You likely have already swapped out your summer wardrobe for your fall ensembles, but while you’re storing away your sandals and digging out your boots, you might want to also make sure you’re changing up your skincare practices.
Low humidity, wind, extreme cold exposure, dry indoor heating, more hot showers, and winter fabrics like wool and synthetic materials — winter can be harsh on your skin.
So, we enlisted the expert, Dr. Laurel Martini, owner of Vively Body Science in Wayzata, to help us make it through the winter months with healthy, happy, glowing skin.
“Winter lends itself to dry skin and can exacerbate underlying conditions like dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, acne, and rosacea,” explains Laurel. “Dry skin also looks older, making fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced and a decreased luminosity of the skin.”
The best thing you can do for your skin? Hydration and nourishment. Which Laurel says needs to come from both inside and out. “Hydration is key year-round for overall health and even more so during the dry winter months. As for nutrients, many of the same ingredients we emphasize as active ingredients in skin care products are just as important in your diet.”
Nutrients for Happy Skin
Laurel’s essential nutrients to help keep your skin healthy:
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Vitamin A helps keep the dermis healthy, which is important for healthy skin.
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Vitamin C is an antioxidant and encourages collagen production.
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Vitamin E is an antioxidant.
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids provide moisture and protection and help keep the skin barrier intact.
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Zinc is anti-inflammatory and healing.
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Beta-carotenes, a plant-based provitamin A, and other carotenoids are antioxidants that help protect against sun damage.
“Avoiding inflammatory foods and beverages such as high saturated fats, refined sugars, and alcohol can also help avoid or manage conditions that emerge during the colder months,” says Laurel. “Comfort foods for the season and holidays tend toward more opportunities for inflammatory-type foods and beverages.”
While the holidays can be challenging to avoid foods that exacerbate skin trouble, one way to navigate the season is to eat… well, seasonally. “Think of seasonal fruits and vegetables available during fall and winter. Often, those foods are exactly what your skin needs.”
Laurel’s Top Food Picks for Radiant Winter Skin
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Healthy fats like avocados
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Salmon (and other fatty fish)
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Beans
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Nuts
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Seeds
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Kale
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Broccoli
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Beets
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Sweet potatoes
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Winter Squash
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Citrus
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Kiwi
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Red grapes
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Cinnamon
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Limited amounts of dark chocolate (70% cacao or greater)
Now that we have what you should put into your body covered, here is what Laurel recommends you should put on your body.
“We think of skin care products and procedures seasonally,” says Laurel. “Often, what is beneficial in the warmer months needs to be adjusted during the colder months. It can be as simple as changing from gel or lotions to creams or ointments to increasing both hydration and lipids in your products. Adjusting active ingredients in products towards more calming ingredients like Vitamin B and ceramides is also helpful in treating dry, irritated skin.”
Alongside the right foods and skin care products, Vively offers extra support with numerous great treatments, like their HydraFacial, which hydrates dry and damaged tissue, helping your skin stay healthy through the winter. They also offer customized aesthetic treatments geared toward overall skin health to treat your specific needs.
Winter may be rough, but your skin doesn’t have to be! Simply follow Laurel’s tips or stop into Vively for even more personalized care, and you’ll keep your skin happy and healthy all winter long.