The dry skin fight can happen any time of the year, however we seem to be more aware of the challenge with dry skin during winter months. We head indoors during cooler months, embracing our blankets, scarf and sweaters while enjoying a cup of coffee or eggnog while the crock-pot is preparing a stew. Meanwhile the freezing temperatures, low humidity, and the need to crank up the furnace, often leave our skin dry, flaking and itching.

Protecting your skin from excessive dryness is extremely important to maintain skin barrier defences, and it is even truer if you also suffer from skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and xerosis. These skin conditions flare-up with low humidity and low-temperature conditions and it is necessary to step up efforts to maintain stronger skin. The truth is that any trauma to the skin, such as cracking, causes an inflammatory response, which can make the skin more susceptible to flare-ups of these conditions.

Even if you don’t have an obvious skin condition, dry skin can lead to bigger skin problems; so you too should follow these steps, as prevention is far better than cure.

1. Remember the SPF – even in cooler months!

Remember that the reflection from the snow can be just as harmful as the sun during the warmer seasons. While you might not feel hot the UV rays are still harmful to the skin, so cover and protect exposed skin.

2. Water Temperatures – for showers and baths

Even though your toes might be freezing, don’t submerge yourself in overly hot showers and baths.  Your skin contains lipids (oils) essential to the skin’s performance and lipids are necessary to form the skin barrier. This barrier is your first line of defense.

Pat your skin dry after your shower or bath, and MOISTURIZE! your skin with, as this can ‘wash out’ the critical lipids necessary for skin barrier function. This brings us to the next step.

3 .Choose a rich biocompatible moisturiser – feed your skin.

The skin barrier forms a line of defence for our bodies; the first three lines of skin barrier defense easily affected by dry skin conditions are the acid mantle, stratum corneum, and the multilamellar lipid structure. Without these three lines of skin barrier defense, the inner world of the epidermis and dermis is open to the extremes of the outer environments that contain allergens and pathogens.

The creation of the skin barrier is dependent on a number of factors; components that are critical to skin barrier functions include; Free Fatty Acids, Ceramides and Cholesterol. These are part of the multilamellae lipid structure of the stratum corneum. Without these components, skin remains compromised and vicious circle continues that can trigger the innate immune system.

In effect the use of moisturisers based on the science of corneotherapy effectively means you are applying a skin barrier while your skin is given the opportunity to repair its natural barrier.

4. Humidity in your air –humidfiers

If you live in areas of low humidity consider adding a humidifier to your home or space you live in the most. It will help retain moisture in your skin as low humidity increases TEWL leaving your skin dry. Of course, great skin care is a must on top of this.

With this knowledge, you will be armed with healthier skin and we know you will, literally, be more comfortable in your skin when you follow these skin care protocols.

Introducing dermaviduals® Body Cream

One of our in clinic star products has always been dermaviduals® Massage Cream. While it is a fantastic massage medium, it contains the lamellar components necessary to restore a disrupted skin barrier:

• Jojoba oil softens and smoothes the skin with its richness in Vitamin E and minerals
• Shae butter promotes healing and is perfectly suits even extremely delicate skin
• Ceramide-3 and Squalane will protect the skin from harmful external factors by building a protective film, preventing loss of moisture, and strengthening the lipid barrier and resistance for the skin

 NOW AVAILABLE for retail, as Dermaviduals® Body Cream; clients can enjoy the benefits of this luxuriously rich cream and gift their skins the gift of calm this winter.

Written by: René Serbon

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For more information, contact us:

info@dermalsystems.com | www.dermalsystems.com| 1-855-444-7625

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Other useful links:

The International Association of Applied Corneotherapy | Pastiche Resources