Dan's Papers - September 14, 2007

Easing into the fall not only suggests a wardrobe change, but one in your skin care routine. What was working well for you all summer, isn't going to be doing the same come late fall and winter. Trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) is no doubt greater in the cooler months. Exposure to cold air and then coming into the heat is asking for problems. Even something so simple as blowing our hair without applying a moisturizer can be irritating.

An intense skin care test was conducted on a group of 16-year-olds in Japan. One side of their face was treated with moisturizer cream and the other side had none. The results of the trial were the baseline measurements taken in the beginning and showed a rather high TWEL, suggestive of an impaired skin barrier. The conclusion suggested that the application of moisturizing cream, twice a day, is effective in improving sub clinical inflammation that is induced on the facial skin during winter months. In the summer months, a lightweight water based moisturizer is all that is needed, even that may be a bit much, however, those handy prepackaged washcloths manufactured by Dove and Olay include a light moisturizer infused into them, so you really don't need much more than that unless your skin is totally dry. In fact, the only reason you would put on a moisturizer would be to make sure you were getting a decent numbered SPF on your skin. An SPF of 15 is usually sufficient. But if you feel that your bronzer or lightweight makeup glides on more evenly with moisturizer, by all means, go with one. As a rule, you should try to avoid products that contain a petroleum or mineral oil. These are sure ways to clog your pores and make your skin greasy, winter or summer. Try using a hypoallergenic cream whether you are sensitive or not. Be wary of lanolin as well, known to increase acne. When the heat is turned on and the cold weather is upon us, your skin tends to go into a dry mode. If the skin is oily to begin with, putting on a heavy moisturizer will only add to the condition. Choosing the perfect moisturizer to carry over from summer to winter can be a daunting task, but doing a bit of research and really knowing your skin can make it easy. Keeping exfoliating in the winter to a bare minimum (once a week) will prevent your skin from drying out. Try to avoid creams and lotions that contain perfume. These usually include preservatives which can wreak havoc on your skin. Look for irritants such as sodium benzoate, propylene glycol, sodium laurel, found in a lot of soaps and sulfates - steer away from them. You don't have to use the most expensive creams either. Moisturizers thay have the purest of ingredients and the least irritants won't break your purse. You just have to read the labels to decide the best for you. Or if you are really undecided, you may want to consider making an appointment with your dermatologist for a consultation. Sometimes they will give you samples to see what agrees with your particular skin type. There is a great site, www.cosmeticcop.com, monitored by Paula Begoun, a makeup artist with lots of experience. Paula knows what works and sell her own line of products. But before she did that, she authored books and still does. Don't Go to the Cosmetic Counter Without Me is a best-selling bible to many makeup artists. She reviews all the lotions and potions thatconstantly flood the cosmetic counters. She will rate them with dollar signs from the least to the most expensive. She also gives her expert opinion on her findings. This makes cosmetic companies cringe, when she releases to the consumer a not-so-good product review. She blows the whistle on them and in turn, saves consumers a lot of money. Her latest (7th edition) is sold out on her website, but you can pick it up in a local bookstore. If they aren't carrying it, you can ask them to place an order. It's well worth the price ($27.95 in the bookstores, $22.95 on her site). Have your skin analyzed, choose your moisturizer carefully and, hopefully, you'll make it through the winter without any interruptions from the elements.