Weather warning!
Up in Edinburgh we’ve been enjoying a Indian summer, but seemingly overnight we have felt the change into autumn. I’ve been unearthing the winter woollies, and wondering where on earth I might have put my son’s waterproof mitts - and also noticing that my skin is feeling a bit more tight, but not in a good way. Each year at around this time, there is a week where suddenly the temperature drops and the humidity with it, and everyone who’s skin was glorious by the end of summer suddenly needs a change in skincare.
If you live in an area where there are marked changes in climate through the seasons, you will most likely be noticing this too. This is why there is no such thing as a perfect skincare routine - as external (or internal) factors change, your products need to change with it to help your skin maintain homeostasis.
What is going on right now is a sharp decrease in ambient humidity leading to an increase in evaporation of water out of the skin. Coupled with this we are also starting to turn on the central heating which further decreases the humidity indoors. The effect on the epidermis is an increase in keratinocyte proliferation, epidermal hyperplasia (enlargement of epidermal cells which can lead to excessive scaling), and an increase in size of the dermal mast cells and their degranulation (which amongst other things releases histamine). What this will look like is scaly, dry and possibly itchy skin, or if you are prone to it, outbreaks of atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. In short, it creates an impaired skin barrier. Other signs to look out for are a dull appearance, products suddenly stinging or burning, excessive oil production coupled with flaky skin and increased erythema (redness) and sensitivity.
For most of us there is a relatively simple solution - apply a barrier product. You can slow down the rate of water transpiration by adding oils which repair the skin barrier and provide an occlusive layer to protect the skin from harsher environmental conditions. I’m particularly fond of Dermaviduals OM ointment and Oleogel for this purpose. And of course, it’s even more important than ever to keep yourself well hydrated with plenty of water or herbal teas.
If you are finding that your skin is feeling rough and itchy through the transition from summer to winter, you may also like to include an enzyme peel to aid desquamation of the dead skin cells which are suddenly building up. Another effect of an increased rate of water loss is the lack of free water needed to catalyse the enzymatic reaction which breaks down the bonds between the dead skin cells. By using enzymes topically you can gently help this process along without causing irritation to the surface, only removing the cells which are needed.
