A Protective Mantle for your Skin

Ah winter, what a great season for frostbites and itchy scaly skin! How can you enjoy this time of year and keep your skin intact? Here are a few useful tips.

First, your daily skincare regimen should be as gentle as ever. Harsh detergent soap and repeated cleansing are to be avoided. The use, at a reasonable frequency, of an appropriate cleanser for the specific area to be cleansed (body, face, etc.) and the type of skin (normal, lipidic, etc.) will help preserve the skin’s acid mantle*.

Excessive cleansing makes the skin more alkaline, which then becomes vulnerable to bacterial invasion, since the effectiveness of the skin mantle is greater with an acidic pH. Consequently, the skin loses its local fl ora of micro-organisms, essential to break down dead skin cells. Cellular debris is all the more necessary because it prevents the evaporation of water from the stratum corneum, thanks to a process called the «formation of the lipid-protein cenapsis». Furthermore, with frequent cleansing, the lipidic surface fi lm (that waterproofs the skin) disappears.

Mistreated by inadequate hygiene, the skin, with its stratum corneum bared, is bombarded by acidic snowflakes carried by glacial winds… now the Blank barrier is under attack. This natural moisture zone helps maintain deep moisture, and safeguards against that crinkled look we all dread.

And tell me, who really takes the time to thoroughly dry all the little nooks and crannies of our wonderful anatomy? Behind the ears, between the toes… If these are left a little wet, they can become chapped due to water evaporation.

7 solutions for perfect skin during winter:

1. After carefully cleansing the skin, dab on some toner to plump up deep epidermal cells, thereby enhancing the movement of active ingredients from endocosmetic serums. The microcirculation system, affected by temperature variations, will thus be able to strengthen its walls and preserve its motivity.
2. The use of a protein complex will help safeguard corneocytes* in order to maintain the effectiveness of the cellular barrier.
3. For skins without sufficient sebum, it is possible to create a lipidic film using an appropriate product.
4. Finally, the skin should be covered with a sunscreen, to provide physical protection against harsh winter conditions: wind, snow (sun reflections on the snow are amplifi ed by 80%), heating…
5. For fragile areas around the eyes and lips, it is critical to apply adapted cosmetic products and to increase protection with make-up.
6. Paraffin gloves will comfort your hands and silky scarves will be softer for your neck.
7. Bath salts will balance your body’s moisture level, and body milk will maintain it.

To finish off, don’t forget to avoid aggressive exfoliants, during this time of year when the skin is struggling to maintain its natural balance. You need to favour gentler products that feel more like “cocooning”. One last piece of advice: pamper your skin, it will thank you. Have a good winter!

*Glossary:

Acid mantle: Thin layer with an acidic pH, composed of water derived from perspiration and oil derived from sebum.
Corneocytes: Mature keratin cells that form the stratum corneum and that waterproof the skin by creating a shield.