Anti-Aging Winter Skincare Routine
The Best Secrets To Keeping Your Skin Hydrated, All Winter Long
Brooke Wallace, RN
Whether it’s that cool, dry winter air, sun damage from lounging by the pool all summer, or simply the fact that we’re another year older, skin needs a little more love in the winter months to prevent signs of aging.
Signs of aging crop up when skin cells are damaged. So we’ve come up with the best winter skin care routine to counteract damage and keep skin looking and feeling young, vibrant, and hydrated.
Everyone is always going on about “signs of aging.” But what does that mean, exactly?
Photo courtesy of @Follain on Instagram
The most obvious signs of aging in skin are:
Fine lines
Wrinkles
Loss of elasticity aka Saggy skin
Sallowness or Yellowing of skin
Hyperpigmentation aka dark spots
Dry areas
Redness
Thinning skin
Increased sensitivity and irritation
Most of these signs are preventable with good UV protection and a healthy lifestyle. Quitting smoking, moderate alcohol intake, reducing exposure to pollution or other environmental toxins, and eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables are all great ways to improve the look of skin.
But, the root cause of aging is free radical damage.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Wu & Cederbaum, 2003), are released when skin cells are damaged by toxins or injury. Think of them like tiny little monsters that float around in the bloodstream looking for larger cells to injure. They make tiny knicks and cuts in the DNA of cells and cell walls. Overtime, free radicals that are out of balance can end up wreaking havoc on overall health, causing chronic diseases, and signs of aging.
Antioxidants work to balance free radicals and keep the little monsters under control.
When consumed as supplements or in a healthy diet, antioxidants absorb into the bloodstream and begin to seek and destroy free radicals. When used topically as a skin care product, they do the same directly on skin cells working to prevent and even reverse signs of aging.
Photo courtesy of @Follain on Instagram
Areas of focus for winter skincare:
Skin has two basic areas of focus as far as aging is concerned. The epidermis (outermost layer) is where hyperpigmentation, redness, and dry spots live and the dermis (directly beneath the epidermis) which is where collagen and GAGs are which give birth to fine lines, wrinkles, saggy skin, and sallowness.
A fantastic anti aging skin care routine is needed to keep skin healthy and looking young and vibrant, even in winter.
The focus for winter skin care is all about finding products packed with ingredients that moisturize, hydrate, heal, and protect.
6 steps for an anti aging skin care routine for winter:
Step 1: Anti Aging Cleanser
Cleanse in the morning (and don’t forget to double cleanse at night!) with an anti aging cleanser. You’ll know it’s anti aging plus moisturizing, by it’s ingredients.
Fruit Stem Cells help to improve the composition of collagen, increase elasticity, and promotes cellular regeneration
Grape Seed Oil for antioxidants to fight free radicals, cell damage, and signs of aging
Plant-based essential oil like Monoi or Rosemary, for amazing hydration
Step 2: Exfoliate
This is probably THE most important step in skin care, any time of year. You must get the dead skin cells off for any skin care product to provide it’s full effect. As we age, cells duplicate and replace old cells at a slower rate than younger skin. This makes all those dead cells just hang out on the epidermis, clogging pores and giving a dull complexion.
Cleansers may have plant-based finely ground seeds, like Olive Seed
AHAs and / or BHAs will chemically exfoliate and gently get rid of dead cell build up
Use a rough physical exfoliator every night, like an exfoliating pad or even a warm washcloth
Photo courtesy of @Follain on Instagram.
Step 3: Anti Aging Serum
Be sure to wear sunscreen every single day, especially when using vitamin C or retinol serums as they increase sun sensitivity.
Vitamin C blended with Vitamin E- A powerful antioxidant that will especially fade hyperpigmentation
Retinol- The gold standard for fighting wrinkles and signs of aging. In winter months, if it’s to drying, use a rich moisturizer or hyaluronic acid after applying
Hyaluronic Acid-An effective skin cell plumper. It quite literally pulls water into cells which smooths wrinkles and makes skin glow instantly. And we do mean, instantly.
Step 4: Anti Aging Eye Cream
Winter eye creams should be super moisturizing because the area under eyes doesn’t produce oil like the rest of skin, plus some extra wrinkle-fighters.
Retinol- Best wrinkle fighter because it increases cell turnover and reduces cell differentiation which means the skin produces more healthy cells than without it
Hyaluronic Acid- Plumps cells which instantly reduces fine lines and wrinkles
Niacinamide or Vitamin B3- Tightens saggy under eyes and reduces fine lines and wrinkles
Step 5: Anti Aging Moisturizer
In the dry winter months, applying hydrating moisturizer is the frosting on the cake of an amazing anti aging skin care routine.
Vitamin C and E- Powerful antioxidants help repair and prevent signs of aging
Retinol- Improves the overall look of skin by stimulating collagen production and cell turnover, fading fine lines and wrinkles
MSM- Helps fade hyperpigmentations and improves integrity of skin
Step 6: Bonus Points for using a Weekly Masque
Using a masque once, or even twice, a week can help make your skin healthier, look younger, and more radiant. There are many types of masks, but for winter months choose one with hydrating ingredients like:
Aloe Vera- Soothes and deeply hydrates skin which reduces redness, dry areas, fine lines and wrinkles
Acai- Firms and fights free radicals with a powerhouse of antioxidants
Shea Butter- Softens, moisturizes, and hydrates skin leaving it smooth and replenished
Even though winter is coming, you can still have beautiful skin. Fight signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, redness, dry spots, and saggy skin with skin care products that counteract it. Look for a winter skin care routine packed with with antioxidants, moisturizers, and retinols. And, please, don’t forget to exfoliate!
References
Wu, D., & Cederbaum, A. (2003). Alcohol, Oxidative Stress, and Free Radical Damage. Alcohol Res Health. 2003; 27(4): 277–284.
As a Registered Nurse, Brooke Wallace founded OrganicMentor.com out of a passion for organic, natural and healthy living. Their mission is to educate readers about clean products and natural living so they have the information they need to make informed choices.