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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSThe Answer(s) To Your Winter Skin Woes
January 15, 2010 5:14 pm
Despite the vast array of skincare products that cross my desk every day, I’ve always maintained a loyalty to Dermalogica in between test-driving other intriguing brands for this blog. The product wing of the International Dermal Institute (IDI), which was started by company founder Jane Wurwand in 1983 as a small classroom in Marina del Rey, California, the brand is now produced from the 145,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. Expansion aside, the company still manages to adhere to its core message 20-plus years later, spreading the gospel that beauty is overrated and that it’s all about skin-health fitness. Dermalogica’s packaging is thusly sparse—its ad campaigns even sparser. Its worldwide success is mostly based on word of mouth and more than a few endorsements from qualified skin therapy professionals, like Annet King, director of global education at the IDI. When the opportunity arose to talk shop with King about winter skin, I jumped at the chance. Our conversation touched on the pros and cons of humidifiers, putting in quality “me” time, and how to counterbalance seasonal paleness without heavy-handed makeup applications (it can be done!). Read on below.
At the IDI, you typically tout the benefits of the “double cleanse”—starting with a cleansing oil to remove buildup and following that with a second cleanser to properly clean unclogged pores. How can you adapt this regimen to wintertime, when deep cleansing often leads to dry skin?
First of all, never use soap in the winter. Definitely go with a creamy cleanser and remember that oil-based cleansers are good for getting rid of dirt, grime, pollution, and makeup without completely stripping your skin of moisture. Exfoliation becomes even more important this time of year, too, because your skin will hold on to more dead cells. Try our Daily Microfoliant or a hydroxy acid lotion in the mornings prior to moisturizing if you’re short on time, but at night you should really still try to fit in the double cleanse to remove all the buildup from the day.
What about humidifiers? Are they really that important to winter skin regimens?
Humidifiers are great if you have dry/sensitive skin and have noticed that you’ve become itchier and more lizardlike since it’s gotten colder. The humidity drops in the winter months, so the environment is literally sucking the lipids out of your skin, especially if you are constantly exposed to artificial heat. If you have oily skin, though, you don’t need one as much. A quick easy fix is to just add some essential oils like eucalyptus to a bottle of distilled water and spray it in your bedroom and on your linens to add moisture.
I also find color drainage to be a problem around January, when I have no semblance of a tan and minimal sun exposure. Is there an easy way to get a glow without adding more makeup to my routine?
Again, exfoliation really helps, as does using small circular motions while you exfoliate to increase your circulation and bring more blood flow to your face. Also, I’d highly recommend applying masks.
Ah, the mask. I feel like most of us frequently skip this step and write it off as too time-consuming.
Masking is one of the oldest things in skincare! Creamy masks, like our Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, are packed with botanicals, peptides, vitamins, and beta-glucan, and can really give your skin a pep, like you’ve run around the block. I recommend massaging the mask into your skin while you apply, focusing on your pressure points by pressing your temples and underneath your brow bones with the fleshy part of your thumb, and tapping your face while using light pinching motions to drain some of the lymph and get rid of dullness. It’s nice to really make a ritual out of it—and have some “you” time.
“Me time?” Please, go on.
People should really make an effort to give themselves more of these mini rituals and have a little bit of a spa experience while taking care of their skin. Wring out a wet towel, put it in the microwave for a few seconds, and lay it over your face, allowing the steam to help penetrate all of the mask’s ingredients. It will give you even more of a pinkish glow, not to mention do wonders to ease anxiety.
tags: Annet King, Dermalogica, Skincare
Good story about Dermalogica. My skin is so much better already after only four months of using their products. Too bad it’s not very well known (at least in Holland) and quite expensive… but it works!
By gstar on 01/18/10 at 9:57 am