Let It Glow, Let It Glow, Let It Glow

Winter may be around the corner, but that doesn’t mean your summer glow must go. To keep looking hot through the cold season, all it takes is a few adjustments to your skin care and hair care regimens. (And of course eating a balanced, nutritious diet, staying hydrated, and getting adequate sleep.)

Simply put, dry air with little moisture can translate to dull skin and strands. The solution is to switch to products that “combat dryness and boost hydration,” says Elyse Shelger, RN and director of medical operations at Skin Laundry in Newport Beach. “Look for ingredients like aloe to soothe skin, panthenol to improve skin’s barrier function, and hyaluronic acid to add hydration.”

Twice a day (morning and night), Shelger washes her face with a gentle cleanser and alcohol-free toner, then smooths on a hydrating lotion or cream to trap moisture. (As with body moisturizer, applying when skin is damp helps it absorb product and stay supple.) Once or twice a week, depending on how thirsty Shelger’s skin is, she also applies a hydrating sheet mask for “dryness, dullness or flaking.”

Shelger recommends incorporating a laser facial treatment into your skin routine. “It’s mild enough to not overly irritate the skin and can help reduce dullness from dead skin cells,” she says. Skin Laundry also offers a Hydration Boost Enhancement, in which a pressurized oxygen device drives serum deeper into the skin. “This creates a reservoir hydration, which will improve overall skin health and provide a lasting glow.”

Reverse signs of aging

To preserve youthful-looking skin, one product you should be using year-round is sunscreen, says board-certified dermatologist Zena Gabriel, founder of ZENA Medical and Skin Bar in Newport Beach. “Many people think we don’t need protection during the winter, or when we’re indoors,” she says. “But as long as you can see light, sunlight is hitting your skin.” Over time, sunlight degrades collagen and elastin the skin, and leads to wrinkles and sagging. (And worse—increases chance of skin cancer.)

Fortunately, committing to a simple skin care regimen can not only slow aging, but also reverse damage. Start in the evening with a glycolic acid cleanser (Gabriel’s Skin Bar Get Even glycolic acid pads), wait 15 minutes and, when skin is dry, apply a very small amount of

retinol (SkinCeuticals 0.5 Retinol). “Retinoids inhibit enzymes that naturally eats up our collagen as we age, preserving collagen,” Dr. Gabriel says. When skin adapts to retinol, you can graduate to the next strength (1.0) or try tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, available only by prescription), a stronger form of vitamin A. “The dead layer on top of skin is what makes it look dull because it reflects less light than skin underneath,” she says. “A combination of glycolic acid, which works at the surface, and retinoids, which work deep in the skin, will take off that that layer.” The result is a complexion that is “dewy and fresh.”

In the morning after cleansing, massage in a few drops of vitamin C (Gabriel’s Skin Bar Vitamin C serum), a powerful antioxidant that Dr. Gabriel says stimulates collagen production and neutralizes free radicals in skin that accelerate aging. Next, apply SPF and a moisturizer, separately, to ensure a stronger SPF. “When humidity is low, I like to use moisturizer, a lip humectant (like Aquaphor, at CVS) and a facial water spray (Avene Thermal Spring Water, at the Skin Bar).

Keep the chest and limbs looking youthful with an exfoliating body lotion (AmLactin, at Ulta). “I also love moisturizers that are light and have ceramides,” Gabriel says. “This helps repair the barrier of the skin and keeps it hydrated without all the oiliness of thick rich moisturizers.”

Get flawless coverage

When you take care of your skin, there’s less to cover up. But if you still experience some dryness or ruddiness, the right makeup application can correct any issues in just a few quick, simple steps.

Over moisturizer, use a brush to apply a hydrating foundation formula. “Two that I love are Cle de Peau’s Radiant Fluid Foundation and Chantecaille’s Future Skin (at Cos Bar),” says Andi Henke of Cos Bar in Newport Beach. “A water-based formula, like Future Skin, gives a dewy, hydrated look that won’t dry out during the course of the day during colder months,” Henke says.  For an extra glow, mix in a drop of face oil, like Mad Hippie’s Antoxidant Facial Oil (at Whole Foods, Fashion Island). “This will also help keep your skin feeling supple,” Henke says.

Applying foundation with a brush allows for more precision and control, resulting in a more perfect finish. “With a brush you can go into areas that need a little more coverage, like around your nose and mouth, and blend out into the rest of the face.”

Rubbing blush into the apples of cheeks not only “makes you look like you’ve been cozying up by a fire,” says Andi, but using one with a “cooler, rosier hue” can detract from redness rather than enhancing it. In the winter, opt for a cream formula, which “melts into skin for a natural warm glow.”

Next, if you’re embracing your fairer winter complexion, a product like By Terry’s Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder (at Cos Bar) sets foundation while helping to retain moisture. “While most powders are meant to rid the skin of shine and moisture, this one does the opposite,” Henke says. Or instead you can preserve your “tan” with a bronzer (Laura Mercier Matte Bronzing Powder, at Cos Bar), which can be used as finishing powder. “As long as it’s matte and doesn’t have glitter, you can buff them into your skin the same way you would a translucent powder to set your foundation,” Henke says.

A must-have for all ages, concealer color corrects but also brightens. “First dab it into the inner corners of the eyes, then sweep it underneath them,” Henke says. “This makes eyes look bigger and more awake, and covers any dark circles.” For those really tired winter days, when the sun slips behind the ocean before the post-office cocktail hour, a tiny dab of highlighter (“Chantecaille’s Liquid Lumiere is silky and light”)—on the cupid’s bow, just below brows, on the tip of your nose, and very little on the tops of your cheekbones—can brighten the face in a flash.

Shine On

Even the most flawless face can be washed out by dull, limp locks. So don’t neglect one of the first things people notice. All it takes to infuse strands with moisture and prevent frizz is a simple but consistent winter hair care regimen, says Louis Orozco, owner of Madison Salon in Newport Beach and on-demand New York Fashion Week stylist.

Every other day—“or as long as you can go without washing,” Orozco says—shampoo and condition with an ultra-moisturizing formula (like Oribe’s Shampoo for Moisture & Control and Conditioner for Moisture & Control, both at Madison Salon). If hair is thick and curly, or has more damage, a product like Oribe’s “Intense Conditioner” can help.

Orozco also encourages a weekly (and more often, if you need it) hair treatment. “During the warmer season, I tell clients to comb a rich conditioner or mask through wet hair before hitting the beach, and let the sun do the work for them,” he says. Similarly, in the winter, try applying a treatment before hitting the gym, where heat will help penetrate the formula to smooth those cuticles.

Fortunately, Fashion Week models rocked manes in their most natural form—wild and untamed. To get effortlessly edgy style, run a dollop of curl-defining product (Oribe curl gloss) or air-dry cream (Bumble & Bumble’s Don’t Blow It Fine Hair Styler, at Ulta Beauty, Fashion Island) through damp hair, and let the salty beach air do the rest.

Written By: Ashley Breeding