Understanding the Science Behind Skin in the Winter

January, February. A great time for us all to start thinking about ourselves. We’ve spent the last two months planning, preparing and meeting ourselves coming backwards to tie up Christmas and now it’s all about us!

I always find this is a great time for therapists to plan skincare consultations for clients for the coming year. When we speak about skin rejuvenation treatments, we need to talk about the long-term results and how this can be achieved and explain to the client that we cannot expect to see overnight, instant results. Nowadays, clients want more than just an instant fix, they want great skin that is healthy, bright, smooth and radiant. By introducing a good plan at the beginning of the programme, your client will have a good understanding of what they can expect throughout the year. Many times, I feel clients start off on a skincare journey with no real direction or thorough understanding of what they can expect to see results-wise, or where their skin can progress to. Due to this, by the time March/April arrives they have lost interest or are content with what has been achieved so far and gradually, they will dwindle off your radar.

Plan & Educate

It is so important during our consultations to educate our clients. Showing before & after pictures that focus on results is great, but our client needs to know what they are using at home on their skin and why. Typically, during the consultation, you will find that your client has a bathroom cabinet full of products they don’t really understand. If you treat your clients in an educative way, they will not only know how to look after their skin, they will have learnt to read their own skin and come to the salon knowing what they need and asking the right questions as their skin changes. This will benefit both them and you.

Winter Skin

During these cooler months as skin specialists we will continually experience clients seeking solutions for dry/ dehydrated skin conditions. Winter skin is one of my favourite conditions to treat but it is often misunderstood.

So why does our skin change during these colder months and what exactly happens to the structure of our epidermis? We are aware the skin is the largest organ of the body and therefore will respond to both internal and external influences. External influences play a huge part at this time of the year. We have changes in our environment, cold winds, less humidity, plunging temperatures and drier air… these factors suck the moisture from our skin! So just like we change our wardrobe we need to up our skincare routine to include products which will not only give us a better lipid layer but also incorporate products and treatments to restore our barrier function and stop compromised skin conditions.

The layers of the epidermis play a vital role at this time of the year and this is the area which will provide us with complete barrier protection and healthy skin function.

Our epidermal layers should be viewed like building blocks. The different layers in this section of the skin need to be functioning correctly to enable our skin to stay healthy. In winter the elements of the skin that need extra support to maintain barrier health and keep the skin functioning at its best are:

Lamellar Bodies:- On a cellular level Lamellar Bodies are responsible for production of natural moisturising factor. They are found in the stratum granulosum and are released by healthy Keratinocytes to ensure protection through the upper layers of the skin and into the corneocytes. When functioning as they should they prevent Trans Epidermal Water Loss and protect the skin from external aggressors.

Filaggrin:- This major structural protein is found in the corneum and gives strength and stability to our barrier function. It also assists Keratinocytes to produce NMF (Natural Moisturising Factor). People lacking in this vital protein can have a tendency to suffer with eczema or dermatitis.

Langerhans Cells:- Responsible for immunity, located in the stratum spinosum, it is these cells stop external aggressors irritating our skin by breaking down bacteria. If our barrier is compromised our Langerhans Cells diminish leaving our skin open to aggravation causing inflammation and redness. UV rays temporarily disable Langerhans Cells rendering them ineffective for a period of time.

Corneocytes:- These form the most if not all of the epidermis and are regularly replaced through desquamation and renewal from the lower epidermal layers. If the barrier is compromised as it often is in winter months this layer should not be exfoliated with granular or mechanical exfoliation. Instead a fruit enzyme exfoliation is ideal.

The natural processes that are taking place in the skin can also be affected by winter weather. A good example of this is Trans Epidermal Water Loss. This is the process in which a percentage of water is lost.

A healthy skin will have approx. 20-35 % water and each day it will lose approximately one pint. In cold weather, humidity drops and TEWL increases as the dry air pulls moisture from the skin. When the water content drops below 10% dryness and itching begins to occur leading to redness and inflammation. A question I often get asked by students and salon owners is how we explain to our clients, in an easy to understand way, the importance of good barrier function? Why, for example, don’t they just use Vaseline?

The reason is that the skin is a living organ and our uppermost layers are constantly dividing and reproducing. It is in these layers that we need to focus our attention when treating winter skin conditions. We have several functions in these layers which enable us to have a good healthy barrier. As products such as Vaseline only work on the surface of the skin, almost like a capping, they are not having a long-term corrective effect on our skin. Our aim is to restructure your epidermis and engage it to work effectively and healthily.

The Importance of SPF In Winter

We all, hopefully use SPF during the summer months when the UV index is high. I cannot stress enough to my clients the importance of using SPF right throughout the year, and with cases of Rosacea and similar related skin conditions on the rise, it is one piece of advice that I feel is imperative. I treat several cases of Rosacea in the salon and have a passion and determination to treat and help clients with this, as it can be life changing. In January and February when these conditions flare up, it is visible that an SPF has likely not been used.

SPF is our first line of defence and derma cosmeceutical sunscreens such as Nimue’s Environmental Shield SPF50 are so advanced, offering protection against all light sources whilst also offering optimal moisturisation and barrier protection.

Winter Holidays

Skiing during these months is hugely popular and the knowledge regarding SPF is still not adequate. Skiers need to be extra vigilant with skin protection and sun protection. It is estimated that the atmosphere filters 4% less sunlight for every 1,000 feet you are above sea level, therefore if you are 5,000 feet above sea level, you are getting 20% more exposure to UV. Also remember the white snow acts like a mirror!