Jennifer Rock (better known as The Skin Nerd) joined Jennifer Zamparelli on RTÉ 2FM to share her tips for preparing skin for the winter months. Listen back above.
Much like how your body needs healthy food all year round to stay well, there are key ingredients that your skin needs 365 days of the year - so says skincare expert, Jennifer Rock.
However, when it comes to seasonal changes, she admits our daily routines may need some extra care and attention.
During the winter months, our skin's moisture levels are "just ping-ponging around the place" thanks to the changing temperatures we endure, from walking through cold winds to blasting the hot air as soon as we get in the car.
For this reason, ceramides are especially important at this time of year. Found throughout a number of skincare products, ceramides essentially help the barrier of the skin and act as a very hydrating moisturiser - without causing blackheads or spots.
The next piece of advice, she admits, is one that most listeners won't want to hear.
We may love jumping into a hot shower after coming in from the cold, but Rock suggests that we turn down the heat for the sake of our skin as the "extremes of cold and hot" can be very dehydrating.
In better news, as well as adding ceramides to your routine, the skincare expert says that we can "up the ante" on vitamin A during the darker months.
"You can use a little bit more of acid-based ingredients and vitamin A which is, if you anyone doesn't know, a game changer for skin health. It's otherwise known as retinol - that's probably how you'll come across it on a product - but it's the most clinically proven ingredient you can use on skin, just to give you that undeniably healthy glow."
When our skin becomes dry in winter, it can be tempting to reach for a super thick moisturiser but, according to Rock, this may not be doing as much good as you think.
"Typically, a moisturiser is a comfort feeling," she explaons, "it's not truly penetrating the skin or allowing the skin to hydrate at, what we call, a cellular level."
In the short term, moisturisers, hydrating masks and spritzes can be nice to use but, for long term changes, she encourages people to stock up on their vitamin A as that will help the skin's own natural hydration.
As well as topical treatments, Rock reminds listeners to take care of their skin from the inside by eating a healthy diet filled with foods with essential fatty acids such as nuts, seeds, and fish.
Next up? SPF.
Yep, you read that right. According to Rock, it doesn't matter if you're wearing three layers of tights and the day is dark by 5pm, SPF is to be used all year round.
Although you may not be feeling any heat from the sun at the moment, the UV rays are coming through perfectly well. These rays penetrate your skin which can damage your skin's health and be "quite aging".
The key is to find a SPF that you like enough to use every day, one with a high protection number - such as 30 or 50 - and one that has a plus sign as this indicates the level of UVA protection within the product.
"Ideally, there should be three pluses beside the number so you know you're getting that invisible light, 365 days protection."
To hear Jennifer Rock answer RTÉ 2FM listeners' skincare questions, listen back above.
