Are you about to go on holiday at altitude and want to pack your vanity with essential skincare products to protect your skin and that of your whole family safely and optimally? Then you’ve come to the right place! When you’re on a winter holiday in the mountains, there are two major threats to your skin: the cold and the sun . Find out all our advice on how to protect your skin as effectively as possible while making the most of your winter holidays.
How does the cold affect my skin?
When the skin is not protected from the cold, a number of reactions occur, affecting its health and appearance. Here is a summary of the main effects of the cold on unprotected skin, based on reliable sources:
- Dryness and irritation: The cold, particularly in combination with dry air and strong winds, can deprive the skin of its natural sebum. This loss of sebum, combined with a drop in air humidity, leads to a reduction in skin hydration, leaving it dry, flaky and irritated. This dryness is due to a reduction in essential lipids in the skin’s stratum corneum, reducing its ability to retain moisture.
- Increased Visibility of Wrinkles: The cold and low humidity (<40%) in winter can reduce the skin’s elasticity, making fine lines and wrinkles more visible. Studies have shown an increase in fine wrinkles after exposure to a low-humidity environment, indicating a deterioration in skin quality due to a lack of hydration and suppleness.
- Chapped lips: Lips are particularly vulnerable in winter. Because the skin on the lips is thinner and does not contain sebaceous glands, they are more likely to dry out, crack and, in serious cases, bleed if not properly cared for.
- Erythema: Exposure to severe cold can cause reddening of the skin (erythema), due to a change in blood flow and contraction of blood vessels in response to the cold. This contraction can also reduce sebum production, making the skin more vulnerable to environmental irritants and allergens, and inducing mild skin inflammation.
- General effects: Over the long term, skin unprotected from the cold can suffer from poor blood circulation, increased sensitivity (desquamation, inflammation, tightness, redness), slower healing and reduced skin elasticity. These effects are exacerbated by temperature variations between indoors and outdoors and by inappropriate beauty routines.
So it’s essential to protect your skin from the cold to avoid these negative effects. Using the right moisturisers, protecting exposed areas such as the lips and hands, and maintaining good internal hydration by drinking enough water are key measures for keeping your skin healthy in winter.
Protecting your skin from the cold
Winter is the most fearsome season for the skin. As soon as the cold sets in, the skin on your face, lips and hands is directly exposed to the elements. As a result, it tends to dry out more quickly. This is a sign that the skin care products normally used are no longer sufficient (day cream, body lotion, etc.). It is therefore essential to use appropriate skin care products and natural remedies to protect your skin effectively.
How can you protect your skin effectively despite the cold?
When the cold sets in, the skin is inevitably attacked. This is because of the heating in our homes, the dry air outside, the accompanying icy wind, the rubbing of the skin against our clothes, and the sudden change from hot to cold. All this causes damage to the skin. It becomes dehydrated, dry, reddened,irritated, chapped and even cracked… It’s out of the question to find yourself on the ski slopes with chapped, burning lips or fingertips full of cracks!
As we all know, hydration is essential for the body to function properly, and it’s just as essential for protecting the skin. Water, herbal teas, broth – anything goes. Alcohol, on the other hand, tends to dehydrate the body and, by extension, the skin. It should therefore be consumed in moderation.
Hydration also means nutrition! To nourish the skin from the inside out, opt for foods rich in fatty acids and omega-3s, which help maintain the skin’s lipid balance: oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc.), as well as avocado and oilseeds (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.).
Did you know that well-nourished skin limits water loss and therefore skin dehydration?
To give our skin a helping hand, and because eating properly isn’t always enough to protect it from all these aggressions, it needs the right care products.
Our favourite :
Eucerin shower oil:
In the shower, you need cleansing products with the right texture. Shower creams or oils, for example, are ideal for nourishing and protecting your skin . When applied, this shower oil forms a lipidic film to protect the skin from drying out. This shower oil can be used every day by the whole family, even on skin prone to allergies. It has been specially formulated to meet the needs of sensitive skin. Its unique composition combines citrate buffers at pH 5 and extra-gentle surfactants that respect skin enzymes. Daily use stimulates your skin’s natural defences to strengthen the skin barrier. Its lipid-replenishing complex leaves the skin silky, velvety and prevents it from drying out, even after frequent showers.
The ATODERM range from Bioderma :
Going away with the family? Bioderma’s ATODERM range offers skincare products perfectly suited to the whole family: shower oil, cleansing cream, body balm and ultra-soothing spray… With its Atoderm range, BIODERMA offers the right solution for dry, very dry and irritatedsensitive skin . Thanks to its dermo-patented formulas, Atoderm helps to restore the hydrolipidic film of skin lacking in moisture and lipids in a biological and lasting way.
