Month-by-Month Skin Care Guide
Looking to change up your skin care regimen or just not sure how to start one? Here is a simple guide to let you know on which product to focus each month, in order to look your best each season.
JANUARY: THICK MOISTURIZER
Between the cold, dry weather, dehydrating heaters and coming off of a month of holiday partying (think alcohol, late nights, layers of make-up), your skin is going to need a little more TLC to add some moisture back and help repair an irritated, compromised skin barrier. Look for thicker, cream-based moisturizers with hydrating ingredients like almond oil, shea butter and oatmeal, as well as barrier protectants, like dimethicone and petrolatum.
· Try: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Aveeno Eczema Therapy Balm
FEBRUARY: DEEP CONDITIONING HAIR/SCALP MASK
Dry winter air and forced heat suck moisture from the scalp and hair strands, leaving you with a dry, itchy, flaky scalp and parched, straw-like hair. Add a weekly deep conditioning mask to your hair care regimen and your mane with thank you. Be sure to massage it into your scalp, as well, to moisturize your scalp.
· Try: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask, Clear Scalp & Hair Intense Hydration Deep Nourishing Mask
MARCH: LIP BALM with SUNSCREEN
Heading to the slopes for March break? Don’t let the cold temperatures and snow drifts fool you! Ultraviolet (UV) rays reflect off of the bright white snow and can leave any exposed skin unexpectedly sunburned! Remember to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face before you head outside, and keep a lip balm with SPF in your ski jacket pocket, so that you can re-apply it while in line for the chairlift.
· Try: Banana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 50, Chapstick Lip Shield 365 SPF 50
APRIL: MOISTURIZER with SPF 30+
As spring gets ready to push away the cold, dreary winter, remember that the sun is now stronger than it has been for the last few months. Even if you still need to wear a coat, be sure to apply a daily moisturizer with SPF 30+ every morning to your face, neck, ears and hands. Your pasty, pale winter skin will be grateful.
· Try: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer SPF 50 with Pure Screen, EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
MAY: HYALURONIC ACID
Warm days and rainy nights leave skin less dry, but your face still needs a moisturizer to replenish and hold in moisture and to maintain a healthy skin barrier. Look for lighter, hydro-gel formulas with hyaluronic acid. These help bind and temporarily lock water in the skin, leaving it looking dewy and smooth.
· Try: Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Gel, Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream
JUNE: ANTI-OXIDANT SERUM
Walking around the smoggy city, eating lunch outside and spending weekends in the sun are the small pleasures of ‘almost-summer’ season. However, daily air pollution and UV rays produce oxidizing free radicals that can damage the DNA and structural collagen in skin, leading to skin cancer and skin aging. Adding topical anti-oxidant ingredients, like vitamin C, resveratrol and green tea to your morning skin care regimen can help pre-empt this oxidative skin damage.
· Try: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum , Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Antioxidant Serum
JULY: ANTI-PERSPIRANT
Super-sweaty all day long? Feel like you need a shower right after you’ve taken one? Do you wear an extra layer at work because you wouldn’t dare risk showing the wet pit stains on your shirt? If you can’t sit in the direct path of an air conditioning vent 24/7, make sure that you are wearing a super-strong anti-perspirant. While deodorants are fresh-smelling products that can mask the unpleasant smell of body odor, anti-perspirants form temporary salt crystals in the sweat ducts that will reduce the amount of sweat expelled from treated skin. Most clinical strength products contain aluminum zirconium. Prescription-grade products contain aluminum chloride. These products work best when applied to dry, non-sweating skin. Consider applying them at bedtime!
· Try: Dove Advanced Care 48 hour Anti-Perspirant, Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
AUGUST: SUNSCREEN
Of course, you have been applying sunscreen to your exposed skin every day of the year, but beach days may need some more specific guidelines. Sunscreen should say broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB protection) and have an SPF rating of 30+. This means that 1/30th of the UV rays (~3%) can still pass through to the skin. Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin, but not completely rubbed in. Did you know that it takes about a golf ball/ shot glass amount of sunscreen to cover the skin of a bathing-suited adult! Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before going outside, so that it can be absorbed, and re-applied every 2-3 hours when spending the day outside, because it can rub off and/or break down. Re-apply after swimming and toweling off, and after profuse sweating (yes - all of you who run outdoors during peak sun hours). Remember that sunscreen be your last UV-protective action, after seeking shade, wearing longer-sleeved protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and dark sunglasses.
· Try: Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, Trader Joe’s Sunscreen Spray SPF 50
SEPTEMBER: RETINOIDS
Topical retinoids are vitamin A-derived creams that help exfoliate dead skin cells, encourage new skin cells to rise to the skin surface, and they are scientifically-proven to help generate new collagen in the skin over time. They can remove skin damage, help even out skin tone and texture, and they can reduce the appearance of fine lines. Because they can potentially leave skin more sun-sensitive, end of summer is the ideal time to add these to your nighttime skin care regimen. After washing and drying your face, apply a thin layer underneath your regular bedtime moisturizer.
· Try: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer, ROC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum
OCTOBER: DRY SHAMPOO
With cooler weather returning and shorter days making evening gym sessions less attractive, hair washing may take a backseat to, say, Netflix binges. To prolong the life of your weekend blow-out, use a starch or clay-based dry shampoo on your roots and scalp to absorb excess oil and add some volume. Dry shampoo actually works best when applied at bedtime, and you can only use it about 2-3 times before your hair needs to be washed.
· Try: Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo, Herbal Essences NAKED Dry Shampoo
NOVEMBER: SALICYLIC ACID WASH
Amping up your pre-holiday workouts? Your skin might have something to say about that. Use a salicylic acid or an alpha-hydroxy fruit acid wash in the shower to help exfoliate skin and unclog pores to prevent break-outs on your back and chest.
· Try: Neurogena Body Clear Body Wash, Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap
DECEMBER: FOOT CREAMS
Need to pretty-up your dry, thick heels in time for holiday heel and beach vacation season? Look for exfoliating ingredients, like ammonium lactate and salicylic acid, as well as humectants, like urea, that will pull moisture into the top layers of the skin. For an extra boost, apply them at bedtime under plastic wrap and socks.
· Try: Excipial 20% Urea Intensive Healing Cream, CeraVe SA Ointment