Has your skin been struggling this winter? The colder months can really take a toll, battering the skin’s natural protective barrier to the point where dryness, redness, and general discomfort become the norm. 

If this is something you’ve been dealing with year after year, it’s time to finally make a change. Keep reading as Vivo Per Lei explains the simplest way to rebuild the feeling of integrity and comfort in your skin this winter.

It’s All About the Skin Barrier

More often than not, the problems that the skin experiences during the winter can all be attributed to one common factor: a damaged skin barrier. This is what really takes a beating in the winter months, in a few different ways:

• As soon as your skin comes into contact with dry air, which both indoor and outdoor air usually is in the winter, it starts to lose moisture. Its precious moisture reserves evaporate away, leaving the skin barrier weaker.
• Windy conditions exacerbate moisture loss, increasing the rate at which moisture is pulled out of the skin and further weakening the skin barrier.
• Snow, sleet, and rain don’t do the skin any favors either. While they temporarily add moisture to the skin’s surface, that moisture quickly disappears into the air, taking some of the moisture from your skin barrier with it. 
• Snow and ice also reflect UV rays. This almost doubles the amount of UV exposure your skin receives, something that causes severe barrier damage. 
• The cold causes vasoconstriction, which is when blood vessels tighten up. This reduces blood flow to the skin, in turn reducing the skin’s access to oxygen and nutrients. It also impairs moisture retention. Both will compromise the skin barrier. 

It’s important to keep in mind that natural oil production slows down in the winter. A large part of your skin barrier consists of oil, and without this, it’ll already be much weaker. This makes it even easier for the onslaught of winter to cause some serious damage. 

Winter Skin Recovery 101

What does winter skin recovery involve? Here’s what you’ll need to do to counter those wintertime skin woes and emerge from the season with a skin barrier that feels stronger than ever: 

Stay Away From Harsh Products That Strip the Barrier Dry

Go to Product

The first step when it comes to winter skin recovery is to stop causing even more damage to your skin barrier. While you may not be able to control the weather, you do have control over your skincare routine. If it contains any harsh products that could potentially impair skin barrier function, some changes need to be made ASAP.

Start by assessing your cleanser and exfoliator. The surfactants used in many of these products are notorious for stripping away the vital components of the skin barrier. Toss out any products containing sulfates, swapping them for products that make use of gentle cleansing agents, like the Vivo Per Lei Hyaluronic Acid Daily Facial Wash. 

Certain active ingredients can also dry out the skin barrier, like retinol. This doesn’t mean that you have to completely give up the ingredient, but make sure the retinol product you’re using also contains ingredients that will counter the appearance of the barrier damage that retinol can sometimes cause. The Vivo Per Lei 24K Gold Caviar Serum, for example, combines retinol with sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E, amino acids, and mushroom extract. This concoction keeps the skin barrier feeling supported while the retinol works its magic.

Use a Barrier-Focused Moisturizer to Defend Against the Winter Elements

Go to Product

Prevention is always better than cure, but what exactly can you do to prevent the winter elements from slowly destroying your skin barrier? This is where a barrier-focused moisturizer can be a game-changer. Moisturizers are already loved for how they form a thin seal over the skin’s surface. A barrier-focused formula will create an even stronger seal, providing a physical barrier between your skin and the winter weather. 

What makes a moisturizer barrier-focused? Plenty of occlusive ingredients. From plant oils and butters to squalane and beeswax, these ingredients are great for locking moisture in and keeping the skin barrier feeling protected. 

If your current moisturizer is lacking in occlusives, check out the Marine Ultimate All Skin Cream from Vivo Per Lei. It features a few different occlusives, including shea butter and squalane. It’s also brimming with barrier-loving ingredients, such as niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and polyglutamic acid. These ingredients also provide plenty of hydration, making this cream great for boosting the skin’s hydration levels too.

Extra Hydration Can Work Wonders

Go to Product

Speaking of hydration, this is a key part of winter skin recovery. As we discussed earlier, maintaining adequate hydration levels is something that the skin really struggles with at this time of the year. While you may think that stepping indoors and away from the dry outdoor air will give your skin some relief, this isn’t the case at all if you’re walking into a room that has been heated artificially. Indoor heating systems pull moisture from the air and your skin too. This means that your skin never really gets any respite from moisture loss during the winter.

