Le Petit Spa - Winter Skin Dry and Flaky

Clients have started coming into the spa complaining of dry, flaky skin thanks to our recent snow fall. Have you noticed your skin has changed along with the weather? Follow these tips below on how to prevent the weather from wreaking havoc on your skin:

1. Moisturize! – It’s repetitive, I know, but this is the best thing you could possibly do for your skin, not just in the winter, but throughout the year. Not only will it help prevent dry, flaky patches from developing, but it also maintains the collagen content in your skin, helping with anti-aging. My choice: Guinot Hydrazone: Moisturizing day/night cream for all skin types. Containing advanced ingredients such as hydro-liposomes, this duo – action moisturizing cream protects the outer layer of the skin, helping to lock moisture in and “floods” the skin with moisturizing ingredients.

2. Cleanse – You can’t have perfect skin just by moisturizing. You have to cleanse your skin properly in order to keep it free of blemishes and build up of blemish causing impurities. Applying a moisturizer over skin that has not been cleansed properly will only cause problems and build up of dead skin cells. My favourite winter cleanser is Phytomer Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk. This gentle milk cleanser leaves your skin velvety soft and hydrated, but is effective enough to remove all makeup.

3. Tone – Toning your skin can help your moisturizer and serum penetrate into your skin better because it helps to remove any residue left over from tap water or your cleanser (or a combination of both). Toners also help to return your skin to a healthy Ph level after cleansing. Phytomer Hydracontinue: Comforting Toning Lotion moisturizes your skin and removes any cleanser residue, perfect for winter months.

4. Exfoliate – Why exfoliate when you have dry, flaky skin? Because it helps to remove the build up of the skin that won’t exfoliate on its own(the flakes you see). These flakes of dry skin that remain on your skin prevent your moisturizer and other skin care products from penetrating to their maximum depth into your skin, causing the dryness to seep deeper and deeper. Phytomer Peeling Vegetal Exfoliant utilizes papaya extract to gently dissolve dead skin cells on the surface of you skin to smooth and refine the texture of your skin.

If you find that after taking all of these steps to ensure that your skin doesn’t dry out due to the change in weather that you're still faced with dry skin, then other, more specialized treatments can be taken:

1. Serums – deliver, on average, about 70% active ingredients to your skin. These can be used day/ night on a daily basis, or as an intensive treatment at times of the year when your skin is faced with specific concerns.

2. Masques – These treatment “powerhouses” deliver optimal results from ingredients to your skin. Found in many different types of formulas, some can be slept with over night, and some remain on the skin for up to 15 minutes to deliver maximum benefits to your skin. These usually are used as an intensive treatment as well, once per week for maintenance of your skin, or up to twice a week if your skin is going through a change due to the weather, or if you are treating a skin condition such as dryness or acne.

My favourite serums: Phytomer Hydracontinue: hydra-nourishing serum, which helps to boost the effectiveness of your other skin care products by 3 xs! and Guinot’s Serum Hydra Beaute: intensive treatment moisturizer concentrate contains Shea butter, Vitamin E, and trace elements which deliver essential minerals and elements vital to healthy skin.

For more information about these products, skin care, or if you would like a complimentary skin care consultation to find out which skin care products are right for your specific skin type, click here.

Check out our daily facial promotions, Facial Fridays and Signature Sundays at Le Petit Spa. These two days give Vancouver the best value for facial services in the Lower mainland and Vancouver!

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Purchase mentioned products at our partner website www.spaboutique.ca