.

If your skin is dehydrated…..

Dehydrated skin usually happens to those that have oily, acne-prone skin. However, Rouleau warns that dehydrated skin is not the same as dry skin. Dehydrated skin lacks water and can still produce oil, get breakouts while still feeling dry. It is very common for oily to combination skin. Here’s how you can avoid it:

1. Use an alcohol-free toner. But the key here is to make sure that the toner you choose (try Moisture Infusion Toner) is applied to the skin right after cleansing while skin is damp.

“You have a 60-second window after cleansing your skin to seal in moisture while your skin is damp to prevent severe hydration from occurring,” Rouleau says. Next, follow up with a serum and moisturizer to keep the skin moist and hydrated.

 

2. Sulfate-free cleansers should be your best friend if your skin is prone to acne. There are lots of acne cleansers currently on the market containing harsh detergents and sulfates in order to dry up breakouts on the skin. The problem with this is that it actually has the reverse effect of what you want for your skin during the cold, winter months.

“Stripping the face of its water will result in creating a layer of dead skin cell buildup, which can trap oil and bacteria under the skin, causing more bumps and breakouts in the winter,” Rouleau says. “You must understand that cleansing is one of the most important steps of your routine because if the first step is using something drying, then everything you use afterwards (toner, serum, moisturizer) must do repair work to try and fix the damage created from washing with a drying, irritating cleanser.”

 

3. Start using a hydrating acne mask. This will help to control breakouts and keep the skin balanced, Rouleau says. Try Rapid Response Detox Masque.

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