Learn Top Winter Skincare Tips from the Leading NYC Medspa
For those of you living in New York City or traveling to the Big Apple during the cold, winter season, keeping your skin in check can feel overwhelming. Snowy days and windy nights can really take a toll on your skin and lead to common skin woes such as dryness, irritation, and surprise breakouts. However, with the right guidance, you can beat the winter blues and maintain healthy, hydrated skin during the cooler weather.
From choosing the best moisturizers to managing excess redness or breakouts, this guide dives into our tried and true skin tips and product recommendations to help you navigate your most common skin concerns and build a winterproof skincare routine to support healthy and luminous skin all winter long.
How Winter Affects Your Skin’s Barrier
Dry and frigid NYC temperatures can really wreak havoc on our skin. From the colder air to the drop in humidity, these factors compromise our skin’s health in numerous ways. For starters, our skin barrier can have difficulty retaining moisture when the temperature drops. This can cause our skin to become more dry, flakey, or irritated. Indoor heating and hot showers can further dry our skin by diminishing moisture levels.
Harsher winter weather is also a huge culprit for triggering eczema flare-ups and bouts with psoriasis. Therefore, you must support your skin’s health with nourishing and hydrating products that replenish your skin’s moisture levels and provide extra protection to your skin’s barrier. Keep reading as we address some of your most common winter skin concerns and include our best recommendations so you can build a skincare arsenal to withstand even the coldest winter days.
How To Soothe Dry, Itchy Skin
Winter weather in NYC is definitely more foe than friend regarding your skin. Cold, dry air can strip your skin of its moisture and natural oils, causing it to become more dry, itchy, and flakey. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to combat dry patches and a parched-looking complexion.
At home, you can soothe and repair dry skin by investing in a humidifier for your bedroom. A humidifier is an easy way to replenish humidity levels in your home. It works by releasing water vapor into the air. This increases the humidity levels in your room and combats skin irritation, such as itchiness and flakiness, by helping your skin retain moisture.
Best Products to Alleviate Dry, Itchy Skin
Incorporating skincare products that repair and replenish moisture loss is key. Look for ultra-hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or ceramides. These ingredients restore the skin’s moisture barrier and improve the skin’s elasticity and resilience. You can find these ingredients in oils, serums, moisturizers, and creams.
We recommend adding a nourishing serum to your winter skincare routine to hydrate and plump the skin deeply. A great option is the Water Molecule Serum. This medical-grade serum features peptides to support collagen production, firm the skin, and reduce lines and wrinkles. Layer serums under your moisturizer or cream in the morning or before bed.
A thick and hydrating cream or moisturizer is another crucial skin staple to have on deck during the cold, dry season. Crème Hydravit’s by Biologique Recherche is a revitalizing moisturizing face cream that helps bring itchy, dehydrated skin back to life. It’s thick and creamy formulation infuses your skin with deep and long-lasting hydration.
Best Treatment to Combat Dry, Itchy Skin
By incorporating professional facial treatments into your skincare routine, you can also soothe dry skin and support a healthy and hydrated complexion. Jelly face masks or a HydraFacial are great ways to take your skin’s hydration to the next level.
As its name suggests, HydraFacial is an ultra-hydrating treatment that deeply cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates the skin. This treatment utilizes special tools to break up congestion and bacteria and deliver nutrient-rich vitamins, antioxidants, and ingredients like hyaluronic acid to seal in hydration and protect your skin. The result is a smoother, healthier, and more plump-looking complexion. Given that it’s safe for all skin types, it’s no surprise that HydraFacial is a top skin-enhancing treatment during the winter season at SKINNEY Medspa.
How To Combat Breakouts and Inflammation
Yes, winter acne is a thing. When your skin becomes dry, it becomes more susceptible to bacteria, leading to breakouts and inflammation. Cold air depletes the skin of its moisture, causing your skin to overproduce oil to compensate. This can also lead to acne, irritation, rosacea, and congested pores.
One way to reduce breakouts and inflammation is to avoid touching and picking at your face. Doing this can spread germs and bacteria and make acne worse. Also, avoid washing your face with hot water, which can be extremely drying and irritating. Use lukewarm water to maintain your skin’s natural moisture when cleansing your face.
Another tip to reduce redness is to protect your skin from the sun. Yes, this means wearing sunscreen during the winter months! Winter rays can be as strong as summer rays, so you should not slack regarding SPF. Use sunscreen with a sun-protection factor of 15 or greater if you plan on going outdoors. This best-selling broad-spectrum sunscreen by Elta MD helps calm and protect sensitive skin types prone to discoloration and breakouts associated with acne and rosacea.
Best Products to Reduce Breakouts and Inflammation
If you are prone to blemishes or full-blown breakouts during this time of year, winter-proof your skin by adding chemical exfoliation to your routine a few times a week. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), such as salicylic acid, mandelic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid, are different kinds of chemical exfoliators. They vary in strength and help fight whiteheads, blackheads, and even cystic acne by penetrating deep into your pores and removing excess oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells.
Featuring a combination of salicylic and glycolic acids, Chemical Peel pads are a powerhouse product that fights acne and blemishes by unclogging pores and increasing cellular turnover. Unlike physical exfoliators, these chemical exfoliating pads are gentle on the skin and less likely to cause irritation.
