A-Z For Healthy Winter Skin

It’s winter time and, believe it or not, your skin needs just as much care, if not more, as during the summer. Dr Leila Sadien offers comprehensive advice on how to keep your skin glowing and healthy throughout the chilly months ahead.

Think of your skin as a coat that protects you from head to toe – it is your largest organ and keeps everything on the inside in and all the nasties out! Not only is it your very personal shield but it is your unique expression of external beauty. Return the favour and nurture and nourish your skin with the following A – Z care tips.

A-ANTIOXIDANTS

Applied topically and taken orally, antioxidants protect our bodies from the harmful effects of oxidation, such as cancer, inflammation and general ageing, caused by poor lifestyle choices. Vitamins A, C and E are great antioxidants, and winter is a wonderful time to provide nourishment to sun-damaged skin.

B-BUMS

Winter is a great time to treat cellulite, especially as it takes a few months before signs of improvement become evident. Nettle root and DHEA gel is a wonderful cellulite-busting treatment that a compounding pharmacy can make up for you.

C-CHEMICAL PEELS

A chemical peel is essentially the application of acids to help treat skin problems. These acids can be made in a lab or extracted from natural botanicals, they can even be made with fruit and veg at home! Winter is ideal for peels because it's much easier to stay out of the sun while the skin heals.

D-VITAMIN D

The lack of sunlight in winter means that less vitamin D is manufactured by the body as there is less skin exposure to UVB rays. We are also more covered, so less of our skin is exposed to the sun. Winter also often means less outdoor activity. All of this triggers low vitamin D levels, which can result in acne, rosacea, ageing and delayed healing and repair.

E-ECZEMA