Winter Facial Skin Care: Interview with Joanna Vargas

Even those who live in milder climates with less seasonal change may still experience these irritating skin conditions; so virtually anyone can benefit from knowledge of winter facial skin care.

Basic Winter Care for Your Face

Shorter Showers

While water usually brings to mind hydration, with the skin, excess exposure to water has the opposite effect, drying the skin out. When the facial skin is already under stress from the winter environment, it is especially important to minimize exposure to water, particularly hot water. Short, tepid baths and showers can help preserve moisture on the face and the entire body.

Cut the Coffee

Another simple, but important step, is to continue to drink plenty of water, hydrating your skin from the inside out. When cooler temperatures arrive, many people are apt to drink less water. If you see this happening, make an effort to increase your water consumption and boost your water intake with broths, juices, and natural or caffeine-free teas, since caffeine is a natural diuretic and can also deplete the body of water. With that in mind, your facial skin will thank you for cutting out the coffee or switching to decaf instead.

Winter Facial Cleaners

For your winter facial care regimen, be sure to use mild skin care products that won't further strip your face of moisture. Cream cleansers are a good choice for the winter months. For those with acne-prone skin, try a cream cleanser specifically formulated for acne, such as Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser.

Expert Tips

Meet Joanna Vargas

To get beyond the basics of facial skin care for winter, LoveToKnow went to skin care expert to the stars Joanna Vargas. As the senior aesthetician at the Tracie Martyn Salon in New York, Joanna provided top-notch treatments to her clients, including high-profile celebrities for over five years.

Joanna recently opened her own establishment, Joanna Vargas Skin Care, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. With her skillful skin care applications and focus on individualized skin treatments, her desire is to renew her clients, "After experiencing one of my treatments, I want my clients to feel as if they've been reborn!," says Joanna.

Cherry Blossoms

With this focus on renewal, Joanna appropriately chose the cherry blossom to epitomize her new business and its philosophy. She explains that, in Japan, the cherry blossom is a metaphor for life, making it a perfect symbol for her endeavor and her attitude toward healthy, beautiful skin.

Joanna's Winter Face Care Tips

Despite her busy schedule, with the opening of her new salon and the demands of her six month-old son, Joanna was willing to take a few moments to offer some winter face care advice.

JV (Joanna Vargas):

• "Winter is a great time to repair the skin after a long summer of sun damage, so I recommend to clients that they get a great cleansing and exfoliating facial at the start of the season to get rid of the flaky skin that builds up. Also, now is the time to address pigment damage that has occurred due to sun exposure. I recommend facials with microdermabrasion; like the diamond peel that I do with every treatment."

• "My Oxygen Purifying Facial includes microdermabrasion and the oxygen treatment at the end, which infuses a serum for each skin type. The Rejuvenating Serum infuses hylaronic acid to hydrate the skin plus vitamins ACE to help nourish the skin and fortify against damage from the sun and our polluted environment. The Opulence Serum infuses vitamin C and botanical skin brighteners to balance pigment."

• "I also always recommend a heavier moisturizer for winter because it acts as a barrier between the skin and the harsh wind, but also the dry heat indoors. I usually recommend something organic so we are balancing the intense toxins in the air with something pure for the body."

Winter and Acne

Knowing the difficulties faced by various skin types, we asked Joanna to give LoveToKnow Skincare readers some insight on one of the most irritating skin problems: acne. Although we may have a tendency to think of dryness as being good for acne, this prevalent condition can actually be worsened by the dryness caused by winter conditions.

LTK (LovetoKnow): What different or additional skin care "winterizing" advice would you offer to those prone to acne?

JV: "For acne skin, the cold wind outside and the heat indoors is very irritating. I would recommend calming and soothing facials every two weeks to help the skin heal. Also, taking zinc supplements everyday helps control your body's oil production in a natural way.

If you have spent an afternoon or an evening outdoors, come home and do a calming, healing mask. I like Eminence's Seven Herb Treatment. The Oxygen Purifying Facial that I do is fantastic for clients suffering with acne. Use organic products to cleanse, soothe the irritation, and restore health to the tissue. The oxygen infusion alone heals tough breakouts and gives the skin a dewy finish."

Applying Facial Moisturizers

People that suffer from dry skin year round may find winter an especially disconcerting time of year for their facial skin, leading people to increase their application of moisturizer. But is this really necessary? If you find you are applying moisturizers regularly and your skin is still dry or irritated, increasing the amount or number of applications may not be the answer…

LTK: How often should facial moisturizers be applied in the winter?

JV: "Facial moisturizers can be applied twice a day -- once in the morning and once at night. If you find you need more than that, you are probably not using the right product for your skin needs. I always tell clients they can carry either a mineral water facial spray, like Evian, or just plain Rosewater, if the skin needs a pick-me-up throughout the day or if you are traveling."

Ingredients to Look for in Facial Products

As the focus on natural skin care continues, many wonder what sort of natural ingredients to look for in their winter face care products.

LTK: What natural ingredients do you feel are the most effective in hydrating the skin?

JV: "Hylaronic Acid, a substance found in our own skin to keep it hydrated, is now found in many newer skin care products. I find good old fashioned vitamins ACE plus green tea as ingredients keep the skin glowing and healthy."

More About Joanna

For first time clients, Joanna treats one side of the face to illustrate the incredible difference the proper skin treatments have in creating a more youthful, glowing appearance. Her signature services include the "Fountain of Youth Facial," an anti-wrinkle, Anti-aging, which combines the revolutionary technology of micro-currents with hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

Other services include:

• Simultaneous Body Contouring/Fountain of Youth Facial Treatments
• Contouring Body Treatments
• Deep Pore Cleansing Facial
• Cell Phone Acne Facial
• Teen Acne
• Minimization of Melatonin Patch Discoloration/Uneven Skin Color which Contributes to Aging Skin
• Microdermabrasion
• I'm Getting Married in the Morning Makeover
• Pregnancy Glow
• Midtown Lunch Hour Special

In addition to her aesthetician training, Joanna double-majored in photography and women's studies at the University of Chicago.

Visit her website, joannavargas.com for more on Joanna and her skin care services.