If rosacea or redness is your issue, add calming ingredients such as arnica oil, squalane, or jojoba oil to your routine. All three of these ingredients can be found in SKINNEY’s PhotoFacial in a Bottle and work to soothe inflammation and fade redness and discoloration. This potent serum also contains moringa oil, an essential oil rich in antibacterial properties and highly effective for balancing blemish-prone skin.
Best Treatment to Tackle Breakouts and Inflammation
When it comes to addressing redness, blemishes, and full-blown breakouts, professional acne facials are a great way to get your skin back on track. Chemical peels are a special type of facial treatment that specifically targets acne, blemishes, congestion, and inflammation. Glytone peels and VI peels are two popular chemical peel treatments.
A glytone peel is a kind of chemical peel that uses specific solutions to improve and clear the skin. Glytone’s salicylic acid peel is a top choice for fighting acne and inflammation. This peel decreases excess oil production and improves tone and texture by removing the damaged, outer layers of skin. The pyruvic acid peel is another type of glytone chemical peel that can help soothe acne-prone skin, fade dark spots and blemishes, and enhance overall skin tone and radiance.
A VI Peel is another effective chemical peel option to help combat acne and breakouts and achieving glowing, radiant skin. The Purify Formulated VI Peel is a great chemical peel option for individuals with acne-prone and congested skin. Made with a potent blend of trichloroacetic acid, retinoic acid, salicylic acid, and kojic acid, it deeply cleanses pores, kills acne-causing bacteria, and balances the skin’s oil production. This acne-fighting mask also improves discoloration and helps brighten the skin for a more radiant complexion.
Make sure to choose a reputable medical spa such as SKINNEY Medspa when getting a chemical peel in NYC. This ensures the best results and reduces your chances of post-treatment complications.
How To Tackle Dull, Lackluster Skin
Bring skin back to life and decrease winter dullness with some easy skin habits to help boost your skin’s radiance in no time. One easy way to combat aged, lackluster skin during the winter season in NYC is by not over-cleansing your face. Too much face washing strips your skin of its natural oils, causing your skin to look dull or dry. Another way to keep your complexion nice and glowing is by using a gentle, hydrating cleanser such as an oil or cream-based cleanser. These hydrating formulas can help remove impurities while protecting your skin’s moisture levels.
Slugging is another way to boost skin’s luminosity during the cold winter months. This popular skincare technique involves slathering your face with a petroleum jelly-based product such as Vaseline or Aquaphor before bed. These petroleum-rich products help restore your skin’s barrier and boost hydration by locking in your skin’s natural moisture. The result? Waking up to a healthy and glowing complexion.
Best Products to Boost Skin’s Radiance
The ultimate goal is stepping into the holiday season with a healthy, luminous glow. If you are ready to say goodbye to dull, lackluster skin, plenty of product options are available to help you achieve the ultimate glow-up.
Exfoliation is a crucial skincare practice that is key to smoothing away dead, dull skin and revealing a fresh, rejuvenated complexion. At home microdermabrasion is a type of physical exfoliation that sloughs away dead skin cells using tiny micro beads. Gentle enough to avoid scratching or irritating the skin, microdermabrasion formulas such as SKINNEY’s Microdermabrasion in a Bottle work to soften and smooth skin for a more luminous complexion. Aim to exfoliate two to four times a week if your skin can tolerate it.
Post-exfoliation, slather on an antioxidant-rich serum such as this Beauty Oil. Formulated with moringa and sacha oils, this nourishing serum will hydrate, repair, and renew your skin while fighting fine lines and wrinkles for a revitalized, all-over glow.
Best Treatment to Enhance Skin’s Glow
Just as you go to the gym during the holiday season to maintain your figure, regular facial treatments are equally effective for maintaining youthful and radiant-looking skin during the cold and snowy winter months in New York.
The HiTech Facial treatment is an effective and luxurious facial treatment you must experience in New York. This signature facial is offered exclusively at SKINNEY Medspa and will help your skin look and feel clean, refreshed, and hydrated. Thanks to a combination of plant-derived ingredients and powerful botanicals, this mask is suitable for all skin types, including acne, rosacea, and sensitive skin types. Plus, LED light reduces redness and inflammation.
The Biologique Recherche Signature Facial is another rejuvenating facial treatment worth experiencing. This popular European facial is geared toward the early signs of aging and features a custom treatment that focuses on the face, neck, and décolleté to enhance tired, lackluster skin and reduce lines and wrinkles. The treatment also includes a cold mask and cryo sticks to improve skin firmness and elasticity. This high-quality treatment will leave your skin looking and feeling glowing and flawless.
Support Healthy, Hydrated Skin in New York City
Winter in NYC may be a beautiful sight, but it may not be as nice to your skin. Are you ready to enjoy winter wonderland in the Big Apple without worrying about skin dryness, peeling, inflammation, and breakouts? At SKINNEY Medspa, wind, snow, and harsh temps are no match for our team of skin experts!
Our team of experts combines the highest quality, medical-grade skincare products with the latest, advanced facial treatments and technologies to create custom treatment plans that address our NYC patient’s winter skin concerns and goals. Call (646) 217-4134 to schedule your complimentary consultation and be on your way to improving your skincare routine, enhancing your skin’s natural beauty, and achieving a more hydrated and youthful appearance.
