Chances are when the weather gets colder and winter approaches, you typically notice some changes in your skin. Many people complain about dry skin and other skin issues during our cold Chicago winters. Skin care is a year round necessity and understanding how your skin changes from season to season can help you figure out what types of products and treatments will help keep your skin feeling and looking its best all year round.
At SMooth Solutions Medspa we offer medical-grade skin care products as well as a variety of aesthetic treatments aimed at helping our clients improve—and maintain—their skin’s health and vibrancy.
3 things to understand about winter skin care
Your skin is acting differently, it’s not just you. Why does it seem like cold weather brings on dry skin like clock work? The lower humidity associated with winter weather and dry indoor heat dehydrates your skin. When there’s less moisture in your skin, the normal shedding of old skin cells is disrupted and stays on the body causing flakes and cracks.
You don’t need to completely overhaul your at-home routine. If you already have a strong skin care routine, it’s not likely that you will need to completely change all of your products from season to season. There are maybe one or two extra steps you can take to support your skin during the colder months. Things like scheduling a facial, chemical peel, or phototherapy in Naperville can help give your skin that extra support.
You should still be wearing sunscreen. Yes, even on those cold and cloudy days, the sun is still producing UV rays and your skin needs protection. 90% of skin changes are caused by the sun alone.
What’s the ideal winter skin care routine?
Your ideal winter skin care routine should be built based on your unique skin type and concerns. Scheduling a consultation with a skin care professional is a great way to get your questions answered if you’re unsure of where to start.
Medical-grade skin care products are going to provide you with the most effective results. At SMooth Solutions we offer ZO, Alastin, and our own SMooth Solutions brand products to help you build your best skin care routine.
Related: Extend Your Treatment Results With Skincare Products
While everyone has different skin, there are still some great habits to build that help no matter what kind of skin you have.
Skin care routine order:
Following these steps morning and night can improve your skin
Cleanse
Cleansing your skin provides a blank canvas for the rest of your products to work. It’s especially important in the winter because it helps your skin shed cells faster. You should cleanse your skin everyday and exfoliate 1 to 2 times a week.
Serums & Corrective Products
You should apply your products in order from lightest to heaviest. You should always apply eye creams and spot treatments before you moisturize. When a skincare product is designed to protect your skin, it acts as a barrier, including to other skin care products!
Moisturize
After you’ve applied your other products you should apply your moisturizer. In the winter you may want to opt for a richer moisturizer to help provide the extra hydration your skin needs. Keeping your skin hydrated improves its overall function and protects your skin throughout the day.
SPF
Every morning you should be applying an SPF of 30 or higher to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays. You don’t need to include this step as part of your evening routine.
Ingredients to look for in your winter skin care products:
While it may not be necessary to overhaul your entire skin routine just because the seasons change, incorporating certain ingredients into your regular routine can help with winter specific problems.
Too much change in your routine can actually backfire and cause more harm than good. It’s important to pay attention to your skin and how it reacts to your skincare products to make sure that you’re not making your problems worse.
It’s also important to note that when you start a new skincare routine, it will take time to see the results. You should give your new products at least a couple of weeks before you decide they aren’t working. Setting up a consultation with a skin care expert can help you avoid some of the guesswork!
Hyaluronic Acid
This ingredient is found naturally in our bodies; it’s what lubricates our eyes and our joints. Products with hyaluronic acid help your skin stay hydrated because the hyaluronic acid is very good at retaining water. It improves your skin’s overall elasticity, reducing wrinkles and the appearance of scars.
Ceramides
Ceramides are fatty acids, another substance found in our skin. They actually make up about 30% to 40% of the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and play an important role in the skin’s barrier function. This is your body’s first line of defense against disease and pollution. By improving your ceramides levels, you improve your skin’s overall health.
