With temperatures topping the mid-70s this week, it’s perhaps easy to forget that Oklahoma is experiencing the middle of winter. Regardless, colder months are ahead, and locals are preparing their skin for subfreezing weather, which is expected in January.
According to Accuweather, Tahlequah is going to get hit with a cold front on Jan. 1, with temperatures dropping to 12 degrees, and skincare specialists are encouraging locals to be ready for it.
“I think it’s important to stay on top of your skincare. Doing at-home skincare is the most important part of your skincare journey,” said Brookelyn Garrison, a skincare specialist at Skin Spa & Boutique.
The first step of taking care of your skin starts in the shower. Susan Faukner, owner of Pure Esthetics Medical skincare recommends being careful how you shower.
“Don’t take hot showers, even though they feel good; they can dry out your skin,” said Faukner.
After showering is also the best time to apply lotions, and she recommends using thicker lotions in the winter.
“Keep it moisturized with a thicker moisturizer and moisturize morning and night,” she said.
It is also important to exfoliate the skin with a gentle exfoliant, avoiding anything with big exfoliant beads as they can abrade the skin, causing irritation.
“This time of year, people’s skin gets really dry and irritated. The winter can flare up eczema, psoriasis, and make your lips very dry and chapped,” said Faukner.
In addition to a thicker moisturizer and a light exfoliant, she recommends products with ceramides, which help retain moisture in the skin barrier. She also recommends squalane, which helps boost hydration.
Both Faukner and Garrison recommend hyaluronic acid, which also promotes hydration.
“Hyaluronic acid helps to hold 1,000 times its weight in water,” said Faukner.
Taking these kinds of precautions is important for skin health. In the winter, air molecules are less likely to go into the vapor phase, which causes the skin to receive less moisture from the air.
“A good way to prepare for winter is to keep your skin hydrated. Typically, when it’s cold outside, our skin gets chapped and it starts to crack and flake,” said Garrison.
Faukner does medical skin peels that help rid skin of its dead skin cells and allows for better penetration of home care products. Post peel skin balms also help to comfort skin.
“I have been in the medical skincare business for over 21 years,” Faukner said.
“I still love it today as much as I did when I first started. I have definitely seen a lot of skincare success stories over the years.”
She works with Leslie Rebtoy, who is her overseeing physician. They have worked together for 12 years, and she is certified in a number of treatments relating to skincare.
For those wanting a gentle face wash, Garrison recommends a honey cleanser, which is great for calming and hydrating skin.
Facial oils are also ideal for those experiencing dry patches. For those wanting advanced treatment, she recommends getting dermabrasion facial.
“Facials give you a deep cleanse. Exfoliation hydrates and moisturizes the skin. A really good facial that I would recommend in the winter and is great for all skin types is our dermabrasion facial. It does get rid of a layer of dead skin cells on the face. Dermaplaning helps with product penetration, so it will help your products go deeper into the skin,” she said.
She said that HydraFacial treatments are great for cleaning out pores and moisturizing the skin.
Both women and men can benefit from facials and a skin regimen, but Garrison sees far more women than men at her salon.
“I get guys every now and then. Some guys don’t focus on skincare, or don’t know where to start,” she said. “I recommend coming in for a skin consultation to talk about how your daily life is and what will work for you.”
