Learn interesting facts and tips on how to get your skin through the cold season in the best possible way.
Why is special winter care important for my skin?
Winter is probably the most stressful season for skin and hair due to the cold and the change to warm weather. It requires a new care routine. There are many factors that trigger this stress for your skin.
Tip 1: Sun vitamins for the dark season
The lack of sunlight causes our vitamin D levels to drop. It is also called the “sun vitamin”. It ensures that calcium and phosphate are absorbed into the bones, and it supports our muscle functions. In addition, it is an important component of our immune system on an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory level.
If there is a deficiency of vitamin D, our skin quality, hair and fingernails suffer. These become brittle, the hair tends to fall out more often and you may feel weak and tired more often. The skin shows more dry and irritated areas.
It is advisable to take vitamin D during these dark winter months. They are particularly effective in combination with vitamin D, vitamin K2 and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. When the sun does shine, try to take a walk in the fresh air and catch some rays.
Tip 2: Humidifier for dry heating air
In winter temperatures, dry heating air is also a burden on skin and hair. The lack of humidity dries out our mucous membranes, which also makes us more susceptible to infections. Wearing masks all the time is unfortunately an additional stress factor for the facial skin and the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.
Humidifiers have been shown to increase humidity and usually have air filters built in to make the air cleaner.
Tip 3: Let the skin breathe
In winter, the conditions for problem skin such as dry skin, neurodermatitis or cortisone skin worsen. The skin is constantly covered with clothing, which draws additional moisture from the skin and causes it to dry out. Tight clothing in particular, no matter what material it is made of, always causes friction. This is particularly irritating for sensitive cortisone skin.
It is better to wear loose clothing – especially when you are sitting in a warm place – and give your skin a little breathing space.
Tip 4: Pay attention to water quality
The calcareous water, especially in big cities, draws moisture from the skin when you shower. The epidermis, the surface layer of your skin, dries out. The natural acid mantle is destroyed in the long term and skin irritation can occur. There are certain regions where the water is harder, i.e. contains more lime, such as in Berlin, Cologne or Munich. You can try to soften your water with shower and lime filters.
Tip 5: Extra care for your hands
In these times, frequent hand washing is advisable to maintain daily hygiene. The skin on your hands becomes chapped and irritated. With an extra portion of care overnight, you can get your hands supple again. After a gentle scrub, simply apply cream and wrap them in cotton gloves. The next morning they should be nicely moisturised. You can also use the same procedure on your feet!
However, a hand cream should be your constant companion from now on.
What to look for in winter skin care
Ingredients that your cream should contain in cold temperatures
When using skin care products, you should make sure that the ingredients are designed not only to cover the surface of the skin, but also to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. Urea can help with this and pave the way for other ingredients:
Replenishing substances
An important part of creams are the refatting substances, which also have a soothing effect on your skin. Oils such as coconut oil or the rare and high-quality jasmine oil help with this. In our products we use the South African Virgin Oil, which is also popular in baby care.
Vitamin E
Vitamins such as vitamin E also contribute to intensive care and regeneration. It is even prescribed as an additional tablet for patients with severe burns, but it can also be applied directly to the skin.
Moisturising care
Aloe vera and hyaluronic acid are popular moisturising ingredients. It is important to distinguish between ordinary non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid, which provides pleasant moisture to the surface of the skin, and pharmaceutical-grade hyaluronic acid. The latter has such small molecules that they can even penetrate into the deep layers of the skin and provide a moist environment there.
Synthetic skin care ingredients: Derma Membrane Structure
Synthetic ingredients are exactly copied from natural ingredients and are highly effective.
Another ingredient is essential for protecting the skin barrier today: DMS. It stands for Derma Membrane Structure. With the help of this structure, the ingredients follow the physiological conditions of the skin. They imitate the natural protective barrier. According to this principle, the skin receives a higher tolerance and sustainability when using the products of your winter care (source: Cosmacon).
Special skin irritations in winter
Do you notice dry, itchy areas on your body during the icy winter months? Or irritated and reddened skin in the elbows or knees?
