Winter Skincare Solutions and Pharma Faux Pas

South Africa has a relatively pleasant climate, but in winter, we get a cold snap – and that cold snap literally sucks the moisture from the air. I can feel it in my voice or my throat the most. So here are some winter hacks that I consider essential to keep your complexion happy and hydrated.

Always, as always, drink ample water. Even if you don’t feel thirsty in the cold weather, dehydration can still occur, so maintaining consistent water intake is good.
This also includes incorporating hydrating foods, opting for water-rich fruits and vegetables, like cucumbers and oranges. Or watermelon, if you could find it. I don’t know what it is, I’ve just been craving watermelon of late.
And then also looking at getting rich and healthy fats into your diet by eating lots and lots of avocados and nuts.

This is also an essential time to adjust your skincare routine. I always find switching to a gentle, hydrating cleanser instead of an aggressive firming cleanser is so much gentler on my skin.
Cream-based or oil-based options really make a world of difference. Although it seems counterintuitive, you want to avoid hot water.
Hot water, while it’s tempting to have a hot shower or a hot bath, can deplete the natural oils in your skin.
So always opt for lukewarm water to protect your skin barrier.

And sometimes you might want to cleanse less frequently. This is a little tip that I noticed, or I learnt a long time ago, that I noticed pays off dividends.
You don’t need to cleanse your skin in the morning, because you cleansed it thoroughly the night before.
So all you need to do is refresh your skin in the shower or the bath, splash some water on it, then you can just double up with moisturiser and serum and sunblock on top of it.
And contrary to popular belief that you always have to wash your skin or cleanse before shaving, I don’t even wash my skin.
I just shower, and I let the steam in the water do its magic, and then I shave like that.
And then in the evenings, I really cleanse very effectively, because I use a lot of sunblock to protect myself.

I also find when it comes to skincare in winter, you might need to rearrange your skincare.
You might find you need to apply a serum, something that is a humectant.
I always look at things with hyaluronic acid or glycerine, because they attract moisture from the air and help it to penetrate deeper into your skin.
And as I said, that’s a bit of a misnomer, because you can’t really penetrate the skin, you can just hydrate the superficial layer of the skin.
And then you can apply a richer or occlusive moisturiser, that is generally thicker and ideally contains ingredients like ceramides or shea butter.
Or, I was looking at this recently, and it just seemed very interesting to me.
You get tissue oil, which generally I try to avoid. But tissue oil, you add a couple of drops to that, to your moisturiser, it just forms this film.
And I’m thinking of a natural tissue oil, not a petroleum-based oil. I’m trying to be very careful with what I say here.
A few drops of a nourishing facial oil applied before, during or after moisturising, can actually make the world of difference, in terms of adding an extra layer of protection.
Because the whole thing in winter, when the air is so cold, you want to seal in as much goodness as what you have left in yourself.

And then don’t forget, this is very important, sun protection.
People often think that just because the sun is not as intense as during summer, they can forego SPF.
But you need sun protection factor throughout the year.
UV rays are still present in winter, especially on cloudy days, because I believe they bounce back with a vengeance.
So you want to apply a broad spectrum, SPF 30. And maybe you want to apply more, if you’re going to be spending time outdoors.

I find especially in winter, my lips get very dry and they’re prone to chapping.
So you want a rich lip balm, again one with an SPF.
And again, I always look for natural products. I’m not so mad about petroleum-based products.
But then also other areas, your hands are exposed to elements. You want to keep a nourishing hand cream handy.
I often find I just slap on a little bit of leftover moisturiser, which normally gets me through the year.
But winter, a dedicated hand cream can actually make the world of difference.

And I know ladies know this, and I was reading, it is important for men to use a body moisturiser.
But honestly, between you and me, it gives me the grills.
Just thinking about it, I can’t think of anything worse than putting a thick body cream or lotion on your body, and then putting on something warm as fast as possible.
And I will say, one thing I find very important is exfoliation regularly.
You might find, although your skin feels dry, you don’t want to exfoliate.
But I actually find it’s even more important, because your skin dries up so quickly.
And it’s pointless adding hydration or moisturisation or oils on top of your skin that can’t penetrate the dried upper layers of your skin.
So, get yourself a good exfoliator.
I always recommend opting for a gentle chemical exfoliator over a physical grainy exfoliator.
Sometimes I like a scrub, but generally I find a chemical exfoliator is gentler and less likely to irritate your skin.

