Weatherproof Skin
Cope With Winter’s Harsh Weather With Tips
From Skincare Expert Olga Lorencin-Northup

As the days become shorter and the night’s air begins to chill, we know that the winter months are on their way. Just as we change our wardrobe to accommodate the weather, it’s just as important to evaluate our skincare regimen to combat the drier, colder air. Olga Lorencin-Northrup, co-owner of Kinara skincare clinic and spa in Los Angeles explains "Many factors effect the skin during the winter, and I often advise my clients to take a close look at their skin as the cold weather approaches. They also need to review their skincare products and consider altering their regime and diet."

Olga’s first piece of advice? Start of the season right with an exfoliating facial and body scrub. This will help clear the skin of the dead, dry skin left from the summer and tanning. Explains Olga, "If you have a layer of dead skin covering the surface, the natural oils, which help naturally moisturize skin, cannot come through. Choose a facial and body treatment that is both exfoliating as well as hydrating, so the skin starts the season in top condition."

Here Olga shares some of the advice she gives her celebrity and VIP clients at Kinara, based on her over 15 years experience working with the skin:

• If you normally use a serum or lotion or lightweight oil-free cream during the summer, consider using a heavier, more emollient cream or lotion.
  
  
• Take a look at the foods in your diet, and try to include more essential fatty acids. For example, take flax seed oil or hemp oil supplements and incorporate olive oil into your diet (which is ok with those who follow the Zone!).
  
  
• Try a more emollient moisturizer. For example, if you normally use an oil-free lotion, try a richer formula, or a light cream. Even if you switch to a more emollient moisturizer, try to find one with exfoliating properties, such as NSQ.
  
  
• Overnight is the best time to re-hydrate the skin and replenish what’s been lost during the day. Kinara Nighttime Skin Quencher, an exclusive formula developed by Olga, is packed with anti-oxidants to nourish skin in a rich, hydrating cream that also provides advanced exfoliating benefits. Multifruit BSC^® is a concentrated blend of botanical extracts with natural alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliates for skin that is fresher, smoother and healthier.
  
  
• Look for moisturizing products that have antioxidant properties for daytime use, such as Hormeta Cream with MPC, and exfoliating properties for nighttime, such asKinara Nighttime Skin Quencher or Skinceuticals Primacy. Olga recommends both to her celebrity clientele.
  
  
• Another great way to boost skin’s moisture level in the winter is to incorporate masks into your regime — in fact, in warmer climates, applying facial masks may be the only adjustment you need to make to your routine. Try an intensely hydrating formula like DDF Moisturizing Mask.
  
  
• Not all great masks come from a tube: Olga recommends this rich mask that can be made easily at home: combine 2 tablespoons of cooked pumpkin or squash with 1 tablespoon banana, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon whole milk or cream (depending on how dry the skin is). Blend the mixture together and apply to the skin, leaving on for 15 minutes. This is a very rich cream, great for the dry winter months
  
  
• Those taking ski vacations or traveling to high altitudes may also need to alter their skincare regimen. Olga advises her clients against using water-based products — water in the formula can freeze on the skin. She recommends using an oil-formula instead. It’s important to pack a sunblock too. Olga’s favorite: Skinceuticals SPF 45
  
  
• Olga believes that nutrition a powerful influence on the skin. She advises clients to eat foods rich in vitamin E and A, such as pumpkin and squash, as well as fresh seasonal produce, and those rich in essential fatty acids.
  
  
• The winter months are a good time to incorporate Eye Cream into a skincare regimen, as this area can be the first to show the signs of aging. Use it both day and night — try b. kamins Eye Cream or Skinceuticals Eye Balm.

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