How you can protect your complexion during the year's coldest season
Myth: You need to ditch your go-to face cream when it’s nippy.
Truth: You don’t have to put your fave formula on ice. Simply winterize it. Unless you live in an extreme climate (say, the North Pole), your regular hydrator should hold up. But give it more oomph by applying a moisturizing serum first. Serums are lightweight, so they won’t change your lotion’s consistency. Plus, they penetrate deeply, delivering ingredients more effectively. Choose one with hyaluronic acid (such as Cygalle Healing Spa Sea Pearl Elixir, $95), which plumps up cells by attracting water. If your complexion is extra arid, add a glycerin-rich overnight cream (we like Roc Multi-Correxion Night Treatment, $25) to prevent dehydration as you snooze, which is when skin is most vulnerable to dryness.
Myth: You should switch up the color of your base with the seasons.
Truth: You should alter your foundation’s finish with the seasons. Now that you use sunscreen daily (c’mon — you do, don’t you?) and have access to fab self-tanners, it’s likely that your skin tone doesn’t change radically after Labor Day. What may vary is how your makeup interacts with the elements. Case in point: When cold winds blow, you don’t want to smooth on the same matte base you do in August or else your face may appear dull. Instead, shift to a hydrating foundation with a satiny finish, suggests Tim Quinn, a celebrity makeup artist in New York City for Giorgio Armani Beauty. Try formulas with water and glycerin as the main ingredients, such as Maybelline New York Dream Liquid Mousse, $10.
Truth: You should alter your foundation’s finish with the seasons. Now that you use sunscreen daily (c’mon — you do, don’t you?) and have access to fab self-tanners, it’s likely that your skin tone doesn’t change radically after Labor Day. What may vary is how your makeup interacts with the elements. Case in point: When cold winds blow, you don’t want to smooth on the same matte base you do in August or else your face may appear dull. Instead, shift to a hydrating foundation with a satiny finish, suggests Tim Quinn, a celebrity makeup artist in New York City for Giorgio Armani Beauty. Try formulas with water and glycerin as the main ingredients, such as Maybelline New York Dream Liquid Mousse, $10.
Myth: It’s fine to slack off on sunscreen in winter, when the sun isn’t as strong.
Truth: The sun’s rays are just as insidious when the mercury drops. True, UVB rays are weaker this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you get a pass on protecting yourself. That’s because the glare from snow, buildings and even sidewalks can make shorter-wave UVB rays (the ones that burn) up to 80 percent more intense. Meanwhile, UVAs — which cause wrinkles and skin cancer — remain constant year-round. “When you go outdoors on a rainy, wintry day, you still acquire the same amount of UVA damage that you would on a sunny beach in July,” says Jeannette Graf, M.D., a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York. The bottom line: It’s best to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day of the year, wherever you live.
Truth: The sun’s rays are just as insidious when the mercury drops. True, UVB rays are weaker this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you get a pass on protecting yourself. That’s because the glare from snow, buildings and even sidewalks can make shorter-wave UVB rays (the ones that burn) up to 80 percent more intense. Meanwhile, UVAs — which cause wrinkles and skin cancer — remain constant year-round. “When you go outdoors on a rainy, wintry day, you still acquire the same amount of UVA damage that you would on a sunny beach in July,” says Jeannette Graf, M.D., a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York. The bottom line: It’s best to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day of the year, wherever you live.
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