If you are a ‘Brisbanite’, then for you, the month of August is probably synonymous with the word ‘Ekka’ - the much loved Royal Queensland Exhibition held every year since 1876. Unfortunately, this year the show has been cancelled, but the WIND is still around!
Bringing the country to the city, the Ekka showcases the best of Queensland agriculture, with 5 days of non-stop entertainment, food and... WIND! Yep. You're not a true, initiated Brisbanite until you spend 5 minutes swinging in the blustering westerlies while sitting atop a Ferris Wheel - 30 meters up off the ground.
The westerly wind that blusters through Brisbane every year always seem to arrive right on cue, and while it may add a layer of fun and excitement to your Ekka Sideshow Alley experience, the same can not be said for what it will do for your skin.
During windy, colder months, your skin will naturally become dryer. Cold temperatures = low humidity and together with the cold winds can lead to tight, cracked and flaky skin. The cold, dry weather can also aggravate eczema, psoriasis and rosacea, leaving the skin looking red and irritated.
But there are some simple changes you can make to your skin care routine that will protect your skin from being ravaged by the winter wind… here are our top 5 skin saving windbreakers:
#1: Swap your cleanser to a gentle foaming cleanser or creamy cleanser that will help to maintain your skin’s hydration while preserving its natural lipid bilayer (protective oil barrier).
Try ASI’s Rejuvenating Foaming Cleanser with its restorative vitamin C and calming Chamomile or ASI’s Radiant Cream Cleanser with its super nourishing vitamin E, Rose Otto and calming essential oils.
#2: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! The first thing that should hit your skin after cleansing is Hydration! In particular, Hyaluronic Acid.
Our skin naturally produces Hyaluronic Acid, an important key molecule responsible for keeping our skin super hydrated, soft and supple. During winter, when our Acid Mantle is disrupted, our skin’s natural moisture levels are lost via a phenomenon called Transepidermal Water Loss (TWL), causing the skin to become tight, flaky and lacklustre.
Add a couple of pumps of Pure Hydration Concentrate to clean skin prior to applying your moisturisers or serums. You’ll boost your skin’s hydration levels 1000-fold while keeping it soft and supple so that it can soak up all the goodness from your moisturiser and serums.
#3: Hunker down with Niacinamide: Also known as Vitamin B3; Niacinamide will reduce the impact of winter’s harsh weather on your skin by helping to boost the natural production of skin-strengthening ceramides.
Ceramides are the fatty lipids found on the surface of the skin… they help to bind and hold the skin together (like cement between bricks) to form the protective Acid Mantle layer that limits moisture loss and protects your skin from environmental attack.
Add extra protection for your skin by including Vitamin B3 Complex to your winter routine. This illuminating treatment will not only give your skin that dreamy winter glow, but also uses ASI’s unique nanotechnology to deliver high concentration of its active ingredients to your skin.
# 4 Use a protective serum or slightly heavier moisturiser during the day. This will act as a shield against the cold, dry air and help to support your skin's acid mantle.
This is super important because your acid mantle (made up of your skin’s own secretions of lipids, free fatty acids and sweat) is responsible for protecting the skin from bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. It also helps to lock in moisture and lubricates the skin with its oils, keeping skin soft and supple.
Adding ASI’s Vitamin C Serum under your regular moisturiser will help to add an extra layer of dewy protection. It’s bursting with 25% pure vitamin C to help strengthen the skin and capillaries, and it’s silky smooth texture doubles up as the perfect primer, so you're not trying to apply foundation on dry, flaky skin.
#5 Strengthen your skin while you sleep: Blood flow to the skin increases at night while you are sleeping, causing temperature to rise and making your skin more permeable and receptive to beneficial ingredients in your skincare.
Moisturisers and serums that include potent cosmeceuticals such as vitamin A (Retinol), vitamin C, Vitamin B3 and Hyaluronic Acid support the skin with the perfect building blocks needed for recovery and supply the skin with the moisture and lipids it needs to stay hydrated and protected; so it’s logical to include these in a nighttime treatment, when they will be most beneficial.
Give your skin a bedtime, multivitamin boost with ASI’s Rejuvenating Night Treatment. This potent cosmeceutical treatment bursting with restorative vitamin C, calming Vitamin B3, and rejuvenating vitamin A is designed to work deep down at a cellular level, changing the structure of the skin to improving hydration, congestion and even acne.
Best of all, vitamin A is scientifically proven to reverse the natural signs of ageing by boosting collagen and elastin production while actively repairing the skin. So you can sleep easy knowing you’ll wake up with a stronger, healthier skin that’s ready to take on those winter winds.
