The Impact of Seasonal Changes on Your Skin and How to Combat Them: Expert Insights from Ojas Skin Care

ByPraveen Gethsemane

Your skin is a marvel of adaptability, constantly changing based on the external factors it encounters. The most significant of these are the seasonal changes. As temperatures rise and fall, humidity fluctuates, and UV exposure varies, our skin must adjust to these new environmental conditions. While this adaptability is remarkable, it can also lead to issues such as dryness in the winter and greasiness in the summer.

Our Ojas Skin Care Team, a group of dermatological experts, understands the significant impact of seasonal changes on the skin. In this blog, we’ll share our insights on how different seasons affect your skin, the common skin care issues in each season, and, most importantly, the expert advice on what changes to make in your skincare routine to keep your skin healthy and glowing throughout the year.

Winter: Combating Dryness and Sensitivity

The skin undergoes hard knocks during winter. However, with colder temperatures, low humidity, and indoor heating, the skin is often dry, sensitive, and prone to irritation. Directly, these conditions strip the skin of its natural oils, and the skin cannot hang on to moisture.

Common Winter Skin Concerns:

  • Dryness and Dehydration: Dry skin results from cold air, which holds less moisture. Furthermore, indoor heating removes moisture from the air, adding to the dryness.
  • Flakiness and Rough Texture: When the skin loses hydration, it becomes rough, dry, patchy, and flaky.
  • Redness and Irritation: In sensitive skin, windburn and exposure to cold temperatures can irritate and inflame.
  • Chapped Lips and Cracked Hands: Winter is harsh on your delicate skin, especially for your lips and hands.

Winter Skincare Tips:

  • Switch to a Richer Moisturizer: Use a heavier but emollient moisturizer in wintertime to keep the skin hydrated. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and shea butter will help restore and protect the skin’s moisture barrier.
  • Use Hydrating Cleansers: Skip the foaming cleansers, which can remove the skin’s natural oils and cause scaly flaking. Cream or oil-based cleanser is your best option, as it gently cleans and helps boost moisture.
  • Add a Humidifier to Your Space: Adding moisture into the air from a humidifier may help combat the drying effects of indoor heating on your skin and overall health. A humidifier can help maintain the optimal humidity level in your indoor environment, which is beneficial for your skin as it prevents excessive dryness and maintains its natural moisture balance.
  • Don’t Skip Sunscreen: It appears as though UV rays are less intense in the winter, but that doesn’t stop them from damaging your skin. To protect against harmful UV radiation and also act to prevent premature ageing, apply sunscreen every day.
  • Treat Your Lips and Hands: Put the hydrating lip balm and the nourishing hand cream to prevent cracking and chapping.

Spring: Transitioning from Winter Dullness to Radiance

In spring, as the temperatures rise, our skin returns to the hardness it went through during winter. But weather change can be another challenge. Warm weather can make skin oilier and produce more oil, or pollen and allergens can cause breakouts or make your skin sensitive.

  • Dehydration and Dullness: Winter leaves marks on our skin; it gets dehydrated and looks lacklustre.
  • Increased Oil Production: Once the weather gets warmer, skin’s natural oil production goes up, which can result in clogged pores and breakouts.
  • Allergy-Related Irritation: You can get redness, irritation, and flare-ups on the skin if you are prone to seasonal allergies and the springtime surge in pollen and pollen in other allergens.

Spring Skincare Tips:

  • Exfoliate to Remove Winter Dullness: When you begin to move from winter to spring, gentle exfoliation aids in sloughing off dead skin cells and putting you into play for a more radiant complexion. But don’t over-exfoliate, as it strips the skin barrier.
  • Switch to a Lighter Moisturizer: When the air is more humid, it is advisable to use a lighter, water-based moisturizer on the skin. Finding gel-based products that hydrate but don’t clog pores is vital.
  • Combat Allergies with Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients: If you’re dealing with seasonal allergies, add anti-inflammatory ingredients like aloe vera, niacinamide, and green tea extract to help soothe skin irritations and redness
  • Increase SPF Protection: As you become more sun-exposed in the spring, you need to augment the amount of SPF in your daily routine. Choose a wide-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. In summer, the skin is most exposed to pollution and radiations like heat, humidity, and UV rays. 

