How to Protect Your Skin in Cold Weather?

Winter doesn’t just mean a white Christmas, comfort meals, time with family, and fun festive or outdoor activities. Cold winter weather can take a toll on our skin and bodies. The cold, dry air, wind, and lack of humidity can leave our skin feeling itchy and dry and lead to cracked lips. The drop in temperature can also make fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable. It’s important to ensure your skincare routine changes with the season so your skin stays healthy and you feel youthful.

Taking care of your skin in the winter months isn’t just for appearance’s sake– it’s about health. Your skin is the body’s largest organ that performs many of the body’s essential tasks. Skin protects the body from viruses, bacteria, the sun’s deadly ultraviolet rays that can damage cells, and more. Colder weather can comprise this barrier, so maintaining a seasonally appropriate skincare routine helps ensure your skin stays resilient, healthy, and ready to take on the cold.

Nova Vita Solutions

Nova Vita can help you take care of your skin all year round. We use advanced treatments and essential nutrients to keep your skin hydrated, resilient, and glowing. Our HydraFacials® provide deep cleansing, hydration, and rejuvenation by exfoliating dead skin cells and infusing serums packed with antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. This treatment is ideal for countering winter dryness, enhancing your skin’s natural radiance, and helping reduce signs of aging. Our vitamin-infused IV therapy boosts hydration from within, delivering essential nutrients directly to your cells. Our Slim and Skin infusion supports skin elasticity, hydration, and a natural glow. With less sun exposure during the winter, vitamin D levels can drop. Our targeted infusions and boosters can help maintain optimal levels, supporting skin health and overall wellness during the colder months. Explore how we can help your skin health and overall immune system this winter, and book an appointment today.

How Cold Weather Changes Your Skin

Cold winter air can be especially harsh on our bodies, and often, the first place we notice it is our skin. Dry, chapped lips and cracked skin on hands and fingers can occur quickly as temperatures drop. This is because cold temperatures outdoors mean humidity levels plummet, leaving less moisture for the skin to absorb. This dry environment pulls moisture from the skin, leading to dryness, cracking, and irritation. The cold can also worsen eczema and acne, adding to discomfort and inflammation.

It’s natural to want to crank up the heat indoors in the winter, but this also has a drying effect on the air. Heating systems strip moisture from the environment, leaving indoor spaces with low humidity. Additionally, constantly moving between the cold outdoor temperatures and warm indoor temperatures can cause your skin’s capillaries to expand and contract quickly from extreme temperature fluctuations. This can lead to broken veins, redness, and an uneven complexion. To protect your health from temperature fluctuations, keep your home at a moderate temperature rather than an excessively high one. Bundle up in sweaters and blankets, enjoy a cup of tea, and keep your body at a regular temperature while also helping to reduce energy costs!

Common Skin Conditions Impacted by Cold Weather

Colder weather can be especially challenging for people with existing skin conditions, with low temperatures and dry air exacerbating symptoms and triggering flare-ups. Some common skin conditions that may worsen in the winter include:

• Rosacea: Cold, windy weather can worsen rosacea, increasing redness and inflammation. Extreme temperature fluctuations can also cause flare-ups.
• Psoriasis: Low humidity and cold air dry the skin, causing aggravated psoriasis patches.
• Eczema: Eczema-prone skin is highly sensitive to dryness, which naturally intensifies in the Cracking, itching, and inflammation can lead to more frequent flare-ups.
• Seborrheic Dermatitis: This condition often appears as flaky, itchy patches on the skin and can worsen with the drying effects of indoor heating and low outdoor

Winter dryness can also lead to symptoms of chronic dry skin, which may signal an underlying health issue like atopic dermatitis, kidney disease, or reactions to certain medications. If you experience chronic or worsening dryness consult your healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and personalized advice on winter skincare management.

How to Protect Your Skin in Cold Weather?

Winter can be harsh on the skin, but a few simple adjustments to your routine can make all the difference. To keep skin feeling and looking its best, consider these 10 essential tips for winter skin care:

1. Stay Hydrated: While colder months may make us forget to drink as much water, keeping hydrated is essential for skin health. Drinking enough water helps maintain the skin’s moisture barrier, preventing excessive
2. Moisturize Frequently: Use a thicker, cream-based moisturizer designed for winter. Apply after showering and washing hands to lock in moisture. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides to strengthen your skin barrier. Additionally, hydrating facials can help with dull, dry, and irritated skin during the winter months
3. Use a Humidifier Indoors: Indoor heating can strip the air and your skin of moisture. Adding a humidifier to your home or office can help retain moisture in the air, keeping your skin from becoming overly dry. Be sure to clean the unit and change the water per the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid mold and fungi.
4. Limit Hot Showers: Although it’s tempting to take long, hot showers in winter, hot water can further dry out the skin. Try using lukewarm water instead, and follow up with moisturizer immediately after.
5. Avoid Over-Cleansing: Too much cleansing removes the skin’s natural Opt for a gentle, hydrating cleanser to avoid stripping your skin’s natural oils, which can lead to increased dryness and irritation.
6. Protect Yourself From the Wind: Bundle up with scarves and hats to cover your face, and use a petroleum-based lip balm. Skin products that contain petroleum and creams with ceramides are also effective.
7. Avoid Extreme Cold: Extreme cold temperatures can cause skin disorders or frostbite in some people. Consult a doctor immediately if you experience color changes in your hands or feet, experience pain, or lose sensation in a finger or toe.
8. Get Some Vitamin D: Take vitamin D supplements or receive a vitamin D infusion or booster to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin Vitamin D plays a crucial role in skin health, mood, and immune function, so maintaining adequate levels is essential.
9. Protect Your Skin From the Sun: Even in the winter, using sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or Overexposure to sunlight can lead to premature skin aging and skin cancer.
10. Avoid Uncomfortable Materials: Avoid scratchy materials such as wool and nylon, which can easily irritate the skin. Instead, wear breathable fabrics like cotton (and make sure your sheets are also breathable).

Hydrafacials at Nova Vita

HydraFacials are a perfect winter treatment to help refresh and protect your skin during colder months. At Nova Vita, we offer HydraFacials designed to deeply cleanse, hydrate, and protect the skin. HydraFacials are especially beneficial in winter because they offer a multi-step process that exfoliates and replenishes moisture, leaving skin smooth and glowing:

• Gentle Exfoliation: HydraFacials gently remove dead skin cells without the irritation often caused by other exfoliating treatments. This reveals fresh, healthy skin underneath and helps prevent buildup that can worsen dryness.
• Deep Hydration: Our HydraFacial delivers hydrating serums directly into the skin, providing an intensive moisture boost that’s particularly effective for tackling the dryness associated with winter. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants penetrate deeply to help skin stay hydrated, balanced, and resilient.
• Protective Barrier Support: Antioxidants and hydrating ingredients strengthen the skin barrier, helping to protect it from the harsh winter environment. HydraFacials can maintain skin health and resilience through fluctuating temperatures and dry conditions.

Consider treating yourself to a 20% off HydraFacial this month only to keep your skin looking and feeling its best, no matter the weather.

Bottom Line

The winter weather doesn’t have to alarm you. The cold weather can take a toll on your skin, but with the right adjustments to your skincare routine, you can protect and maintain a healthy, glowing complexion all season long. By focusing on hydration, strengthening your skin barrier, nourishing with treatments like HydraFacials, and supporting overall health with vitamin D and other nutrients, you’ll be well-equipped to face the cold weather. Book an appointment at Nova Vita today to achieve your best skin health year-round with infusions and a Hydrafacial.