Seasonal Skincare

Winter vs. Summer Skin Care

Just as your body needs different clothing to protect it against the changing weather, your skin needs a different skin care regime to properly protect it from the elements. As the body's largest organ, skin is far more delicate than you probably realize. Here is a closer look at how winter versus summer affects skin and its care.

Why is skin care different in winter than in summer months?

Winter months generally are colder and drier than summer months when heat and humidity levels are on the rise. When skin is exposed to the harsh winter weather, it takes a beating, becoming excessively dry, irritated and chapped. Clothing protects most skin but we often fail to protect our faces. Moving indoors isn't any better. Constantly running heaters and dehumidifiers sap every bit of moisture from the air.

During the summer, temperatures warm and more skin becomes exposed to the elements. Higher temperatures and humidity levels increase the amount of sweat the body produces in an attempt to cool off. As an unintentional consequence, skin becomes oilier and more prone to pimples and other irritation. Swimming is great way to cool off however exposure to harsh pool chemicals and salt water can lead to excessive dryness.

Tips for protecting skin during the winter months

Apply sunscreen regularly because you're just as likely to sunburn in the winter as you are in summer. Apply a sunscreen, moisturizer or make-up with a minimum SPF of 15. Be sure to protect lips by wearing lipstick or lip balm with sun protection. Stop licking lips!

Moisturize. Add moisture to inside air by turning on a humidifier. If you don't have one, place a pan of water near radiator or heat source. Plants help moisturize the air. Add moisture to your body by using emollient-based soaps, lotions and creams.

Take shorter, warmer showers and baths. Hot water strips away natural oils as does staying submerged in water. Adding moisturizers to bath water helps, but take care when exiting as tub will be slippery.

Reduce the number of times you apply toner after cleansing and use toners with no or low alcohol levels. Gently exfoliate using a washcloth or scrub to remove dead skin cells and stimulate skin.

Tips for protecting skin during summer months

Always protect your skin from the effects of ultraviolet radiation by applying sunscreen, wearing sun protective clothing, and seeking shade whenever possible. Stay out of the sun when it's strongest, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Excessive sweat and oils clog pores so use a cooling cleanser containing salicylic acid to keep skin blemishes under control. Cleansers made with eucalyptus or menthol extracts feel good and help keep pores clean and open.

Change your moisturizing products because skin doesn't need as much moisturizing protection during summer as it does during winter.

Always rinse your body with cool water after swimming to remove chlorine and salt.

A facial mask applied once a week will deep-clean pores and help skin retain its natural pH balance. Use a mister to keep skin cool and moist.

Sun Protection: Tanning & Burning

Tanning and burning are two intentional or unintentional consequences of being out in the sun. Most people willingly seek out the healthy glow that sun can produce. Yet two people, spending the same amount of time exposed to the same sun intensity often will come home with far different results. Why is it that one might come home in agony while other comes home looking sleek and glamorous?

The answer has a lot to do with a person's skin type. Other factors can influence the end result such as taking certain prescription medications and using certain types of skin care products, so let's take a closer look.

When skin is exposed to the sun without adequate sun protection, the exposure causes melanin, the pigment in the body that gives skin its color, to rise to the surface of the skin. One of the roles melanin plays is protecting skin from the sun. People with light or fair skin have less melanin whereas people with dark complexions obviously have more melanin. Since melanin protects the skin from the sun, it makes sense then that those with less melanin have less protection and vice versa. Darker-skinned individuals tan more often than they burn, but not always.

Because a burn takes a few hours to develop, most people don't realize they may be burning. They might not reapply sunscreen or cover up if they're not feeling burned. Unfortunately, it's usually not until later that they realize just how bad the situation is.

What to do when you get sunburned?

In addition to the embarrassing skin color you get from sunburns, there will be other symptoms. You might feel nauseous and dehydrated, and dizzy or light-headed. After a few days, sunburned skin will begin to peel and unlike what many people think and hope, sunburned skin will not develop into a tan.

There isn't much you'll be able to do to alleviate the above symptoms of sunburn. You'll definitely want to put on minimal, loose-fitting clothing as any rubbing against the burn will be painful. A pain reliever such as aspirin or acetaminophen will help minimize pain and discomfort. Keeping the body cool is the best thing for sunburns so fill a tub with cool or tepid water and soak. And promise yourself that next time, you'll use sun protection!

Do not immerse your body in a tub full of vinegar or rub the burn with butter. These remedies have been around for years but they're not effective ways to treat sunburns. In fact, it's often advised not to apply lotions or creams because you never know whether the product will intensify the pain or relieve it. And some products, including butter, might trap the heat and cause more discomfort.

If the sunburn is accompanied by blisters, you may have a severe second-degree burn. Blistering is normal after a few days but right away it's usually a sign that the sunburn is bad. In this case, it's advisable to seek medical attention right away.

