Inside and Out: Top Tips for Taking Care of Your Skin in Winter

Post the Christmas excesses and still in the midst of harsh winter conditions, it's entirely likely that your skin may have lost some of its natural sparkle. Your skin calls for a different routine depending on the season and the environmental conditions it is exposed to, so to give you a helping hand in caring for yours, we've called in the experts. We've asked Evanna Breen, of Akina Beauty in Temple Bar for her top tips on caring for your skin in winter, and getting that natural glow back!  _____________________________________ True/False: Your skin needs different care in different seasons True. When the temperature drops outside and humidity levels go down the dry air literally pulls moisture from our skin. With less water in the skin the natural moisturising factors that naturally occur in our skin diminish and lipid levels fall. This combination of less water and fewer lipids mean that the skin is less lubricated and protected.  This in turn means that the skin does not exfoliate as efficiently as it should causing a build up of dead skin, which gives the skin a dull grey appearance, as well as compromised healing. In the summer months we are focused on UV protection, although this should be part of your year round routine, we need to be extra diligent in the summer months. As the season changes from Summer to Autumn we find at Akina we are dealing with a lot of damage caused during the Summer months. This is when we encourage anti-inflammatory products and fighting free radicals. Now is the time to be treating red veins, dealing with redness/high colour and pigmentation changes caused by the sun. Autumn is the ideal time to under go a course of skin rejuvenation treatments. When spring finally arrives we need to look at changing our moisturiser if a heavier one was used in the winter months. The colour of your make up should be reconsidered now also as the pale skin seen in winter starts to show more of a glow.   What affects your skin most – food, environmental factors, your current skincare regime? While it is important to have a good skin care routine, it is more important to have a balanced diet in terms of being able to keep your skin healthy. If we are not giving our bodies the tools that it needs to function efficiently more often than not it is our skin that suffers. As the seasons change and environmental factors change we should also consider changing our diet and eating foods that are in season. At the moment vegetables that are in season are kale, cabbage, leeks, carrots beetroot, celeriac, squash and parsley, sage and thyme are the herbs that are at nutritional best at the moment. If your diet is lacking in essential nutrients because you find it hard to get the time to source, prepare and cook fresh seasonal vegetables then you should consider taking a good all round nutritional supplement. As the cold weather sets in the temptation is to want comfort foods that are high in fats and sugar and drinking coffee to keep warm. Try introducing foods such as chilli that are high in vitamin c which are not only warming but have an anti inflammatory effect on the skin. Ginger tea is excellent for boosting your immune system and the warming benefits of this tea will help if you have congestion. It also aids elimination and absorption of nutrients so that you are getting the most benefits from the healthy food that you are eating. The biggest mistake that I find people make in their daily their skin care regime is that they do not cleanse properly. Cleansing not only takes make up off but if you spend a few minutes massaging your skin, you will bring blood flow to the surface of your skin which in turn will bring oxygen and nutrients. This will also help to gently exfoliate surface dead cells and allow for better elimination, giving your skin a glow. Having a facial once every 4-6 weeks with the same therapist will give the therapist a chance to get to know what works best for your skin, she can then help you alter your routine as needed. This doesn’t mean buying a whole new range of products, it can be something as simple as introducing a serum or using your toner less often.   The best way to care for dry skin is… Oral supplementation of Omega oils will help to lubricate the skin and therefore improve the texture. The best way to care for oily skin is… Using any product that contains Salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is naturally plant derived acid that causes the outermost dead cells to shed, allowing space for new cell growth and reducing and preventing blackheads and pimples that are associated with oily skin. It will also help balance the skin. The best way to care for dehydrated skin in… Hydrate through food, eat lots of vegetables that have a  high water content such as mushrooms and watermelon, as well as drinking water regularly through out the day. Cutting out diuretics such as tea/ coffee/ alcohol will help also. The best way to care for combination skin is… Have your skin analysed professionally so that the main condition can be dealt with, without causing an imbalance. People often think that they have oily skin when in fact oily skin is rare among Irish skin types. The majority of people do have combination skin, whether it is an oily t-zone with dryer cheeks or sensitive skin with dryness, most of us have more than one thing going on with our skin. Your beauty therapist will guide you in how to best deal with the different issues that your skin may have.   How does wearing make up every day affect your skin? Wearing make up daily is good for your skin as long as it is cleansed properly at the end of the day. Make up acts as an extra protective layer against the elements during the day and if you are using a mineral make up it can actually be working to nourish your skin as you are wearing it.  Going to bed without removing your make up will cause congestion such as blackheads and pimples and will increase the build up of dead skin, so the key is to make sure you remove makeup at the end of the day.   A good winter facial to opt for is… Environ Vitamin Facial using the Ionzyme DF machine to enhance penetration of vitamins A, C and E along with serums into  the skin. It  is the ideal facial to help rejuvenate, balance and encourage collagen synthesis in the skin during the harsh winter months. It is loved by celebrities such as Elle Mc Pearson, Naomi Watts and Sadie Frost.   The best foods you can opt for to keep your skin healthy are… Stay away from processed food as much as possible. Eat food that is as close to it original form as possible. Following a low GI diet is one of the best ways to achieve a healthy clear skin. Eat whole grains such as quinoa, bulgar, barley and brown rice, try to limit wheat. Green Leafy vegetables are best for helping to keep the body alkaline, and contain high fibre which helps regulate blood sugar levels. Healthy fats/ good fats can be found in nuts and seeds, avocados and olive oil, these help maintain the natural oil barrier of the skin. Green tea is one of the most anti inflammatory botanical products available, along with fruits such as pomegranate, acai and grapes. These will help with slowing down the aging process, slowing the appearance of lines and wrinkles and giving the skin a more even tone.   Evanna is owner and proprietor of Akina Beauty Salon in Temple Bar, one of Her.ie's favourite beauty spots in the capital. For more on the salon, see www.akina.ie, or to make an appointment call 01 6708794.