How to make office heating not damage your skin

Did you know that the skin needs between 15 and 20 minutes to adjust to sudden changes in temperature? "Time that practically no one respects," says the expert Carmen Navarro, referring to the damage that our skin can suffer due to the contrast between the cold that it is on the street and the heat that the heating gives off in the office, at home or in other closed enclosures. "If you don't take this into account, your skin will age faster and you may develop couperosis, rosacea, dermatitis, wrinkles, dryness...", explains the beautician. For her part, Natalia de la Vega, founder of Tacha Beauty, tells us: "At this time, the problem lies in the loss of water internally and sensitivity externally. If we add to this pollution and contamination the cities, the result is particularly unprotected skin".

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Pre-care

"You need to protect and prepare your skin for everything that awaits it and prolong the appearance of rested skin. Use ultra-hydrating creams that give your skin a very natural appearance. If you have the excessively dry skin, look for creamy creams that contain sodium lactate or allantoin", affirms Carmen Navarro, who agrees with Yaiza Conde, Pharmacist Responsible for Training at SVR and Filorga: "When the balance of the hydrolipid layer through the skin is disturbed more water evaporates and the rejuvenating enzymes can become inactive. As a result, the skin dries out and loses softness. That's why a moisturizer is very important, which in winter should be more oily than normal."

"It is essential that the skin is perfectly clean and, now with even more reason, since heating dries the skin a lot and the contrast with the external cold makes it especially sensitive. For this reason, every morning and night we must clean it well with products that penetrate the tissue and perform a good drag without aggression.Afterwards, apply a hydration by day and nutrition at night, as well as a soothing serum and, depending on the diagnosis of each skin, an anti-aging serum.When going outside always apply a sunscreen and a lip balm", emphasizes Natalia de la Vega.

The experts at Felicidad Carrera have given us a very simple trick that you should keep in mind: "If you use the car a lot, try not to let the hot air from the air conditioner go directly to your face. Better distribute it throughout the vehicle or direct it towards the feet". In addition, he recommends washing our faces with lukewarm water: "It is not recommended, despite the low temperatures, to wash our faces with excessively hot water because it produces vasodilation and the walls of the capillaries can dilate permanently, producing couperose."

Have you ever considered putting a humidifier in your home? That is the advice of Toñi Leal, director of SPA Royal Hideaway Sacti Petri, for your skin to look radiant and that is, "according to various studies, the more humid the air, the more heat the epidermis retains and it stays hydrated for longer". It is a recommendation that Virginia Sánchez, dermatologist and medical director of Clínicas Dorsia, has also made us, who ensures that "the use of humidifiers or placing small containers with water next to the radiators helps to counteract the loss of humidity that they produce".

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Your 'beauty' allies

Regarding what your great beauty allies should be in your workplace, Carmen Navarro recommends always carrying a bottle of thermal water in your bag: "It will provide you with mineral-medicinal properties , on a small scale. Instantly soothes, refreshes and hydrates." You can also include some ampoules with a flash effect in your cosmetic bag that provide an immediate lifting effect due to their great revitalizing effect: "They will save you from any emergency due to the light and firmness they give to the skin." For Sandra Burgos, Director of Training at Clinique, a specific product should not be missing to help you replenish the hydration levels that your skin is losing by being exposed to heating all day: "Use a multi-use cream-gel without oils, that quickly delivers long-lasting hydration to the skin. It's 'insurance' for flawless skin."

For Dr. Alba Català Gonzalo, Associate Physician of the Dermatology Service of Hospital Plató de Barcelona and Skinlove's dermatological adviser, one of the first things you should take into account is "to know the environmental conditions in which we find ourselves. Ideally, the ambient temperature should not rise above 21 - 23ºC and that the ambient humidity should be between 50 and 70%.To achieve this, it is important that we have a thermostat that regulates the temperature at all times and therefore , manage the operation of the heating system. The higher the temperature, the more the environment will dry out, although this factor will also depend on the heating system used. That is why the air conditioning system using a heat pump is the one that dries the most ". "Environmental dryness causes alteration of the skin barrier and its protective lipids. In people without skin problems, this will lead to skin xerosis with increased flaking and itching, but in patients with a history of atopic dermatitis, rosacea or psoriasis it can even greatly aggravate its symptomatology," he stresses. To avoid this, the doctor explains that, for regular hygiene, we must use bath gels without soap that care for and protect the skin, reinforcing the natural skin barrier. "After the shower, hydrate it daily with products that compensate for the dehydration caused by heating. The use of products rich in shea butter, rosehip oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or calendula oil is recommended."

The same problems are highlighted by Nerea Goyenechea, PhD in Pharmacy and Head of the R&D Department of Massada The Natural Therapy: "The heaters, stoves, and air conditioning will release toxic substances and gases creating environmental pollution, both inside the workplace and outside Our skin, exposed to this pollution, will be dirtier and, in addition, our pores will be clogged, which will cause more toxins to accumulate and, therefore, increase the production of sebum. Skin will lose evenness, radiance and elasticity, and will appear dull and aged." "At the cosmetic level, use products rich in moisturizing and hydrating ingredients such as glycerin (Glycerin), Butylene glycol and Propylene glycol, hyaluronic acid (Hyaluronic acid or Sodium hyaluronate) or ceramides, which will help your skin retain hydration," he says. Amparo Violero Oliver, a scientist specialized in cosmetics and Product Controller of MiiN Cosmetics, who recommends that we also give extra pampering to the lips, which, since they do not contain sebaceous glands, are more unprotected and dehydrate more quickly.

