Winter Skin 101: Skin Tips from Dr. Ben
The Osmosis philosophy for your winter skin health
As the seasons change, so should your skincare routine. And Dr. Ben has selected the best winter skin-care products that work to keep skin healthy while it battles the colder temperatures. Osmosis has formulated great holistic ways to take care of your skin as it adapts to the seasons.
And to help your skin transition seamlessly into winter we’ve sat down with Dr. Ben to learn more about the specific ingredients and products he recommends to incorporate into your skincare routine during this time.
“I always recommend introducing different products into a routine during the winter as this is when skin tends to be a bit more dry and dehydrated,” says founder of Osmosis, Dr. Ben Johnson. “Cold, dry winter climates and environments can stress the skins’ moisture barrier so, you want to load on all the hydration you can get.”
What are your recommendations for moisturizers?
I tend to lean towards oil-based moisturizers in the winter and lighter moisturizers in the summer, Dr. Ben shares.
For winter we have “Smoothing Face & Neck Cream an excellent addition to any winter skin routine as it is perfectly formulated to soothe the skin, and repair the skin barrier while adding moisture,” said Dr. Ben Johnson
“From a topical perspective, we have in our professional range of MD products: Immerse, which has emu oil as the base and raspberry oil, calendula, sunflower seed oil, and marigold oil. That has tremendous healing properties. That's a really nice moisturizer to take into the winter months. Then we have Restorative Facial Oil, our organic avocado facial oil, which we also treat with frequencies to enhance the benefits of the product.”
Barrier Repair Mask is a unique formulation in a thicker vehicle that is easier to spread and less messy,” Dr. Ben explains. “It’s the perfect final seal for an impaired skin barrier during the harsh winter months when transepidermal water loss increases and skin becomes dry and irritated.”
“You also want to switch your cleanser over to [something] more hydrating that won’t remove your natural oils or disrupt your skin barrier,” adds Dr. Ben, who recommends Cleansing Balm in lieu of harsher cleansers.
For winter skin sensitivity and irritation Dr. Ben recommends Epidermal Repair Serum.
“This repair serum neutralizes irritants and soothes sensitivity using guava and schisandra berries. But the real star ingredient is our Ozonized Ethyl Oleate (Trixolane). It’s a powerful natural plant extract that repairs free radical damage.”
What about Vitamin A serums for winter use?
A fairly unknown skincare secret is that vitamin A serums support your lipid barrier, keeping it intact, shares Dr. Ben. He’s formulated our special serums to stimulate natural collagen and elastin production effectively, without wounding the skin, causing irritation or creating skin sensitivity.
“One of my favorite barrier lipids is actually phosphatidylcholine, which is the material we use to make our liposomes because it sits nicely on the skin and has a moisture protection effect. I also formulate with a specialty vitamin A, Retinaldehyde which has a multitude of skin benefits including improved firmness, increased elasticity, providing a thicker dermis, and a reduction in acne and congested pores.”
Osmosis has a variety of Retinaldehyde serums to address every skin type:
- Sensitive Skin: Calm Gentle Retinal Serum
- Acne Skin: Clarify Blemish Retinal Serum
- Mature Skin: Renew Advanced Retinal Serum
What about dark spots from sun exposure received during the summer months?
“Winter is the perfect time to repair sun damage or uneven pigmentation that occurred over the summer or has built up for years. I suggest Perfection Pigmentation Corrector to jump start your progress and can be used as a spot treatment for up to 3 months. It targets hyperpigmentation and is powered by niacinamide and tetrapeptide-30, to help brighten while supporting a healthy skin barrier,” Dr. Ben says. In addition, Perfection can be used with DNA Repair C Serum + Rescue Epidermal Repair Serum to make spots go away permanently.
If you have more than just age spots it is time to address any liver issues that are involved. I recommend Regenerate Liver and Collagen Renewal to accelerate skin repair of melasma and liver spots.
