No need to schedule an appointment. If you have a question or two that you’d love an expert to answer send them our way. Here, one of our favorite skin experts, Dr. Alkaitis, answers a few questions from our readers on summer skin and sensitivity.
Q: When the seasons change, my skin changes too. How should I keep my skin from freaking out with the change in weather?
A: “From living in New York City, I can really relate to this question. Since our bodies are more covered and skin not able to breath as freely, it means our skin is not able to detox as much as it should. I recommend dry brushing your skin every single morning. This comes from Ayurveda cleansing philosophies. It stimulates the lymphatic system, cleans toxins, helps digestion, stimulates circulation, increases cell renewal, strengthens the immune system, tightens the skin, removes dead skin layers and is excellent to break down cellulite. After your dry brushing – which takes just a few minutes – take a bath or shower and use a body wash that is 100% chemical free. We have a great organic herbal body wash that lathers very nicely when applied on one of those shower poufs.
Afterwards when your body is damp, take our Nourishing Treatment Oil and really massage it well all over your body, feet, hands, all the way up to your neck, and finish on the ends of your hair. Make sure to hydrate and nourish every single day using 100% organic crèmes and oils on your face and body. Once a week, I will do a hot oil hair treatment, which is excellent if you are prone to getting dandruff. Try not to wash your hair every day. For my face: I like to actually add 2 drops of our Nourishing Treatment oil into 2 pumps of Day crème and combine them together. It provides a wonderful texture and all day long hydration.
Make sure to include lots of healthy fats and oils into your diet. Take all your Omegas, 3,6,9, exercise to get your blood and circulation moving. Steaming is also very good, followed by an all over body massage. It is also important to not use water that is too hot. Another thing is that in the winter, try to wear fabric that is real, such as cotton, wool, silk and cashmere. Unnatural fabrics don’t allow your skin to breathe and when you sweat it and the fabric can’t absorb it, it can cause a rash and or allergic reaction. Don’t forget – those un-natural fibers are actually made out of plastic!”
Q: My skin is quite sensitive. What can I do to take the redness and flare-ups that inevitably occur?
A: “Stop using any products that contain lactic acid, azaelic acid, benzoic acid, glycolic acid, AHAs, any kind of exfoliation (with the exception of using our Enzyme Exfoliating Mask). Take a very good look at your make-up ingredients. Most contain silicone, which is extremely aggravating for sensitive skin. If you are using a sunscreen, use one that only contains zinc oxide.”
Read more about Dr. Alkaitis here.
Photo credit here.
