Here's how to look after your skin this Winter

A change of season can wreak havoc on your skin, especially heading into the cooler months.

Founder and CEO of Dermalist, Stefanie Milla shares her top 5 tips for looking after your skin this Winter

1. Adjust your environment

Layer up instead of turning on the heater!

You may think that it’s the cold weather contributing to that dehydrated feeling, but for most people their time is spent indoors with the heating on. This saps our skin of water, the all important molecule necessary for keeping our skin looking great.

Try reducing the use of artificial heating where possible by wearing extra layers and keeping active, or if you absolutely can’t take the cold, purchase an air humidifier!

2. Up your fluid intake

We’ve already talked about skin dehydration, but the cells in our bodies work the same way. Every single cell relies on water to help it communicate and function at it’s best, and our body is basically just trillions of cells! It’s very common for winter to lead to a decrease in water intake, but there are ways you can sneakily up your hydration levels without feeling the cold.

flavoured collagen powder — Premium Collagen powder from The Collagen Co

Try drinking warm water with a little squeeze of lemon, not only does this help to hydrate but lemon is a great source of vitamin C, helpful for your skin and your immune system! Broth based soups are another warm way to keep your hydration levels up, plus a home made organic broth can contain a plethora of vitamins and minerals required for optimal health.

Adding a collagen supplement can also be helpful. The Collagen Co have a range of deliciously flavoured powders that also contain Vitamin C , Biotin to aid cell renewal along with Hyaluronic Acid for skin hydration and joint lubrication.

3. Boost your vitamin D

We know that vitamin D plays a role in the healthy functioning of nearly every tissue in our bodies, and that includes our skin! Furthermore, exposure to the sun has a positive effect on the nervous system, hormonal regulation, muscle function and immune health.

During winter, not only are we spending less time outdoors, but the sun has a different position in the sky, sitting lower than it would in summer. This means that even if we are outdoors, our exposure to adequate UV for vitamin D production is reduced. So spending at least 20 minutes a day outdoors during winter (without wearing your sunnies ) is even more important during the cooler months. You can also increase your intake of high omega fish, such as salmon and of course loads of green leafy vegetables!

4. Add variety to your diet

Seasonal eating is a wonderful thing! It lowers our carbon foot print, as we don’t need to source produce from the other side of the world, and it also means we’re getting the freshest ingredients possible, meaning nutrients are at their most bioavailable.

Eat fruit and vegetables that are in season

Plus seasonal fruit and vegetables are usually the most readily available in our stores. One thing to be mindful of is that typically in winter we naturally seek out heavier, more satiating foods often leading to a preference for starchier or heavier fruits and vegetables.

The best way to ensure we’re getting the vitamins that are usually abundant in those tropical fruit and veg that are available during the warmer months, is to eat a wide variety, and maybe choose some things you wouldn’t usually eat!

High in antioxidants and great for our skin are beetroot, brussels sprouts, kale, silverbeet, rhubarb and many more!

5. You don’t need to change your routine.

A lot of people believe they need to swap their skincare products to heavier thicker products in winter, when in actual fact you should be using products that are nourishing and protecting your skins barriers year round.

Find a cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin and instead enhances the delicate microbiome and lipid barriers. Remove harsh scrubs from your regime that can cause micro tears in the epidermis, increasing inflammation and the risk of infection.

Choose a multifunctional treatment serum that combines anti-inflammatory ingredients like vitamins B3, B5 and pomegranate extract, while also harnessing the benefits of powerful actives such as targeted peptides, encapsulated Retinol and Hyaluronic acid.

Dermalist RADIANCE serum contains 15 specialised active ingredients including Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane & Lactic Acid.