Effective skin protection in winter

The skin in winter is exposed to a number of hazards – mainly atmospheric. Cold wind, low temperatures, snow, humidity in the air. And even harsh sunshine, which, although rare in winter, is very likely to cause irritation on the slopes. In cold and sub-zero temperatures, a lack of skin protection can result in frostbite. The skin will be red and start to itch, burn and peel on contact with high or very low temperatures. There is no minimum exposure time to the cold, with severe frostbite only taking a few minutes to cause damage.

Protecting your skin in winter

Another common mistake, right after the lack of adequate protection, is to use OW-type moisturisers. This will cause the water layer to freeze in cold temperatures, causing the kind of effect we can see on the icy windows of our cars before shoveling snow. Your mistake, however, can be quickly recognised by a characteristic burning sensation just a few minutes or so after exposure of the skin to low temperatures. Skin protection is not only important during skiing trips and long hours on the slopes. It is also indispensable during everyday cold weather movements, short or longer walks, or even a short shopping trip. Remember that our sebaceous glands work less well in cold temperatures, so frostbite is easier to get. So how do we choose the right cream for winter, so that it meets our expectations – providing care benefits, protection and not making the skin greasy? The most important factor here is the good composition of the cream and the selection for the right skin. If it were otherwise, we could use ordinary cosmetic Vaseline, but then after a few winter months, it would look three times worse than before the season for several reasons. Firstly, the skin needs nutrients all year round, not just during the season when skincare is possible. Secondly, upon entering a heated room, vaseline or other fatty substance will form an oily film through which it cannot ‘breathe’ freely. The TEWL mechanism will then be disturbed, causing excessive dryness of the skin. In the case of oily and combination skin, there will also be the additional consequence of oily skin. Worse still, with the high viscosity of the vaseline layer, dirt is also important, which will cause bacteria to multiply.

Vascular skin in the cold

An additional problem is the constant change in temperature – going from cold to heat. This causes our capillaries to be excessively subjected to alternating reactions of contracting and contracting. Indoors, on the other hand, the air is dry and often excessively heated, which in turn increases transepidermal water loss. The circle is complete.

Care for hands and feet

Sensitive areas at risk of frostbite are the feet, hands and facial skin. Frozen feet and hands, let alone facial skin, should not be warmed up in very hot water, as this only risks burning due to lack of feeling and thermal shock. The best thing to do is to rinse the feet and hands with warm water, then cover the frozen areas with a protective cream and give them a gentle massage.

Hydrating the skin on winter days

Most of us come into contact with winter for an average of 20 minutes a day – enough exposure to cold and wind to get irritation, a drop in skin hydration and, with a weak lipid barrier, even frostbite. Therefore, the number one goal will be to strengthen the skin’s lipid mantle, reduce transepidermal water loss and moisturise systematically. Human skin loses the natural protective effect of the lipid mantle when the temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius; the lower the temperature, the harder it is for the skin to maintain its balance. The skin’s defence mechanism at reduced temperature is contraction of the blood vessels and adductor muscles, commonly known as goosebumps. At the same time, the sebaceous glands in the area are automatically emptied, so that the skin lubricates itself.

The ideal cream for winter

Until now, it was thought that very greasy creams, areas of very heavy texture, or even cosmetic petroleum jelly should be used in winter. Nowadays, such heavy creams are recommended for people actively involved in winter sports, staying out in the cold for more than an hour a day without the possibility of supplementing protection, and also in areas of very high frost. The unnecessary use of too heavy preparations results in the hindering of the natural mechanism of water evaporation, the dilatation of blood vessels and the disruption of the skin’s natural defence mechanisms. Even if the heaviest creams are used, they should be applied just before leaving the area and washed off when returning home to prevent the skin from becoming too hot and greasy in a hot room.

A good winter cream should be in the form of an emulsion, preferably W/O, and may also be special lipogels with a high fat content and creams based on petroleum jelly. At the same time, the cream should contain UVA/UVB filters if we are outdoors during sunny hours, as well as ceramides, NMF, and vitamins A, E and C. An additional protective barrier is make-up – foundations, powders and fluids that form an additional protection on the skin against atmospheric agents.