We asked Toronto’s top plastic surgeon, Dr. Frank Lista, MD. FRCSC, what his favourite skin care related New Year’s resolutions are. His answers might surprise you! Read on to get all the juicy details.
1) Exfoliate! We see a lot of dry skin in the colder months (especially this winter so far, which has been bitterly cold). The biggest mistake people make regarding dry skin is to continue lathering moisturizer on top of all that flaking, dehydrated skin. Layering up on moisturizer does nothing to remove the build-up of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface.You need to exfoliate regularly to slough off that flakey, dry skin, which in turns allows your moisturizer to work more effectively. You can exfoliate the skin via mechanical exfoliation (i.e. Miracle 10’s Enzyme Scrub) or chemical exfoliation (like an AHA Gel or AHA Cream, or a Retinol Treatment). We recommend alternating the use of both, a few times a week.
2) Wash your skin with luke-warm water only. Washing your skin with ﾖ or showering in ﾖ water that is too hot will further strip your skin of much needed moisture.
3) Don’t forget your neck! The skin on your neck is super delicate and dramatically show the signs of damage and aging. Adding a product specifically designed for the neck will help brighten your whole look.
4) Use a humidifier. Install a humidifier in your home or the room in which you spend the most amount of time (likely your bedroom, where you rest for around 8 hours or more a night). Set the humidity level to 30 and this will help your skin retain normal moisture levels.
5) Until the weather turns warm again, make sure you are using a moisturizer that contains both humectants, such as hyaluronic acid (to draw water from the lower levels of the skin) and occlusives such as any kind of seed oil or botanical extract (to help lock moisture in). This will help to stave off the dreaded winter dryness.