Winter Skincare Tips from Beauty & Skincare Guru Jan Marini

Jan Marini, President and CEO of Jan Marini Skin Research, is a pioneer in the professional skincare arena. She has more than three decades of experience researching and developing new and innovative skincare technologies. Below are her top beauty tips to help keep skin protected and youthful during the winter season.

Tip #1: Dry Lips

One of the most common complaints relating to harsh winter weather is dry chapped lips. Not only are dry lips uncomfortable, but they can interfere with lipstick application and certainly look unsightly.

Here’s a few tips guaranteed to deliver smooth, hydrated luscious looking lips:

1. After removing your lipstick, use a wet (wrung out) washcloth to rigorously “buff” the lip area. This provides just the right amount of exfoliation and removes dead dry skin, leaving behind a smooth surface.
2. Rub everything you use on your face over your lips – and be generous. This means moisturizers, retinol, etc.
3. Finish with a sealant. Use something that is thick and emollient. This idea is to leave behind a barrier that sits on your lips throughout the night and prevents moisture from escaping. Some great examples are plain old Vaseline, Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream, or Janet Sartin Superfatted Cream.
4. In the AM, make certain you again massage your facial products onto your lip and finish with sunscreen.

Tip #2: Dull Winter Skin

Whether your skin is dry or oily, colder winter weather can make any complexion look duller and less vibrant. While increased moisture helps to provide a protective barrier in harsh temperatures, moisturizers don’t address skin that seems sluggish and looks like it’s half hidden behind a dull layer of skin. Even in winter months, exfoliation is a must for keeping facial skin looking polished and luminous with that perfect “airbrushed” look. Some resurfacing agents can have an anti-inflammatory effect and can also boost the skin’s ability to manufacture substances that retain water. Combination of acids are perfect for this task. Plus these same agents can assist in keeping skin blemish-free as well as lessening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Tip #3: Jan’s #1 Anti-Aging Tip

What’s my #1 anti-aging tip? You’ve heard it before, but I can’t stress it enough: Sunscreen! While short wave length UVB rays are weaker in the winter months, not so with UVA. The long UVA wavelengths are the same intensity all year long, even when it is cloudy, raining, or snowing. These rays penetrate your skin like an invisible X-ray, destroying collagen and elastin, and damaging the foundation of your firm youthful-looking skin. This damage may not show up for some time, but you can be certain that the groundwork has been imprinted into your DNA and it will manifest itself in unsightly lines and wrinkles, brown spots, coarse texture and sagging contours. Undisputed research confirms that faithful daily sunscreen users will be rewarded with softer, smoother, more youthful skin than their counterparts.

Tip #4: Ragged Dry Cuticles

Cold winter weather not only dries facial skin but also has the potential to ravage already dry cuticles.

Here’s a tip that’s guaranteed to remove dead, ugly cuticles without cutting and leave behind soft, smooth skin around the nail area. This is accomplished via a technology that dissolves and dislodges dead, dry skin without harming normal skin.

1. Clean hands with a proteolytic enzyme cleanser (e.g., Clean Zyme Enzyme Cleanser by JMSR).
2. Apply a proteolytic enzyme mask over cuticle area (e.g., Skin Zyme Enzyme Mask by JMSR) or over entire hand. Leave on for 10-20 minutes. 
3. Remove with Clean Zyme and rinse. Towel-dry and apply an emollient hand cream.

Tip #5: Pale Winter Skin


Here's the dilemma: You feel like your facial skin looks pasty white and your sunless tanner looks a little overdone for mid-winter.

So how do you achieve that flawless, barely sun-kissed flattering glow? Put a dollop of your favorite moisturizer in your hand and add a pea to a dime-size amount of sunless tanner and mix them together. Then apply to entire face just like you would apply moisturizer. It's mistake-proof and delivers a subtle glow. You can incorporate this into your daily routine to maintain the perfect reflective hue.