As the weather cools, it becomes increasingly important to nourish and protect your skin – especially here on the Gold Coast, where the sun is still brutal in winter. For winter skincare tips, we spoke to licensed aesthetician Danielle from The Beauty Garden.
“I’ve worked in all types of beauty salons, from wax parlours to luxury day spas and boutique salons,” says Danielle. “Now, I’m the sole proprietor of The Beauty Garden, a female owned and operated salon in Coolangatta.
“My area of expertise is result-driven, ethical beauty treatments and skincare. We recognise the need for educating our clients about preventative and corrective skincare – we want to make sure they leave feeling pampered, but also with a better understanding of the skin concerns that brought them to us in the first place.”
As we head into winter, what skin concerns are your clients coming in to treat?
There are several skincare concerns that crop up in winter, from congestion and sun damage to rosacea. These concerns can present as uneven skin tone, texture, flaky skin, redness and bumps on the surface and underneath the outermost layer of skin.
We see a lot of dry skin at this time of year. The cold weather can strip the skin of its natural oils, especially for those who don’t exfoliate regularly (or, ironically, exfoliate too often). The changes in temperature, stress levels and your skincare routine during the winter can also cause acne flare-ups and rosacea, a skin condition causing redness, swelling and bumps on the face.
What steps should we be taking to prepare our skin for winter?
Step One: Cleanse
It’s essential that you cleanse without stripping away your skin’s invisible natural shield if you want to maintain a flawless complexion. Use a good quality cleanser for 30 to 60 seconds in the morning, and 60 to 120 seconds at night.
A double cleanse with a PH-balanced cleanser is ideal at night – a single cleanse will remove the day’s impurities (makeup, excess sebum, etc.) so the second cleanse can allow the active ingredients to penetrate the skin and remove excess residue. All without removing any natural oils!
Foam and oil cleansers on their own can disrupt your acid mantel, part of the delicate matrix that creates a healthy skin barrier. The acid mantle’s main job is to keep the good stuff in (moisture) and the bad stuff out (bacteria and other pollutants).
Step Two: Exfoliate (sometimes)
Exfoliating twice a week will help to remove the dead skin cells that can build up on your skin over time. This build-up can block your pores, trapping the sebum, dirt and oil which contribute to uneven texture and skin tone. You can have the most expensive serum in the world but if you don’t exfoliate, it won’t penetrate.
In terms of treatments, one of my top winter skincare tips is to get a dermabrasion once every four to 12 weeks. At home, use a gentle exfoliant (our gentle hydro-polish exfoliant can be used for all skin types) at night. Twice a week is sufficient – over-exfoliating is just as bad as not exfoliating at all.
Step Three: Moisturise
Hydration is essential to combating winter skin concerns. As the weather gets colder and drier, it’s important to use a stable moisturiser to prevent dryness, itchiness and flaking – all without clogging your pores. Moisturising oils are preferable in winter for this very reason, but molecular weight and formulation is important. Don’t just slap coconut oil on your face!
Step Four: Protect
Even in winter, it’s essential that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30+. Sunscreen won’t just protect your skin from harmful UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays, but also any blue light damage that can come from our screens. Ongoing research is being done into the degree of blue light damage to our skin over long periods of time. Remember: protection is better than correction!
Also, one of my most simple winter skincare tips is to wear a hat, scarf and gloves to protect your skin from harsh wind.
What ingredients should we look for when buying winter skincare?
- Hyaluronic Acid: This naturally occurring ingredient acts as a humectant, attracting and retaining water to hydrate and plump the skin. It’s gentle enough to use morning and night and is commonly found in skincare products. In addition to improving texture and wound healing, hyaluronic acid helps to maintain barrier function and reduce trans-epidermal water loss, making it a useful ingredient for all skin types.
- Ceramides: These naturally occurring lipids or fats are a crucial component of the stratum corneum (our skin’s outermost layer) – but, as we age, our natural production of ceramides decreases, leading to dryness and sensitivity. Adding ceramides to your routine helps to strengthen your barrier function, maintain hydration, reduce inflammation and help to soothe and calm irritated or inflamed skin.
- Jojoba: There are so many reasons to love jojoba oil. It’s an excellent moisturizer, leaving your skin soft and supple, and is also anti-Inflammatory, making it particularly useful for people with eczema and psoriasis. It’s also non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores) and is rich in antioxidants like vitamin E that help protect against environmental stressors.
- Retinaldehyde: Retinoids are one of the most proven skincare ingredients, with numerous research studies confirming their capability to support skin health, boost collagen production and fight blemishes. They work by increasing cell turnover and supporting collagen production – but not all retinoids are created equal. Retinaldehyde is more immediately effective than other retinoids. Always start on the lowest percentage and applying at night, building up your tolerance gradually to avoid irritation. Try alternating days between use with other active serums, starting on the night you exfoliate. Complete with a layer of moisturizer after one to five minutes to seal in hydration and prevent flakiness.
- Zinc: Never skip SPF! Zinc occurs naturally in our body – we have over 100 different enzymes that use it to function properly, and 60 percent of them are on the surface of our skin. Our skin is craving this beautiful ingredient to assist in protecting and correcting from premature aging.