Dry and sensitive skin often gets confused. Both are valid skin conditions that need extra care to treat. Editor Trudi Brewer shares top tips from an expert on nourishing parched and irritated skin when the temperature drops.
Editor Trudi Brewer BeautyEQ
Are you battling dry skin? Is your skin sensitive and feeling tight and irritated? All of the above are normal at this time of the year. Winter is the season to switch up your skincare routine in response to the weather. Here are the most commonly asked questions and expert advice on caring for dry, fragile skin.
Why does our skin get dry over winter?
When the humidity levels drop and the air outside is cold and dry, the water and oil from the skin evaporate.
A recent skin study shows that cold air carries less moisture than warm air, which increases and risk of skin flare-ups. When the temperature drops outside by one degree, our skin loses 10 per cent natural oil from the skin - this is the best reason to amp up your daily moisturising routine.
Is dry skin also sensitive skin?
Not always. While these skin conditions are often lumped together, dry skin lacks moisture and oil and often feels tight, and it can also appear flakey but not necessarily sensitive. Anyone suffering from sensitivity will notice redness; their skin may be itchy and easily irritated. Sensitive skin is vulnerable to external irritants and ingredients, like dyes, alcohol and artificial fragrance.
Avène Revitalizing Nourishing Cream, $60
Whipped in a pure thermal spring water base, the glycerin, hydrolysate (protein), and red fruit extracts, including red currant, raspberry, blueberry, and vitamin E, with rich emollient oils, makes this ultra-hydrating, without feeling greasy.
What are the essential care tips for anyone who has dry skin?
Moisturise, head to toe. Not only will this protect the skin barrier from becoming impaired and drying out, but it also protects the skin from irritants such as indoor heating, hot water and harsh soaps and cleanser.
What should you avoid when it comes to your skincare choices?
Read the ingredient labels on all the skincare you purchase. Avoid the nasties such as alcohol, parabens, artificial fragrance and mineral oils; these are the ingredients that are likely to irritate dry and sensitive skins. Also, make sure you cleanse your skin in tepid water, never hot.
Avène Soothing Moisture Mask, $40
Stacked with safflower oil and soothing thermal spring water if your skin needs a hydrating boost, this mask will offer instant comfort for dry and sensitive skins. It’s super versatile; as an intense nourishing flash, treatment apply this mask thickly over the skin, and leave it on for 10 minutes, and then rinse off. Or use it as an overnight sleep mask by applying a thin layer over your serum before bed.
What can you do during a working day to hydrate the skin from the effects of air conditioning?
Always keep the Avène Thermal Spring on your desk to mist your skin when it feels tight and dry. It will help trap moisture into the skin and can be sprayed over makeup to refresh and offer instant comfort.
Avène Thermal Spring Water, from 50ml, $13
The key ingredient in all Avène skincare products is pure spring rainwater that trickles through the surrounding Cévennes mountains in south-central France. It travels over dolomite rocks that infuse every drop with calcium magnesium silicates proven to nourish and heal, calm redness and soothe irritations.
What about exfoliating, does that help?
If you want brighter-looking skin, exfoliating is essential in your weekly routine. It gently removes that dead layer of skin while speeding up your skin’s natural cell turnover. Also, the skincare you apply sinks in faster, and the ingredients penetrate deeper.
Avène Gentle Exfoliating Gel, $40
Stacked with biodegradable cellulose and jojoba wax beads, as well as niacinamide (vitamin B3), and sodium salicylate together gently dissolve and exfoliate those dead skin cells from your complexion.
The soothing Avène thermal spring water clams and hydrates as you reveal that lit-from-within glow on your skin.
What about SPF in winter?
Make sure you wear an SPF all year round, including winter. Even if the sun is not blazing down from the sky, your skin is still subjected to light damage, including blue light from screens.
Avène Tinted Compact SPF50+, $55
Your foundation and sun protection all-in-one. This portable, travel-friendly cream-to-powder compact foundation is chemical-free, with a 100 per cent mineral sunscreen (made from titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that protects against UVA and UVB rays). It’s ideal for anyone with dry, sensitive skin or allergy-prone skin, along with vitamin E ( a brilliant antioxidant) and soothing, pure, thermal spring water. There are two natural-looking shades, Honey, and pictured here Beige.
Learn more expert skin tips from Natalie Wong, Avène’s national training manager, who talks with editor Trudi Brewer on caring for dry and sensitive skin when the temperature drops.
