Useful Winter Skincare Tips For Those Trips Abroad

The winter season is, sadly, something we will never ever get to experience here in Cebu. However, we know that so many of us travel during winter time in other countries so we all get to experience the season at some point in our lives. We have to remember that changes in temperature and humidity levels must be taken into consideration when we pack. Obviously tropical clothes will not work and even not all our beauty products will mesh well with the climate. That’s why we thought it would be great to come up with an article with some winter skincare tips for all you travelers out there who are planning to leave the country soon. February is one of the coldest months in a lot of countries all over and we noticed a lot of Filipinos are traveling also at this time. Even If you’re not traveling at the moment, you can still keep this article handy in case you travel later in the year - remember winter comes in other months for other countries (like in Australia in June).

{photo taken this month in Sapporo, Japan}

We have asked help from one of our very good friends, Dr. Hester Lim who is a licensed dermatologist (and at the moment living in very cold conditions!) for some useful tips and what to consider when the temperature goes below zero. We asked her several questions, read on for all the important FAQs on winter skincare.

What is the best kind of moisturizer to use?

One thing I've noticed: something your skin may not like during the summer, your skin may love during the winter. So don't throw any products out just yet! Sunscreens can have built in moisturizers, and will moisturize depending on the type of formulation you have (gel< lotion< cream) A general rule of thumb is, the stickier a product, the more occlusive (and moisturizing) it will be. Occlusion is good, because it keeps water from evaporating from your skin (what your dermatologist may call 'transepidermal water loss'). Be careful though, because too much occlusion can cause acne, or a similarly bumpy condition called folliculitis.

For winter, layering is a must (with clothes, and with moisturizers!). Your sunscreen with the built in moisturizer that worked over the summer may not be moisturizing enough for the winter.

In a winter environment, heaters are on full blast. The low humidity in the air is really bad for your skin too, so another thing to consider is buying a humidifier. This also helps if you find that the air conditioning dries out your skin (in a Philippine setting).

*If you have natural oily skin and don’t like the stickiness of a really emollient product, make sure your sunscreen is something creamy (vs the usual liquid), and you can use cold cream right after washing your face at night. If it’s not enough, even Vaseline/petroleum jelly on top over extra dry areas is really good (like around your mouth, tip of nose, etc