How to Nourish and Protect Your Skin This Winter

December 16th, 2021|Healthy Aging,?Vitality + Well-Being

As winter?weather?sets in,?your?skin may start?feeling rough, dry, and chapped.?With the right?nourishment?and protection, your skin can be?healthier and more hydrated this season.?

Cold,?dry?air,?harsh winds,?and?increased?shower temperatures?can strip?your skin of its natural oils, leaving it?dry and unprotected?(1).?The right skin-loving nutrients?can enhance moisture and support your skin from the inside. Protecting your skin from the outside involves choosing?gentle skincare products with effective ingredients.?Here’s how?you can manage the effects of winter on your skin…?

Nourish?Your Skin from the Inside?

Resilient, healthy skin requires?proper nutrition.?What you eat and drink?helps?provide the foundation your skin needs to?weather through the winter?(2).?

Type I collagen is the building block of our skin’s structure, making up around 80% of our skin’s dermal layer.?Our bodies produce collagen naturally, but its production begins to decrease as we age. Collagen peptide supplementation has been shown to be beneficial for maintaining healthy, hydrated skin (3). Studies also show a benefit for improving collagen synthesis in the deep layers of the skin, helping reduce fine lines and wrinkles (4, 5).?

Another source of nutrients our skin loves?is a diet?abundant?in?antioxidant-rich?fruits and vegetables.?Phytonutrients and antioxidant vitamins?support your skin’s ability to deal with environmental stressors.?For example, vitamins A and C help protect?the?skin from the impact of UV-related stress by neutralizing free radicals caused by ultraviolet radiation (6).???

Finally, good hydration is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can support your overall health, and especially the health of your skin. There is more to optimal hydration than water alone, though. Research has shown that simply consuming a lot of water will not improve skin health and hydration (2,?7). Properly hydrating with adequate water and electrolytes is key. Electrolytes perform many essential functions in the body, like regulating fluid balance and helping the body absorb water more efficiently (8).??

Protect?Your Skin on?the Outside?

In addition to nourishing skin from within, protecting skin from external?stressors?is also key.?The skincare products you use to?start and end your day?can make the difference between irritated winter skin and a healthy-looking glow. Choosing?gentle?skincare products?with?effective?ingredients?is key.??

Cleansing?your?skin of impurities?is an important part of every skincare routine. Yet, the wrong cleanser can leave your skin?feeling?uncomfortably?dry. Support your skin’s natural moisture barrier?by using cleansers?without harsh detergents?such as sodium lauryl sulfate.?These detergents can strip?your?skin of its?protective?oils, minimizing its?protective?lipid barrier?(9).??

Another important step in?daily?skin protection is?moisturizing.?Your?moisturizer?can help build your?skin’s?lipid barrier and keep your skin feeling hydrated.?Choosing products with ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid can help?strengthen your skin’s protective barrier.?Ceramides?are?fatty molecules found naturally in our skin.?Applying ceramides topically?help?improve and restore?the?skin’s?barrier function?and?lock?in moisture?(10).?Hyaluronic acid?is a?moisture-loving?substance?also found naturally throughout the body. When applied topically?in a moisturizer,?it helps retain?surface-level?moisture and is?an?important?skincare?ingredient in?the?winter months (11).?

After you’ve?cleansed and moisturized?with skin-supporting products, it’s important to continue protecting your skin?physically.?Wearing?an?adequate?amount?of?loose-fitting clothing helps?skin?avoid?any unnecessary?exposure to the winter elements. Wind, sun,?and dry air can easily dry out uncovered skin.??

With the right nutritional support?and?skincare routine, you?can have healthy?and radiant skin all year long.?Nourish it on the inside. Protect it on the outside.?

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References

1. Meyer K, Pappas A, Dunn K,?Cula?GO,?Seo?I, Ruvolo E,?Batchvarova?N. Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Facial Skin?With?and Without Acne.?J Drugs Dermatol.?2015 Jun;14(6):593-601.??
2. Palma L, Marques LT, Bujan J,?Rodrigues?LM.?Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics.?Clin?Cosmet?Investig?Dermatol. 2015 Aug?3;8:413-21.??
3. Inoue N, Sugihara F, Wang X. Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a?randomised?double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study.?J Sci Food Agric. 2016 Sep;96(12):4077-81.??
4. Kim DU, Chung HC, Choi J, Sakai Y, Lee BY. Oral intake of low-molecular-weight collagen peptide improves hydration, elasticity, and wrinkling in human skin: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.?Nutrients. 2018 Jun 26;10(7).??
5. Asserin?J, Lati E,?Shioya?T,?Prawitt?J. The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.?J?Cosmet?Dermatol. 2015 Dec;14(4):291-301.?
6. Sies H, Stahl W. Nutritional protection against skin damage from sunlight.?Annu?Rev?Nutr.?2004;24:173-200.??
7. Akdeniz M,?Tomova-Simitchieva?T,?Dobos?G, et al. Does dietary fluid intake affect skin hydration in healthy humans? A systematic literature?review.?Skin Res Technol. 2018 Aug;24(3):459-465.??
8. Hughes MCB, Williams GM, Baker P, Green AC. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial.?Ann Intern Med.?2013; 158 (11):781-790.?
9. Ananthapadmanabhan?KP, Moore DJ,?Subramanyan?K,?Misra?M, Meyer F. Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing.?Dermatol?Ther. 2004;17 Suppl 1:16-25.??
10. Meckfessel?MH, Brandt S. The structure, function, and importance of ceramides in skin and their use as therapeutic agents in skin-care products.?J Am?Acad?Dermatol. 2014 Jul;71(1):177-84.??
11. Liu K. The hype on hyaluronic acid [Internet].?2020?[cited on?2021 Nov 18]. Available from:?https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-hype-on-hyaluronic-acid-2020012318653?