A dermal clinician's top 4 rules for healthy skin this winter

Much like our wardrobes, our skin care routines require seasonal overhauls.

During summer, the skin care ingredients we use and the facial treatments we try are all determined by the warm temperatures and sun exposure synonymous with the season.

Similarly in winter, the bracing chill and lack of humidity has visible effects on the skin, such as dryness and dehydration.

But in Dermal Clinician James Vivian's opinion, prepping your skin and adapting your skin care routine for the cooler months doesn't have to be an involved task.

In fact, he swears by just four simple rules, which ensure the skin stays healthy during winter...

1/ Use skin care ingredients that replenish moisture levels

Vivian recommends seeking out ingredients that help to replenish the loss of moisture in the skin, which can occur due to dehydration from heaters and sensitive winter skins. He says that soothing and hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, aloe vera, sodium PCA, and glycerine and low-dose AHAs and PHAs are all excellent choices in winter.

Try: Viviology Liquid Exfoliant ($55 from Adore Beauty) / Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream ($15.99 at Chemist Warehouse) / Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense ($108 from The Iconic)

2/ Be gentle with your skin

Although winter is a great time to incorporate treatments that require a bit of downtime into your skin care routine, Vivian says to pay attention to how your skin reacts, because being gentle where possible could be the defining factor that stops your skin from being dehydrated in winter. 

"Prevention is always better than cure, so prevent dehydration before it occurs by ensuring a healthy skin barrier," he explains.

You can do this by not ensuring you're not over-exfoliating or using active ingredients (but gently cleansing and treating instead), which might irritate the skin.

"Ingredients such as ceramides, amino acids, omegas and shea butter help to act as a band aid, retaining skin moisture and reducing hypersensitivity that the harsh winter weather often brings," he continues. 

Try: Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cleanser ($15.99 at Chemist Warehouse) / Bioderma Sensibio Soothing Defensive Serum ($38.69 from Chemist Warehouse) / Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturiser ($50 from Adore Beauty)

3/ Wearing SPF isn't just a summer activity

"SPF is a 365 day proposition," says Vivian. "In fact, there is the potential for more sun damage to occur in the winter months as many of us relax on our application."

"UVA radiation penetrates through clouds and windows and can be just as strong during the winter months," he went on to say.

In order to protect yourself, he advises using SPF year round as a daily sun protection strategy and he's a big fan of a wide brimmed sun hat too.

"Wearing SPF is so much about future-proofing our skins so that we have less issues to deal with later on in life," the dermal clinician explains. "It truly is an investment in our skin's future."

4/ It's the perfect time to try a treatment that requires downtime

During winter we all tend to spend a lot more time indoors, which is why it's the perfect time to try skin care treatments that require a bit of downtime. Plus, it's a wonderful opportunity to invest in more invasive treatments where patients are advised to minimise sun exposure post-treatment.

"Common treatments undertaken during the winter months include stronger chemical peels and laser resurfacing treatments which improve skin texture and clarity, as well as laser treatments to target pigmentation and redness," says Vivian.

"[It's also] the best time to get a skin cancer check as ideally [faux] summer tans have faded," he continues as this can reduce the potential for early detection.

There's no better time of the year than winter to try an at-home face peel. Here are seven we really rate. 

Main image credit: @hoskelsa