This can be a sign of neurodermatitis. It appears for the first time in adolescence or childhood, but can also return after years in adulthood. As the name suggests, it is a skin inflammation. The suffix “-itis” stands for inflammation. Flare-ups are then often observed. The prerequisite is careful skin care and avoidance of irritating substances such as friction on the skin caused by scarves or aggressive substances such as strong perfumes.
The changed areas of skin can be treated well with creams that give the skin plenty of oil and help it to regenerate. Here it is advisable not to rely only on natural ingredients. The DMS (Derma Membrane Structure) is also helpful here. The skin surface should be pampered with intensive skin oils which, in cream form with other substances, form an irritation-relieving cocktail for the skin. If there is no improvement after several weeks, a dermatologist should be consulted, who may prescribe a cortisone cream.
Tips for a winter skin care routine
To help protect your skin from cold temperatures, here are some more insider tips for your skin care routine.
Tip 6: Don’t forget your scalp
Your skin care routine should be coordinated with mild body and face wash gels. Don’t forget your scalp. It is often very dry, so it needs special care. There are already very good sprays for dry scalp and mild shampoos that are gentle on the scalp. If possible, let your hair air dry, which is also gentle on the scalp.
Tip 7: Pamper your face
Remove make-up residue from your face with a cleansing gel and tonic. These are often without perfume to avoid skin irritations and allergies. Only after this thorough facial cleansing can the skin care products be used.
Tip 8: Body cream instead of body lotion
If you want to keep the skin on your body and legs particularly supple, you should use body cream instead of body lotion. Body cream contains significantly more moisture and has a higher fat content.
In order for the product to be absorbed without hindrance, care is required that loosens old skin flakes. A body cream with urea as an ingredient helps here.
Tip 9: Lips are for caring and kissing
Who wouldn’t want to show off full and supple lips when the mask isn’t hiding the face?
Unlike the skin of the body, the lips belong to the outer mucous membranes, i.e. they do not have a cornifying structure with sebaceous glands that protect the surface from drying out.
Especially in the cold winter and when wearing masks, this leads to chapped and rough lips.
When it comes to lip care, a care stick containing honey or hyaluron is particularly helpful. These are not sticky, but are quickly absorbed into the mucous membrane of the lips. Also look for vitamin E and a neutral-tasting oil among the ingredients.
Tip 9.5: Be careful not to over-care your lips!
Your lips should not be softened by the care product. This can happen with very greasy lip balms and would damage them more than care for them.
Recently, lip care products not only have very high-quality ingredients, but also a pleasant taste and soft tones.
Tip 10: Sandwich face care
Sandwich skincare is ideal in winter. After cleansing, apply a serum or high-quality skin oil and finish with a rich cream, especially at night. The skin’s regeneration time is the time when you sleep. Therefore, it is best to apply the richer skin care products at night. A light greasy film on the skin is not a problem. The next morning, you can apply a light make-up after your day care and sun protection (yes, even in winter!). During the day, this is the ideal way to protect your skin from drying out and harmful environmental influences.
Tip 11: Warm baths and bath additives
A full bath with essential oils is especially pleasant in the cold season. It warms the muscles, ensures good circulation and relaxes. It is also conducive to a pleasant night’s sleep!
For extremely dry skin, medicinal baths with a high fat and oil content are available in pharmacies. Unfortunately, these usually do not smell good, but they are very effective. You can simply add a little of your favourite bath fragrance to such a full bath. It does not detract from the nourishing effect at all.
Tip 12: Oils for rich skin care
Body oils are a real miracle weapon against dry skin and itching. For example, you can combine a few drops of almond oil with your usual lotion if your cream does not contain high-quality oils. This way you can change the scent and oiliness of your own body cream as you like. For extra care, you can also use shower oils. They are particularly moisturising and are good for all skin types.
Your winter skin care from BEAUTÉ OMAR
The Seria Cutaneous by BEAUTÉ OMAR is suitable for very demanding skin such as winter skin. The skin after medical interventions also has these high demands.
Here, the skin needs a particularly high amount of moisture and active ingredients that penetrate deep into the skin and stimulate it to regenerate. Meanwhile, it is optimally protected so that it does not become unbalanced. This is ensured by high-quality ingredients that have a moisturising and refatting effect. More information on Surgi Boost Advanced Body Cream and Surgi Boost Face Cream.