Summer: Managing Oiliness and Sun Exposure

Summer can bring a natural, healthy glow to the skin. Still, it’s also a season in which the skin will produce more oil, get more breakouts, and be more susceptible to sun damage.

  • Excess Oil and Breakouts: High temperatures and humidity can produce sebum too fast and cause clogging of pores, leading to acne outbreaks.
  • Sunburn and UV Damage: Sunburn, hyperpigmentation, and an increased risk for premature ageing or skin cancer are possible when exposed to the sun for too long without sun protection.
  • Dehydration: Water loss from the skin during hot weather and outdoor activities causes dehydration and dull skin.

Summer Skincare Tips:

  • Use Oil-Free, Lightweight Products: To avoid clogged pores and breakouts, use oil-free moisturizers and sunscreens that do not leave a greasy-looking mark on your skin. Use gel or water-based formulations.
  • Sunscreen is Non-Negotiable: Every morning, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or more and reapply as needed, particularly if you’re spending time outside. You also don’t forget to protect your lips with an SPF lip balm.
  • Double Cleanse to Remove Sweat and Sunscreen: Building up on the skin in summer can be sweat, oil, and even sunscreen. A double cleanse routine, using an oil-based cleanser first followed by a water-based cleanser (this also prevents the impending clean-up with makeup remover), assists in removing impurities and keeping pores clear. The oil-based cleanser helps to dissolve and remove oil-based impurities like sunscreen, while the water-based cleanser helps to remove water-based impurities like sweat and dirt, ensuring a thorough cleanse.
  • Hydrate Inside and Out: Drink plenty of water to hydrate and help the skin hold on to that water better. Add hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid into your routine to hydrate and undo heat and sun exposure damage.

Autumn: Repairing Sun Damage and Prepping for Cooler Weather

With the end of summer heat, Autumn is an excellent time to repair sun damage and prepare the skin for the colder weeks that will likely follow. With the cooler temperatures coming down comes lowered humidity, allowing dryness and a switch in your skincare routine.

Common Autumn Skin Concerns:

  • Post-Summer Hyperpigmentation: Freckles, dark spots, and discolouration of the skin left from sun exposure can be left untreated into Autumn and should be addressed if they persist.
  • Dryness from Lower Humidity: Humidity becomes an issue when it drops, and the skin feels dryer and tighter.
  • Thinning of the Skin Barrier: The skin barrier is weakened after months of sun exposure and can become sensitive and more prone to irritation.

Autumn Skincare Tips:

  • Focus on Repairing Sun Damage: During Autumn, push vitamin C serums and retinoids into your routine to help tackle hyperpigmentation, improve skin texture, and increase collagen production.
  • Transition to a Heavier Moisturizer: Switch to a more decadent cream when the air dries and your skin needs more hydration.
  • Add an Antioxidant Serum: This is an excellent time of year to integrate antioxidant-rich products into your routine to help repair sun damage and protect the skin from environmental stressors.
  • Prep for Winter with Nourishing Masks: It’s time to start incorporating hydrating and soothing face masks into your routine to condition the skin towards cooler weather. You also want to look for aloe vera, honey, and oatmeal for that calming effect.

Conclusion: Ojas Skincare — Adapt Your Skincare Routine to the Seasons

Skin always needs care, and each season presents particular challenges to your skin. The key to keeping your skin healthy and radiant all year round is to adjust your skincare routine to ensure you can deal with the changes this season has brought. More than ever, by knowing how your skin responds to the change of each season and then taking steps to help combat them, your skin will be in optimal condition regardless of the weather.

From our team of expert dermatologists at Ojas Skin Care, our goal is to simplify seasonal skincare so you can confidently know what’s best for your skin and overall health. Our goal is to help you transition your routine or treat specific skin concerns all year round; you’re in good hands whether you need guidance on how to help your skin with particular concerns or which products are the best for your skin type.

Follow the right strategies and get expert advice from Ojas Skin Care. Your skin can always be healthy, strong, and gorgeous every season.