Winter is upon us and despite all our bundling up we often forget that the sun is just as bright on our skin as it is during the summer months. While less skin is exposed it is important to remember to protect our uncovered parts as the sun wrecks havoc year round! So here to give us some helpful tips is my good friend Francine Porter, CEO of Osmotics.

‘Tis the season for aging! Just because you’re not sweating doesn’t mean you’re not wrinkling. As a nation we’ve gotten much better about summer skincare – unlike our parents, we don’t often hold reflective foil panels to our faces, and most of us bring sunscreen to the beach. But, when things start to cool down we stop worrying about UV rays! It may feel less sunny, you may be spending less time in a swimsuit, but you’re still basking in the ultra-violet radiation of the sun, and frankly, it’s making you look old.

Most of the skin changes that we associate with aging (fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, drying, thinning) are actually caused by UV light called photoaging. UV radiation damages the DNA of your skin cells, disrupting the ability of your skin to heal itself and causing lasting damage to your skin’s healthy function. And what ever happened to tanning for a nice healthy glow?

Talk about reliving the sins of our past – most of the photoaging we experience is from damage that occurred by age 20. If we continue to pile on more and more sun damage, our skin never gets the chance to heal itself. That’s why winter sun protection is so important – only year round protection from UV rays gives your skin the breathing room to start recuperating.

So what to keep in mind?

Your hands and face are exposed year round no matter what you wear, and they are the first places you’ll show signs of aging. People tend to develop brown spots on the left side of their face first. Why? UV exposure occurs through windows and even light clothing – and people rarely guard against sun exposure through the driver’s side window.

window.

For daily coverage use a sunscreen with Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection. UVB rays are covered by most SPF products but UVA rays are much stronger, penetrating deep into the skin, and need to be blocked by zinc or titanium oxide, parsol 1789, or mexoryl. UVA exposure especially leads to loss of collagen and elastin, causing deep wrinkles, sagging skin, and uneven discoloration.

One of my favorite daily sun protection products that cover all bases is Osmotics Protection Extreme SPF 40. This sheer oil free formula goes on silky smooth and features micronized zinc oxide, one of the safest and most effective ingredients available for providing complete UVA/UVB protection. It works beautifully on all skin types (even sensitive!) and should be used daily on the face, neck and hands. Its soufflé texture makes it the perfect makeup primer; use alone, underneath or mixed with foundation makeup. Guys love it because it’s light weight and won’t sting even when used around the eyes.

DO NOT rely on makeup or lipstick for adequate protection! Both can fade and lose their potency throughout the day, so make sure to use sunscreen and a lip balm with an SPF underneath other cosmetics.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids and retinoic acids thin the skin and increase sensitivity, and thus many people wait until winter to use them (to avoid extra UV exposure on extra sensitive skin). Makes sense, but if you do this it places even more importance on using high-level sun protection during the winter months.

Photoaging is a concern all year round, but because winter feels cooler it ends up in some ways posing more of a threat to skin health. For most of us now it’s common knowledge that we should wear sunscreen every day, but it’s when we’re putting up Holiday lights that we forget to protect our skin, not when we’re water skiing on spring break.

So we’ve managed to kick our parents’ summer sun protection habits. Let’s kick their winter ones too! And I mean no offense - I’m sure they’re fantastic people, but when you’re their age wouldn’t you rather look a generation younger?