Do Weather and Seasons Impact Our Skin?

Environmental changes actually affect our body and skin. Here’s everything you need to know.

We are living beings within an environment, and as the environment changes the needs or the things that are affecting our skin also change. For instance, pollution has been shown to trigger inflammation in the skin, further weakening the barrier function. But the weather can be an issue too: disruption in temperature can cause an increase in TEWL (transepidermal water loss), resulting in dryness, dehydration and other skin concerns. Should we change our skincare depending on the season? We change our clothes and the food that we eat, so the answer is obviously yes. The most important thing to do to protect our skin is to choose safe and professional tools and products, no matter the season nor the weather.

Skincare tips for winter

In the winter time, the skin is going to be drier:

• increase the lipid part of your skincare routine (especially ceramides);
• add a second or third layer of moisture;
• use products with extremophiles like antarcticine that have a cold shock protein in them, which can actually help your skin in the winter time. These are microorganisms that were found beneath glaciers: not only is it a protein element, that is going to help with lines and wrinkles, but it’s going to help with the extreme cold and dryness.

If you break out more in the winter than you normally do in the rest of the year, you’re not alone. It is a totally normal and common thing to break out as the seasons and the weather change. The reason for this is that our body tries really hard to overcompensate for our surroundings, especially when it gets exposed to the cold weather: if your skin is oily, it will produce more oil because of the cold dryness that comes with low temperatures, while if you have dry skin it will react to the cold as if it was inflammation. In addition, in the winter months UV light actually drops from our atmosphere, and UV rays have a very strong antibacterial power which can be helpful against acne. Cold weather actually is a physical form of stress and inflammation on the skin which causes your skin to freak out, but it just needs some time to adjust. If you’re breaking out, just switch to an oil-free mositurizer and lightweight gel serums for the winter months, such as hyaluronic acid or niacinamide.

Skincare tips for summer

In the summer you start to go out more, the skin is exposed to a warmer temperature and to an increased UV radiation, which increase the dryness, sensitivity and photo aging of the skin:

• don’t forget your sunscreen, and since we sweat more in the humidity, make sure to keep it with you and reapply it throughout the day (powdered sunscreens might feel even more comfortable because they absorb moisture and are very easy to apply);
• wear ultraviolet protective clothing, a hat or use an umbrella to protect your face and head from the sun;
• increase antioxidants, in order to protect your collagen elastin proteins;
• choose a lighter skincare routine, fresher and less oily;
• in the evening, use products that help balance and regulate any of the damage that happened in the daytime.

Tanning is very bad for acne breakouts, and it definitely won’t clear your skin. Acne might actually temporarily improve with sun exposure, however it is quite common for it to rebound and worsen. The reason that this might be happening is because UVA radiation, specifically UVA 1, as well as some types of visible light like red and blue, can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. The reality is that the UVB rays actually cause inflammation in acne: they increase sebum production and proliferation of keratinocytes, so that’s why the breakouts come back or even worsen.