You can also protect yourself from the elements by wearing protective clothing.
Scarves and gloves and hats can shield exposed skin from cold winds and harsh temperatures when you’re outdoors.
And harsh doesn’t just mean very hot or very cold.
I find those very extreme fluctuations, being in the hot car with the heater on, you get outdoors and it’s cold.
And then you go into a supermarket where they’ve got the heat on high.
And this is something I’m just going to mention to some of our nationwide pharmacists.
It is so unhealthy, not just from the perspective of skin health, but it’s so unhealthy to your respiratory system when you’re going from a hot, dry environment into a freezing cold environment.
And then we walk into your shops and your staff have got your temperature set to subtropical.
You need to find that balance where it’s not too hot, it’s not too cold. Maybe just comfortable.

This is a war. It is a war.
And I often used to fight in the office, because some people like to have the heater on high.
I just think, rather keep the temperature temperate. It is already cold outside.
Maybe just a little bit of heat to take the edge off the cold.
But I shouldn’t be perspiring. And I’d look at my colleagues who had hats and scarves and gloves, shivering, and I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, just like praying for rain to come.
So, balance. The body likes equilibrium.
What I believe the pharmaceutical term is, homeostasis. But bearing in mind, I may have failed that subject back in high school.

And seeing as we’re digressing from winter skincare into caring for our pharmacists, I don’t know what it is, but whenever I go to the pharmacist, not whenever, but recently I went to the pharmacy.
But I’ve noticed this a couple of times. You go to the pharmacist, and obviously people are discussing intimate details about their body.
And then the pharmacist will blurt out like they’re on a loudspeaker, like it’s everybody’s business.
This man has worms. This woman has yeast. This child has got an infection. This one has got an STD.
And I think, you know, way too much information. Way too much information.
I actually white knuckle it. Not that I’ve ever gone to the pharmacy for anything shameful, like some people have noticed.
But I do white knuckle it. I think, please don’t read out everything that I need, because I don’t think it’s anybody’s business.
And I’m not singling out any pharmacies, because they are both guilty.
But I remember once, standing in the queue with a friend of mine, and there’s a very attractive gentleman standing in front of us.
And we both watched him approach the pharmaceutical hall of shame.
And we were both sort of guessing certain things about his personality, nature, and persuasion.
And then the pharmacist said, well, you take this cream and you rub it on the rash and you give it five days, it will go.
And I just thought in that sudden instant, his dating possibilities dropped from 10 to zero. Colder than the Highveld.
And I felt so ashamed and embarrassed for him, because he’s quite a good-looking man.
And obviously there are lots of ladies and a couple of gentlemen that were eyeing out what he had to offer.
And the minute we heard that he had a rash, everybody, everybody lost interest.

But a couple of times I’ve also… Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at other people’s misfortune.
But sometimes I’ve noticed people have gone to the pharmacist to buy something of a delicate nature.
And then the pharmacist reads it out aloud.
You know, I’m pretty sure the doctor has informed people what, when, why, and how to use a particular product.
So, I’m assuming that both nationwide pharmacies employ people that have got a matric and a university degree.
And they will appreciate the finer nuances of good etiquette and discretion.

And speaking of which, I would really appreciate if the one particular nationwide pharmacist could give their cash… Actually, no, both of them. I’m not even going to single one out.
Both of them, whenever I go to the pharmacy to pay cash, they’ve never got change.
And it’s becoming ridiculous. They don’t have 5 cents or 10 cents or 50 cents.
And I think if your cashiers are short of change, they should double up and take a knock.
Considering how much pharmaceuticals cost nowadays, if your cashier doesn’t have the change, your customers deserve double the difference.
I think we’re going to make a campaign around that. On that note, a quick musical break, and we will be right back.