John Myers
During the long winter, we get tired of the cold and snow, so we welcome the spring awakening of nature with enthusiasm. It’s so nice to change heavy winter clothes for a light coat and expose your face to the first spring sun. But not everything that we like has a favorable effect on our skin. After winter, its protective layer becomes thinner, it looks gray and dull.
Dry skin becomes rough, oily skin becomes inflamed. Wrinkles become more noticeable, freckles appear, and acne appears. Active sun exposure only exacerbates these problems.
Skin problems after winter
In winter, the skin is strongly exposed to external factors characterized by sharp temperature changes, wind and ultraviolet radiation, and stress caused by a lack of sunny days.
Although a slight frost, which improves blood microcirculation, is a hardening factor for the skin, prolonged exposure to cold still has a negative effect on the skin condition. The body produces special proteins that increase its sensitivity. The immune system responds by thickening the skin layers – they become coarser and looser. The glands secrete more sebum, which causes an oily sheen.
The wind is not good for the skin at any time of year, but it is especially dangerous in winter. It is easily exposed to frostbite when blown by icy air. In addition, the wind increases evaporation from the surface – the skin becomes thin and more sensitive. Grains of sand and other small particles that fall on it cause microcracks. As a result, the face becomes red and flaky.
With sweat, the skin releases toxins from the body – harmful metabolic products. At the same time, it is moisturized. Prolonged exposure to frosty air leads to the formation of ice microcrystals that injure the upper layer of the skin, and too dry air in a heated room leads to excessive evaporation of moisture from its surface.
A decrease in humidity is a signal to increase the work of the sebaceous glands and increase the thickness of the stratum corneum.
Sudden and frequent temperature changes can lead to the formation of a vascular network caused by impaired collagen production and reduced fat synthesis. The skin becomes less elastic and resilient, and inflammatory processes begin in it.
Rules for skin care in spring
To take care of your skin in spring, you need to take a comprehensive approach, namely, start with correcting your sleep patterns, nutrition, and choosing the right skin care.
Healthy sleep
You need to start by normalizing your sleep, which should last at least 7 to 8 hours a day. Healthy sleep helps the body recover from a busy day, reduce stress hormones and improve well-being, which will positively affect the condition of your face in the morning and you will forget about black “bags” under the eyes.
Water regimen
A mandatory component of skin care is the consumption of the required amount of water during the day, which you can calculate yourself using a simple formula: 20-40 ml of pure water per 1 kg of body weight, depending on the weather, age, gender, lifestyle activity, and concomitant diseases (in case of kidney or heart disease, reduce the amount, and in case of diarrhea or diabetes mellitus, increase it).
However, it should be remembered that most of the water should be consumed in the morning to avoid facial swelling in the morning.
Rational nutrition for the skin
Vitamin A – stimulates the division of connective tissue cells – fibroblasts, which produce skin proteins, collagen, and elastin, on which its elasticity depends. A manifestation of vitamin A deficiency is peeling, inflammation, and cracks in the corners of the lips, on the wings of the nose, ears, nasolabial folds, the appearance of crow’s feet near the eyes, acne – all this suggests that it is time to replenish the reserves of one of the main antioxidant vitamins. Vitamin A is found in the following foods: carrots, milk, green peas, broccoli, apricots, pumpkin.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) – accelerates recovery processes in the epidermis and improves blood supply, quickly and gently removes toxins with excess fluid. Prevents the appearance of puffiness. Vitamin E deficiency is manifested by pallor and a sharp increase in skin sensitivity, as well as loss of elasticity and the appearance of early wrinkles.It can be found in the following foods: broccoli, almonds, spinach, avocados, hazelnuts, walnuts, kiwi, pumpkin, asparagus, olive oil.
B vitamins – this “friendly team” activates the skin regeneration process by participating in the metabolic processes of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. If the skin is covered with pink spots and becomes brown, loses its elasticity, these are symptoms of vitamin B3 deficiency.
Painful dryness, peeling, and cracks in the corners of the mouth may indicate a deficiency of vitamin B2. To replenish B vitamins, you should eat the following foods: meat, nuts, cereals, yeast, mushrooms, milk, liver, and egg yolk.
To prevent deep wrinkles, you urgently need to restore the level of vitamin C in your diet, and only “live” vitamin C, so no canned fruits and vegetables and packaged juices – only freshly squeezed ones. Vitamin C deficiency also causes spider veins to form on the skin. Foods high in vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomatoes, watermelon, green peas, currants, white cabbage, rose hips.
Vitamin H (biotin) will help to avoid flabby skin. It can be found in nuts, egg yolk, milk, liver, and brewer’s yeast.
If the skin is easily injured, cracks and wounds are difficult to heal, you lack protein. This protein, as well as the amino acids necessary for skin cell repair, can be replenished by including fresh fish, turkey, chicken, cottage cheese, and soy cheese – tofu – in your diet.
