Weather Watch: Challenges for our Skin

The skin is our body’s natural barrier, but at the same time it connects us with the environment. Our skin reacts to what it encounters from the outside. Dry air in particular, whether cold or hot, can reduce the moisture content of the skin.

Certain weather conditions pose a special challenge for our skin:

Cold

During the cold season, our skin is often more dry because our sebaceous glands and sweat glands are less active during this time. This can weaken the skin barrier. In cold weather, the overall air humidity tends to be lower, causing more moisture to evaporate from the skin than during warmer months. The constant change between frosty temperatures outside and significantly warmer temperatures in heated rooms can irritate the skin

Heat

We sweat more in warm, dry summer air, causing the skin loses moisture more quickly. Sunlight is beneficial by stimulating the formation of the “happiness hormone” serotonin as well as vitamin D. However, prolonged sunbathing warms the skin, drawing out moisture. If there is a pleasant breeze, we often don’t notice the moisture loss in our skin until later, as it begins to contract and feel tight.

Air Condition

The dry, cold air produced by air conditioners draws moisture from the skin, so that it becomes dry and brittle more quickly.

Wind and Dust

Wind and dust can also affect the skin. This includes fine dust, which is transported by wind. Different skin types react to different degrees, sometimes becoming dry and rough like sandpaper. Depending on how often and intensively the skin is exposed to the influences of wind and dust, the abrasion they cause can damage the outermost layer of the epidermis and reduce hydration levels in the skin

Overall, our individual skin composition, how we nourish the skin from the inside and how we care for our skin on the outside all play an important role in how the weather affects our skin