Retinol
Retinol speeds up cell turnover, which can be helpful in winter when your skin isn’t shedding old cells as fast. If you’re using retinol it’s really important to make sure you’re paying attention to your skin’s moisture levels so that you don’t accidentally make your dry skin worse. Finding a product that includes both retinol and other hydrating ingredients (like hyaluronic acid), that’s even better!
Peptides
Collagen is one of the main building blocks of your skin and peptides are amino acids that support collagen production. By stimulating your body to produce collagen, peptides promote firmer and younger-looking skin by reducing wrinkles, increasing elasticity, and easing inflammation.
Vitamin C
Incorporating vitamin C into your regular skincare is an important part of prevention and correction for people of all skin types. We all know that vitamin C helps control infections, but it also helps heal your skin and is a powerful antioxidant. Using serums infused with vitamin C helps your skin stay hydrated, produce more collagen, and overall brighten your skin’s appearance.
Which aesthetic treatments make most sense in winter?
Hydrafacial
An AquaFirme hydrafacial rejuvenates your skin through medical-grade serums, microdermabrasion, and lymphatic drainage. It’s the perfect treatment for restoring the glow to dull, dehydrated skin with zero downtime. A perfect mid-winter pick me up and also a great regular skin care treatment.
Chemical Peels
Since dry skin in winter is partially caused by your skin’s natural exfoliation slowing down, a chemical peel can help restore your skin’s natural balance. At SMooth Solutions we can customize your peel to your specific needs for a deep cleanse and reset.
Chemical peels remove the dry, damaged layers to reveal the smoother skin underneath. Following your chemical peel with at-home care, especially moisturizers, can extend your results even further.
Phototherapy
During the shorter winter days, our skin can really use the benefits of more light. LED phototherapy has great benefits on its own but also in combination with other skin treatments. Your skin absorbs the energy from the LED lights and uses fuel cell regeneration, which improves your skin’s texture and tone.
Related: Learn more about Phototherapy in Naperville
HALO Laser Skin Resurfacing
Many people opt to get their laser resurfacing done during the winter months because there’s less risk of sun exposure. We use our HALO laser to eliminate years of damage off your skin by addressing collagen loss, textural issues, and more. HALO is the world’s first dual wavelength fractional laser and can be tuned to target your specific skin concerns.
The best part is that with laser resurfacing your skin will continue to improve over time as your body’s natural healing process re-invigorates your skin from the inside out.
RF Microneedling
As with laser skin resurfacing, many clients choose to get their microneedling treatments done in the winter. While there is no downtime associated with RF microneedling, it’s important to avoid sun exposure after your treatment, which is easier to do in the winter months. RF microneedling is safe for all skin types and is a revolutionary technique for skin tightening.
Because RF microneedling boosts your skin’s collagen production, it helps with overall skin texture too. It rejuvenates your skin from the inside out and helps promote new skin growth.
Related: Learn more about RF Microneedling in Naperville
Laser hair removal
Starting your laser hair removal treatments in the winter means that you’ll be able to enjoy smooth, hair free skin by the time warmer weather rolls back around! It takes a series of treatments before achieving permanent hair reduction, by starting in the winter you can complete your necessary treatments before summer comes back around. Laser hair removal works best on untanned skin and you’ll want to protect your skin from sun exposure after your treatments as well. It’s much easier to do this in winter than in the summer.
More questions about how to care for your skin this winter? Find your SMooth Solutions!
Our expert staff is ready to help you develop a winter skin care routine that will keep your skin healthy and glowing all through the season. Schedule your consultation today and let’s get started on your journey!
SMooth Solutions Medspa is a results-focused establishment that will never try to sell you things you don’t need. Our goal is to provide medical-grade treatments that leave you feeling refreshed and confident, whether we are using laser machines, medical aesthetic equipment, or topical products.
Not quite ready for an in-person visit? You can use our virtual consultation tool to explore our aesthetic offerings. Simply answer a few questions about your unique skin concerns and you’ll receive personalized treatment recommendations right to your inbox!