Keeping Your Skin Healthy
Winter skin care tips
Winter is coming. With the arrival of the cooler months of late fall and the winter season comes the need to discuss healthy habits for our skin to maintain the youthful barrier, appearance and feel we all deserve. To achieve this, you need the right information and a simple regimen to feel comfortable in your skin as you enjoy the coming comforts and festivities.
Always start with one of the most important aspects, no matter what time of year it is – sunscreen. It feels like we are less exposed to the sun during the wintertime. This is natural and a combination of the lower UV index, the cooler temperatures, and not being immersed in the summer sun in the Florida panhandle where most of us north Louisianians like to vacation. However, the idea that we are less exposed is simply not the case, and the same rules apply to sun protection in the winter as they do in the summer months. The damage caused to your skin – especially to the face, upper chest and arms – from unprotected sun exposure shows itself as we get older in the form of wrinkled appearance and skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanomas. Many signs of aging are preventable with the correct skincare routine, including sun protection.
There has been much controversy over the use and safety of sunscreen recently. While there are distinct differences between chemical and physical sunscreen, I recommend both, as the most important thing is to wear some type of sunscreen. Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then absorbs the UV rays, converts the rays into heat and releases them from the body. The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone. Physical sunblock sits on top of the skin and reflects the sun’s rays. The mineral titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the main active ingredients in physical blocks.
Chemical sunscreen tends to be a better option if you:
• Are swimming and need a waterresistant formula
• Play sports or sweat performing your work during the day
• Want a sunscreen that absorbs quickly in the skin
Physical sunblock tends to be:
• Less irritating and is a better fit for sensitive skin
• More moisturizing which can feel heavy on skin
• Difficult to blend thoroughly into the skin. However, there are now micronized formulations that blend easier to cosmetically sensitive areas such as the face.
Patients with skin of color are also recommended to practice sun protection, especially if they are treating pigmentation conditions of the face, such as melasma or dark portions of the face after acne or other types of rashes. Some brands have been developed with iron oxide pigments and tinting to assist in blending without leaving an opaque appearance. As always, an SPF of at least 30 (although I err toward SPF 50) and re-application at least every two hours while outdoors. Examples of sunscreens that blend well and have been developed to prevent opaque casting on the face are Australian Gold tinted sunscreen and Blackgirl sunscreen.
Physical protection with a wide-brimmed hat (with at least a four-inch brim) and sunprotective clothing can also be incorporated to help protect your skin. There are even detergents, such as Sun Guard, that provide sun protection to clothing, as well as clothing that can be purchased that provides ultraviolet protection.
The second major factor in skin protection for the winter months is moisturizing. It sounds unimportant, but is essential, especially for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Bland emollients, or thick moisturizers with little to no fragrance, will provide the best protection if used properly. The more sensitive the skin, the thicker the product needs to be. I recommend creams to most of my patients and ointments to the patients with the most irritable and temperamental skin. Ointments are greasy and often get on bed clothing and sheets while also feeling cumbersome. However, products like Aquaphor provide barrier benefits to the skin allowing it to retain moisture. There are products available in stores and online that reinforce ointments with ceramides, and natural lipid products in the skin comprise a major portion of the barrier, such as CeraVe Healing ointment. Gentle creams, not ointments, are my preference for the face, and products with sunscreen can be incorporated into the morning routine, such as Cerave and Cetaphil moisturizing creams. For those of us with less-sensitive skin, repeated application of creams such as Eucerin can be used in place of ointments. Be sure to apply right after showering and patting – not scrubbing – with the towel. Lastly, for hand protection, we recommend using thicker creams, some of which, such as Kiehl’s hand cream, are developed specifically for this purpose.
Despite our limited winter weather in Louisiana, remember that it is essential to take care of your skin.
Products referenced in this article are recommended but not endorsed by the author.
Christopher Haas, MD, assistant professor of clinical internal medicine, division chief of dermatology at LSU Health Shreveport.