An Introduction to Sun Protection

Sun protection isn't just for sissies. Protection from the sun's damaging rays is important for anyone who wants to grow old gracefully. It's also an absolute must for anyone who wants to limit his or her risk of developing skin cancer.

People are finally beginning to realize that although sunshine is an important component of most outdoor activities and a great mood enhancer, excessive exposure can lead to much unpleasantness. A painful sunburn is the most immediate consequence of excess exposure. Long term, excess exposure can damage the skin making it prone to wrinkling and worse, the development of skin cancer.

When do you need sun protection?

Doctors will tell you that sun protection is needed all the time and they're right. Realistically however it's important anytime you'll be outdoors between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, when the sun is at its highest.

People don't realize that they can still burn even though the sun isn't shining. Overcast days are some of the worst times for being in the sun unprotected. And because ultraviolet rays can reflect off certain surfaces, people need protection from the sun when snow covers the ground and also when in the water, when lying or playing on the sand and even when on a cement or grass surface.

Understanding UV rays

Ultraviolet rays are the different wavelengths of energy that are produced by the sun. Even though harmful, the sun's energy is necessary to all human life. Fortunately, as life on earth has evolved so has the capacity to tolerate UV rays. The most important protection against the damaging ultraviolet rays is the ozone layer - a layer in the stratosphere that absorbs most of the various types of UV rays before they reach the earth's surface.

Most of this radiation or energy from the sun is invisible to the naked eye. The fact that the radiation is mostly invisible is likely the reason why the sun can be so harmful. It's hard to convince a person to protect against something that can't be seen. Of the ultraviolet rays, the two that are responsible for skin damage are UVA and UVB rays. The sun also generates UVC rays, but fortunately these extremely damaging rays cannot penetrate the ozone layer and therefore pose no threat to humans.

The longer and more prevalent of the two, UVA rays are responsible for long-term skin damage because they absorb deep into the skin. Their strength remains uniform regardless of the time of day or time of year. UVB rays are shorter and are what causes skin to tan or sunburns. Our bodies need UVB rays to produce Vitamin D, an important vitamin. Their strength varies based on time of day, time of year, altitude and also distance from the equator.

The UV Index is a scale measuring from 0 – 11 (low to extreme) and it's used to determine the intensity of the sun's radiation, particularly the likelihood that skin will or will not redden when exposed to the sun for various periods of time.

Sun Protection Factor

So many different types of sun protection products are available that the choices are mind-boggling! Take a look next time you're shopping and you'll find sun protection products that are waterproof and sweat proof. Some are designed especially for infants and others are specially-formulated for athletes. Sun protection products are available as creams, lotions, oils, tanners and bronzers.

But what's with those numbers? The sun protection factor, or the SPF, ranges from a low of 2 to a high of 50 and sometimes higher. Most of us understand that the SPF has something to do with providing protection from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays. But beyond that, the number is shrouded in mystery.

What does SPF mean?

The SPF is a comparison of the time it takes before the skin will start to redden with and without sun protection. In addition, SPF pertains only to UVB rays, the ones that cause tanning but also sunburns.

For example, if it would take 20 minutes for an individual's skin to burn without sun protection, then a SPF of 15 means that when applied, that person can remain in the sun 15 times longer, or up to 5 hours, without worrying about burning. The greater the SPF, the longer the protection it offers, but only up to a certain point. SPFs greater than 15 offer only small increments of additional protection. And that's the theory behind the SPF.

In reality though, sun protection regardless of SPF becomes less effective when it's not evenly applied, a person goes into the water and a person sweats. Both water and sweat diminish the product's effectiveness that's why it's extremely important to reapply sun protection frequently.

Besides reapplying, for maximum effectiveness the first application should happen approximately 20 minutes prior to going out into the sun. Doing so allows sufficient time for the product to fully absorb into the skin. It also ensures that you'll be protected the moment you step outside.

Which SPF is right for me?

For most people, sun protection with a sun protection factor of 15 provides adequate protection as long as it's frequently reapplied. However, those with more sensitive skin will benefit from a higher SPF. People who are fair-skinned, have light-colored or red hair or who are traveling to certain high altitude or tropical destinations will also benefit from a higher SPF. Those with darker skin generally don't burn as easily and need only a mild SPF. When choosing remember that a higher SPF does not offer more protection - it offers longer protection.

Other sun protection products

Self-tanning products and bronzers are safer ways to color your skin because the skin isn't being exposed to ultraviolet radiation which over time damages the skin's cells. These products don't offer sun protection unless the label specifically states otherwise by listing a sun protection factor. But remember that a sun protection factor corresponds to a period of time and therefore, even if the product offers sun protection, it's not going to last until you wash the product off in a few days.

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