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Hair and hands suffer equally

"Hands tend to be the forgotten ones this time of year. You'll need a special cream for this area and gloves to protect them from the cold," he advises Happiness Career. Regarding hair, Dr. Josefina Royo de la Torre, Director of the Laser Medical Institute (IML), assures that, during the winter, the intense heat of the heating and the changes in temperature when going outside produce in the hair the same dehydration effect than in the skin, since the hydrolipidic layer of the hair shaft wears away and disappears, then the hair cracks and flakes appear in the cuticular layer of the same. "To neutralize these effects, we must consider improving its hydration and nutrition through nourishing masks and avoiding the added stress of drying with a hot air dryer, which are absolutely destructive to the superficial layer of hair keratin."

The most interesting repairing and nourishing products for hair are those that contain polymers to retain water, lecithins that strengthen hair, olive or sesame oils that hydrate and nourish, and shea butter that has a repairing effect. "We must not forget that these products must be applied depending on the characteristics of the patient's hair. Each type of hair has a treatment that is the most appropriate. "Thus, very dry hair is distinguished because it is matte and dull due to a lack of hydration , so it is good to always use softening creams with olive or almond oil and use a nourishing mask once a week. On the other hand, oily hair, which always has excess fat and tends to appear limp and weighed down, requires the application of substances that combine astringent products that regulate the production of fat. In any case, if the hair is very damaged, a shock treatment can be performed by applying a daily mask for a week," says Royo de la Torre.

And when you get home?

Intensive masks are very useful, they nourish in depth and provide the cells with the nutrients they need to gesticulate without drastic consequences. "If in addition to wrinkles, you are worried about bags, the cold of a mask (or a few slices of cucumber, rich in vitamin E) help keep crow's feet and barcodes under control," points out Carmen Navarro. "Have a peeling once a week, or every fortnight if you are dealing with more delicate skin. This way we will be able to accelerate cell renewal, reduce shallow wrinkles and keep blemishes at bay."

And something fundamental: don't take away hours of sleep: "The body's cells regenerate during sleep, so when you don't get enough sleep, cell renewal stops and can cause bags, dark circles, red eyes. In addition, lack of sleep affects the skin's natural barrier function and can cause dryness and greater sensitivity to irritations", clarifies the expert. Sleeping 8 hours is not the same for everyone, since some people only need 6 and who needs 9 to regenerate. Finding out the number of hours that each body needs is a matter of personal observation", concludes Navarro.

"While in the morning it is better to use creams or serums with Vitamin C, since it is an antioxidant that not only provides luminosity, it also stimulates the production of collagen, at night it is more advisable to use cosmetics formulated with of hyaluronic acid or retinol to activate skin renewal and stimulate the cells so that they can synthesize a greater amount of collagen and thus keep the skin hydrated and firm," says Dr. Juanes, medical director of the Ricart Medical Institute at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid .

"At night, I recommend removing make-up with soft, circular massage movements to reactivate microcirculation and collagen production. In this way, our skin will be rehydrated and much smoother", says Claire Morisseau, Training Manager of Guerlain Spain, who agrees with Sara Vayreda, training director of MartiDerm, in that at this time of year we must take care of the skin with great delicacy: "Dry and weakened skin requires thorough cleaning, but very soft and loaded with principles that help to reestablish its natural ecosystem thanks to the contribution of pro and prebiotics".

Foods for extra hydration

"The skin not only benefits from a correct fluid intake, but its maintenance and good appearance also influence how we we feed," says Carlota Martínez, an expert in Nutrition at InfoAlimenta. "In fact, there are certain minerals such as copper (favors normal skin pigmentation) or zinc (contributes to its proper functioning); and vitamins such as C (participates in the proper formation of collagen) or some of the B group-like niacin and riboflavin (participate in the proper maintenance of mucous membranes) - which are directly involved in skin health". Some foods where you can find them are, for example, oysters or chocolate (in the case of copper); meat, shellfish or legumes (for zinc); red pepper and citrus (rich in vitamin C); or, cereals and mushrooms or mushrooms (in the case of group B vitamins).

"If you find it hard to drink water, have some fruit on hand and treat yourself to a sweet and guilt-free snack, since the myth that fruit makes you fat is completely debunked by the WHO: fruit is a food full of water, fiber and vitamins that hydrates, satisfies and helps prevent obesity.Do not be afraid of sugar: the intrinsic sugars of vegetables have nothing to do with the free sugars of which the WHO warns and which we should avoid in our diet. By the way: juices and smoothies do not count as fruit," say the FOREO experts.

"Although it sounds very basic to you, on a preventive level, one of the most important steps to avoid dehydration is to drink plenty of water. At least between 1.5 - 2 liters a day", tell us doctors Mar Mira and Sofia R. del Cueto. If you want to avoid dry skin in winter, take note of some of their advice, such as using high sun protection even if it's not summer and if redness appears, have a cream on hand that treats and camouflages it to prevent it from getting worse with the sun. cold. "In addition to topical care, it is very important to drink plenty of water. An easier way in winter is through infusions," concludes Dr. Simón Dray from Clínica Dray.

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