By Dr. Maria Lombardo
The weather has certainly changed in the last few weeks and winter is upon us. My patients have been talking about how dry their skin is this time of year and wondering what can be done.
The basics of good skin care apply all year round and include…
Daily cleansing: Some people cleanse morning and night but night time is the more important time. You need to clean off the grime of the day, any makeup you may have applied and have a nice clean surface to receive the products you will use.
Daily moisturizing: It’s important to apply moisturizer (with an SPF) during the day and again at bedtime. In the winter months it is especially important to use a richer moisturizer to lock in you skin’s natural moisture.
Exfoliation: I usually recommend three times per week for a light exfoliation and that doesn’t change in the winter season. Just be sure to moisturize immediately afterward to prevent additional moisture loss.
For the added boost, try growth factors! As we age we lose the ability to make youthful skin cells… A product with growth factors (usually only available at a physician’s office) can be the extra step your skin is craving!
Water: Don’t forget to drink plenty of water every day! Our desert climate means we have to drink more than the average. A good rule of thumb is divide your weight (in pounds) by 2 and that is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking per day. For example: a 150 pound woman should consume 75 ounces of water every day! And in the winter months that number should go up even more.
Oils: Human beings need healthy fats in their diet! Olive oil, fish oil, avocados, etc… these are essential to our good health but are especially important to healthy skin! All of the cells in the body have a lipid bilayer (which means: made of fats) and without an adequate supply of dietary oils our cells can’t maintain a proper cell wall. In order for cells to function well we need to eat fats!
So bundle up this season, stay warm, take good care of yourself and your skin. We are now offering the SkinMedica line of products as well as Reginica Skin care at Lombardo Cosmetic Surgery – with a full line of great products for all your skin care needs. Call today if you have any questions! 760-610-8990
