A long summer spent soaking up rays and enjoying the great outdoors followed by harsh cold and frosty temperatures means trouble for a lot of Coloradans. Our climate isn’t particularly kind to our skin, and we so often love to play outside -no matter the conditions!- that the environment really takes a toll on us. Here are some helpful ways to keep your skin safe through the cold weather months.

1. Super hydrate! Make sure you are drinking at least eight 8-oz glasses of water every day, and minimize the exposure in your diet to diuretics such as caffeine (it sucks the moisture out of you!). Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your water levels up. Here’s a helpful guide for seasonally available fruits and vegetables throughout the colder months.
2. Change your cleanser. We often use cleansers that are more exfoliating and/or acidic in the summer months; switching to one that is creamier and more hydrating will help ease your skin into cold weather. A cleanser with a built-in moisturizer may be particularly helpful. Gentle Clean from Auspect Skincare includes extracts of nettle, melissa, cleavers and calendula in addition to other potent botanicals to calm skin while it cleanses.
3. Don’t forget the sunscreen! Winter light may seem weaker and more diffuse but especially for those of us living at altitude, we need to make sure we are well-prepared year-round with SPF coating every inch of exposed skin before leaving the house. Colorado’s average elevation is 6800 feet; we are over a mile closer to the sun than folks living at sea level! Sun protection is absolutely paramount for good skin care year-round. Auspect’s Hydra Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 17 will help to keep your skin hydrated and protected from those high-altitude rays.
4. Reconsider your Vitamin A. Many Vitamin A users take a break during the summer; the colder months are the perfect time to add Vitamin A serums back into your skin care regimen. Vitamin A can help dramatically reduce dark spots caused by summer sun exposure, and it does so without the harsh effects caused by most Retinol treatments. Try Auspect’s Vitamin A serum, available at Soak Spa. For maximum effectiveness, use Vitamin A serum at nighttime only.
5. Exfoliate! But do so gently. This isn’t the time of year for harsh products. Treat your skin to gentle exfoliation with oil-based exfoliators. As opposed to harsh scrubs, oil-based exfoliators remove the impurities in your skin while providing much-needed nourishing hydration.

Establishing these practices as part of your skin-care routine during the cooler months will help keep your skin balanced and glowing: perfect for the holidays! Keep checking in with us for more helpful hints and recommendations to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.