The Ultimate Guide To Healthy Winter Skin

Baby, it’s cold outside! You know what that means? Skin woes. The first thing to break down in frigid temps is your lipid barrier, which leads to endless cycles of dryness and inflammation. Make 2020 the year you keep your glow on with these easy resolutions.

- Ingrie Williams

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CHOOSE A CLEANSING CREW UPGRADE

WHETHER YOU WANT A BRIGHTER OR SMOOTHER complexion in 2020, the journey starts at the sink. “Cleansing is a vital first step,” says Lori Beazer, a skin therapist at Consonant Skincare in Toronto. “No other product will penetrate the skin if you don’t cleanse properly.”

The current world of cleansers includes a wide range of options, from fast-acting aqueous formulas to gentle foams to viscose oils. To get a match that’s just right for you, crosscheck your skin needs with your product preferences and your lifestyle choices.

“Definitely know your ingredients,” says Lindsay Barras, education manager at Dermalogica Canada. “You can use a milk- or cream-based cleanser if your skin is very dry. If your skin is acne-prone, you need a cleanser with alpha hydroxy acid or beta hydroxy acid, such as salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid, to remove excess dirt and debris that clogs pores.”

To elevate your efforts, the pros encourage double cleansing, which starts with an oil-based product. “Oil travels the deepest into the skin,” says Beazer. “If you’re wearing makeup, you can use that oil cleanse first to melt everything and then go in with another cleanser.” A standard practice in professional treatments, this method is an easy at-home trick to maximize efficacy. “You want to attract whatever you want to remove with oil and then infuse the skin with specific ingredients to target breakouts, dryness, and hyperpigmentation,” says Barras. “Just removing makeup isn’t enough.”