Click on the image to access one of the products above. You can find the entire Atoderm range in our online shop.
Rêve de Miel Nuxe :
The NUXE Rêve de Miel range is a true celebration of the benefits of honey, this legendary natural ingredient, known for its moisturising and repairing properties. Honey, at the heart of this range, offers the skin a genuine moment of comfort and well-being.
The unique texture of Rêve de Miel Nuxe products stands out for its generosity. Velvety, melting and creamy, these textures provide an immediate sensation of comfort and envelop the skin in gourmand aromas. It’s as much a sensory experience as a beneficial treatment for the skin.
The products in the range have proven their effectiveness. Honey Lip Balm, for example, has shown remarkable results: 100% of users felt an immediate improvement, with nourished lips and a noticeable protective effect. This success is due to the exceptional quality of honey, the result of a complex alchemy between flower nectar and the meticulous work of bees.
Historically, honey has always been prized for its cosmetic properties. The women of ancient Egypt and Rome already used it to beautify their skin and hair, bearing witness to its timeless benefits.
The Rêve de Miel beauty routine is both simple and complete. For the body and face, start by cleansing with the Superfatted Cleansing Gel, then nourish your hair with the Gentle Solid Shampoo. After the shower, Ultra-Recomforting Body Cream provides long-lasting hydration. For intense dryness, Honey Melting Body Oil Balm is ideal. Don’t forget to delicately perfume your skin with Eau Savoureuse Parfumante.
For facial care, Ultra-Comforting Face Balm and Honey Lip Balm are essential for protecting your skin from external aggressors. Honey Lip Care adds a touch of moisture with a satin finish. During the day, Moisturising Lip Stick is perfect for continuous hydration. For the hands, Hand and Nail Cream and Cica Rich Hand Cream offer intense protection and repair.
Finally, in the evening, the Facial Cleansing and Make-Up Remover Gel prepares the skin for the Ultra-Recomforting Facial Balm. Before going to bed, a generous application of Honey Lip Balm ensures nourished lips when you wake up, while Cica Rich Hand Cream works throughout the night to repair dry hands.
This complete Rêve de Miel Nuxe routine is an invitation to pamper and comfort your skin, from head to toe, with the treasures nature has to offer.
Urgo Filmogel:
Finally, if you suffer from cracks, don’t hesitate to use Urgo filmogel.
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Urgo Filmogel Crevasses Mains is a ready-to-use liquid dressing. It adapts to all sizes of cracks and all their locations on the hand, to soothe and heal. Urgo’s Filmogel technology is unique. It is water-resistant and allows localised application to the crack, with optimal penetration of the product thanks to its liquid form. It forms a flexible transparent protective film (semi-occlusive) on contact with air, which maintains the crack in a moist environment. The film formed offers fast, effective results. It instantly relieves pain, protects against external aggression, prevents the crack from reopening and promotes optimal healing. NB: You may feel a tingling sensation on application, but don’t worry, it will dissipate very quickly. |
Protect your skin from the sun
Whether you’re on the ski slopes, hiking or sitting on a café terrace, the sun is out and the cold tends to make us forget about it… The bottom line is that we don’t necessarily think about protecting our skin from the sun with sun cream – a serious mistake!
For anyone who thought that the sun’s rays would be less violent in the mountains, think again… The higher you climb, the higher the UV index.
Did you know that at an altitude of 3000 m, UV radiation is 40% higher than at sea level? This is due to the sun reflecting off the snow. In fact, 90% of UV rays are intensified on snow, compared with 20% on sand and 4% on a lawn.
So, to avoid irreversible damage to the skin from the sun, it’s vital to protect your skin from UV rays! You can’t do without sun cream during your stay!
Apply a generous layer to your face in the morning and another layer every two hours. And remember, just because the sun isn’t out doesn’t mean you should go without sun cream! UV rays also pass through clouds.
References:
- ROGIERS V. & AL. seasonal effects on the nasolabial skin condition. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (2009).
- PIOT B. influence of season on some skin properties: winter vs. summer, as experienced by 354 Shanghaiese women of various ages. International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2011).
- GROVE G. Dry skin in the winter is related to the ceramide profile in the stratum corneum and can be improved by treatment with a Eucalyptus extract. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2013).
- THYSSEN J. P. & al. The effect of environmental humidity and temperature on skin barrier function and dermatitis. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (2016).
