It’s Fall Y’all

Pumpkin spice is taking over menus world wide. That’s the official sign fall is here. To some people that means good bye to water sports, camping, no school and drinks by the pool. It also means hello to fur coats, snow days and ugg boots. To a dermatology girl it means “see you later” bug bites, sunburns and fungus and welcome back dry, itchy skin. A cold front moved through the Fort this weekend and it felt pretty good. Now is the time we all start to change our wardrobe for the cold weather that’s ahead and it should be the time we change our skin care habits too. Ward off dry, itchy, cold weather skin with some of my skin care advice and avoid that uncomfortable itch this year. Happy Fall Y’all!

1. Moisturize more often- During the summer months you may only moisturize after bathing. During the cooler months of the year make it a point to up your moisturizer game. Attempt four times a day and maybe you’ll get three in!

2. Avoid irritants- So all year I tell you to ditch the high fragrance, high color, glittery moisturizers but some of you use them anyway and may not have any problems. Well during the Summer you may be able to handle it but during the winter if you’re prone to dry itchy skin, for sure ditch that high fragrance moisturizer and soap. I like plain dove soap to wash with and vaseline to moisturize with.  Other irritants include harsh washcloths, loofas, scrubs and beads.

3. Shower smart- Some people shower every other day during Winter months. I gotta shower everyday because I’m a workout girl and nobody wants to smell me after a good workout. That’s okay, try to shower in luke warm instead of real hot or real cold and pat dry leaving yourself a little damp. Keep your moisturizer in the shower and lather it on while your still slightly damp to lock all those droplets of moisture into your skin. I can’t use vaseline for this because it’s like mixing oil and vinegar so I use a jar of Cerave SA. The “SA” part helps get rid of some of those dry flakes too.

4. Use a thicker moisturizer- You change clothes with seasons so change your skin care line too. During the summer I wear powder sunscreen but during the winter I switch to Elta MD facial sunscreen so I can get some extra moisture there. At night during the summer I typically use only Retinol but during the winter I add Avene Hydrance Optimale cream to my regimen. It’s a thicker facial moisturizer but doesn’t leave you greasy so it makes for a nice winter option. For my body I stick with vaseline but if your not down with the grease then you can use pretty much any cream that is plain and comes in a jar. Think of pumps and such as being too thin lotions for winter skin.

5. Don’t forget your sunscreen- You can burn in the winter too. You can get sun exposure period. Even though it’s cold outside the sun still rises, protect yourself.

6. Put a pot on the stove- I mean you could use a humidifier if you want to help add moisture to the dry air but it’s so easy to be fancy. I put the biggest pot I can find full of water and add orange peel and cloves and then let it basically cook down. It gives your house some moisture and the best fall smell ever.

I don’t care how cliche it is, everyone should go get a pumpkin spice latte this week to kick off this awesome weather rolling in! Winter season is the perfect time to correct some of that sun damage you got on your skin this summer so please come see us at the clinic and let us help your skin! We love taking care of your skin and always appreciate your trust in us!

See you in a scarf soon, Nina

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