Winter Skin Care Tips

As soon as you turn the heat up inside the skin starts to dry out, but with chilly weather outside, there sometimes isn’t any other option. With winter settling in, we went straight to our local aestheticians to get their top tips for keeping your skin great this season.

Wear sunscreen  Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Stellar Spa owner and aesthetician Dana Vande Weg says wearing daily sunscreen is just as important during the winter as it is any other time of year. “During the winter, lips need extra care too. Be sure to add a lip balm with an SPF included.”

Exfoliate  “The biggest mistake people make is that they either under- or over-exfoliate,” says Champagne Salon and Day Spa aesthetician JoAnne Findorak. Exfoliating about three times a week helps the moisturizers you’re using sink in faster and deeper. “Remove those dead, dry skin cells and improve your skin texture,” says Tiburon aesthetician Laura Assiano.

Moisturize  As weather conditions change, your skin care routine should too. Find a moisturizer that has a non-clogging oil-based formula like avocado oil, almond oil or primrose oil, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion will.

Skip the hot bath  Avoid hot baths, says SenSpa aesthetician and Mill Valley resident Gaynor Farmer. Soaking in a hot bathtub feels great when it’s cold outside, but the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which could lead to a loss of moisture. And if you can’t stay out of a hot soak, Findorak says, then it’s important to limit your time.

Nude Awakenings Hydrating Water  The eco-organic skin care line, which is packaged in completely recyclable bottles and free of parabens and sulfates, uses prickly pear to lock moisture in and vanilla and rose floral water to soothe the complexion. Whole Foods (San Rafael). 415.451.6333, nudeskincare.com

Kiehl’s Açaí Organic Skin Care  It’s Kiehl’s first foray into fully organic skin care with the Açaí Damage-Repairing Skin Care Collection, which utilizes açaí berry to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, increase luminosity and renew skin vitality. Kiehl’s (Corte Madera). 415.945.9954, kiehls.com

Juice Beauty Age Defying Kit  The Green Apple Age Defying Solutions kit includes the Green Apple Cleansing Gel, Green Apple Full Strength Peel, Green Apple Antioxidant Serum, Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer and Green Apple SPF 15. The Marin Store (Marin). 888.408.2105, themarinstore.com