An occlusive-rich moisturizer will help to slow this down. However, at the same time, it would also be a good idea to give your skin a couple of layers of extra hydration before you moisturize. Hydrating serums are great for doing this. Pick a formula that contains plenty of humectants, like the Vivo Per Lei Aloe Soothing Facial Serum. Humectants, like the aloe vera and sodium hyaluronate in this formula, bind moisture to the skin, which is exactly what your weakened skin barrier could really do with!

Slug When Needed

Have you heard of slugging? It’s a technique that recently started trending, although it’s something that dermatologists have been recommending for years to people who are looking for a way to rebuild their skin barrier, especially in the winter. 

Slugging involves carrying out your nighttime skincare routine as normal. However, rather than stopping at your moisturizer, you follow up with a thin layer of petroleum jelly spread across your face. It leaves the skin looking quite shiny and slimy, reminiscent of the slime trail left behind by a moving slug, hence the name! 

Why would you want to do this? We’ve already talked about how moisturizing gives your complexion a physical barrier that helps to shield it from winter stress. Slugging does the same, but to a much greater extent. Petroleum jelly has molecules that are too large to be absorbed by the skin, meaning that this layer remains on the skin’s surface until it’s washed away (this is usually done the next morning). During this time, the petroleum jelly essentially acts as an additional skin barrier. It blocks moisture from evaporating away while also preventing impurities from making their way into the deeper layers of the skin. This gives your actual barrier a chance to recuperate, which is exactly what winter skin recovery should be all about! 

Turn to a Barrier-Boosting Mask Once a Week

Go to Product

While it’s never a good idea to overload your skin with too many products, especially when it’s already feeling stressed, a barrier-boosting face mask could make a huge difference to your complexion. Since masks are designed to be used just once a week, you won’t have to worry about overwhelming your skin barrier. 

Sheet masks do this well, but overnight masks can be particularly beneficial in the winter months. Unlike other face masks, which are removed after a relatively short period of time, these no-rinse formulas are left on the skin for hours. In a way, it’s similar to slugging, although the ingredients in an overnight mask will slowly absorb into your skin. 

If you’re searching for an overnight mask to add to your winter skin recovery routine, turn your attention to Vivo Per Lei’s Marine Revitalize Leave-On Hydrating Mask. It’s filled with marine-derived ingredients, including a variety of different seaweed extracts. Not only are these ingredients exceptionally hydrating, but they’re also filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’ll keep your skin barrier feeling fortified while you sleep, meaning that you’ll wake up with a much healthier-looking complexion. 

Don’t Forget About SPF

A big part of winter skin recovery is prevention. The more you can prevent the environment from harming your skin, the sooner you’ll see results.

However, when it comes to winter skin protection, most people focus on shielding their skin from the cold and the dry air. These factors are undeniably harmful, but it’s important to also keep sun protection in mind. Sure, the sun may not feel very warm and damaging in the winter months, but those UV rays are always around. 

When it comes to SPF, the same rules apply in both summer and winter. Your skin should be protected during all daylight hours, meaning that regular top-ups during the day are still essential in the winter too. 

Heat Yourself Rather Than the Air Around You

If dehydration is a major problem for you in the winter, it’s worth assessing how you heat your home. While indoor heating systems are convenient, they really don’t do your skin any favors. 

What’s the alternative? Rather than heating the air around you, look into other ways in which you can keep yourself warm. Electric blankets and throws, for example, will give you plenty of heat without drying out the air around you. This will give your skin some relief, providing a much-needed break from the dryness of winter. 

Winter Skin Recovery With Vivo Per Lei

There’s still a long way to go until the end of winter. If you’ve already been experiencing seasonal problems with your skin, it’s important not to ignore these. Instead, start following the winter skin recovery tips that we’ve shared above, and you’ll soon see some big improvements in your complexion. 

Click here to add more Vivo Per Lei bestsellers to your winter skincare routine.