7 Tips on How to Protect and Repair Skin During Winter

Wintertime and the shift to colder weather means more time spent with family, skiing on the mountain, sipping on warm drinks, going to holiday parties and spending more time indoors. It’s a great time to repair the skin from sun damage, and also the time of year where you have to work extra hard to protect skin from dehydration.

Winter Skin Protection & Repair

Here are some of our aesthetician’s favorite winter skin secrets on how to protect and repair skin during the colder months.

Prevent and Treat Dehydrated Skin
"Wintertime means Tahoe time! But aprés ski skin can mean chapped, wind burned, dry skin. My fast fix? Epidermal Repair from Skinceuticals. Rich in beta glucan, it repairs and restores skin with a rich, emollient, protective barrier. Epidermal repair also helps to reduce the appearance of redness. I always keep a tube in my winter travel bag!"  -MaiLee Jones, Clinical Aesthetician, SkinSpirit Walnut Creek

"During the colder months we tend to drink more coffee and teas to help keep warm, but they can also be very dehydrating to our skin. I recommend sipping on warm water infused with lemon, which is not only hydrating, but a great source of antioxidants to help keep a clear complexion. I also LOVE Skinceuticals B5 Hydrating Gel.  I use a generous amount on my skin followed by a moisturizer and sunscreen. This leaves my skin looking and feeling supple throughout the day." -Hilarie Mejia, Clinical Aesthetician, SkinSpirit Walnut Creek

"The best secret to saving your skin from drying out in the wintertime is to avoid hot baths and showers. Sure, it feels nice to hop into a steamy hot shower on a cold morning, but hot water depletes the skin of its protective oils.  Instead, bathe in tepid water and when drying off, pat dry with a towel. Immediately hydrate the skin with a serum such as SkinMedica’s Hydrating Complex and then lock it in with a moisturizer. I recommend SkinMedica’s TNS Ceramide Treatment Cream because it creates a protective barrier from the cold weather, making it a great wintertime moisturizer. The hyaluronic acid in the Hydrating Complex helps bind water to the skin, keeping protective oils on the skin in place, making this an effective way to deliver extra hydration to the skin." -Elisa Ross, Clinical Aesthetician, SkinSpirit University Village

"iS Clinical’s Pro-Heal is a great way to protect skin in the colder weather. This serum has major healing powers with its extra boost of powerful antioxidant protection. It not only protects your skin, but also helps heal skin from conditions like acne, dehydration and chapped skin – all common conditions we tend to suffer from during the winter." -EleoNora Veniaminova, Master Aesthetician, SkinSpirit Bellevue Square

Protect Skin With Sunscreen
"We always need an SPF, especially during the winter. Believe it or not, up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays can penetrate through clouds and fog. When you combine high altitude and the UV rays reflected by snow, snow enthusiasts who ski or snowboard are at an even greater increased risk of sun damage. My point? Wear sunscreen all year round. iS Clinical’s Extreme Protect is an effective broad-spectrum sunscreen and fantastic moisturizer wrapped into the convenience of one bottle. This product will not only protect your skin from damaging UV rays, but also leaves your skin hydrated, smooth and soft. The extreme-zymes work as a shield to protect your skin against the cold weather. "-Tina Talerico, Lead Master Aesthetician NW Region, SkinSpirit Redmond

Great Time of Year to Tackle Sun Damage
"Winter is a great season to tackle sun damage, the build up of dead skin that can leave skin feeling dry and address overall signs of aging with the help of a medium or deep chemical peel. This treatment is great to do when sun is more distant in winter months. Consult with your esthetician for appropriate moisture and hydration to use in conjunction with recuperation and maintenance." -Karen Fernandez, Clinical Aesthetician, Manager of Aesthetics, SkinSpirit Palo Alto

"To reverse summer's photo damage and hyper-pigmentation, I step up lightening treatments to twice a day with SkinMedica’s Lytera Skin Brightening Complex and use a retinol once in the evening. I continue to use SkinCeuticals’s Phloretin CF and sunscreen every day regardless of the weather. I also recommend doing a Perfect Peel this time of year to address pigmentation, fine lines and rough texture." -Laura Asiano, Clinical Aesthetician, SkinSpirit Mill Valley

Get Personalized Skincare Advice for Winter in California or Washington

At SkinSpirit, we offer complimentary consultations where our clinical aestheticians meet with you in-person to discuss your skin concerns and provide you with custom winter skincare advice based on this assessment. We encourage you to book an appointment at your nearest location in California or Washington, or to call us at (855) 383-7546 with your questions.

Disclaimer: Information and content within this blog is provided for informational purposes only.  This blog is not intended to provide medical advice, and anything read here should not be construed as such.  Reading this blog or communicating with our staff does not create a physician-patient relationship.  If you have questions about any health issue, including something you may have read here, please consult a licensed, trained physician or health professional immediately.