If Your Skin Is Worse Than Usual ATM - It Could Be Your Central Heating

It might sound trivial given everything going on in the world ATM, but, honestly, our skin has been *dire* lately.

No sooner had we conquered 'maskne' than a whole new bout of acne cropped up in its place, our complexion became dull and lifeless and our skin was soon dry beyond belief - and it seems we're not the only ones.

"My skin just wont play ball at the moment," one friend tells me. "It feels like since the temperature has dropped there are just constant spots, and my skin-tone is more uneven that it's ever been."

While another adds: "All summer I had relatively clear skin and all of a sudden my face has erupted - and as soon as one spot disappears another pops up. Its honestly never ending!"

So just what is causing our skin to flare up? According to NHS doctor and aesthetician Daniel Hunt, it could very well be down to the change in the season.

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"As the winter months draw closer, skin may be feeling drier, flakier, tight, sensitive and you may have noticed more blemishes," he says.

"Dry skin is common in winter weather for all skin types due to the cold air. The cold means your skin doesn't hold its hydration as well as it does in the warmer months, losing water in the air means less hydration to your skin too and this can lead to sensitive, dry and flaky skin.

"In winter months skin cell turnover is reduced which makes the layer of dead skin thicker, meaning a dull and lacklustre complexion".

Another somewhat unexpected trigger is our central heating, he says.

"With many of us spending more time indoors, indoor heating is one of the main reasons skin may be feeling tight and lacking in moisture."

Dr Hunt explains that this is because heating is "mostly dry air" which "sucks the moisture out of the skin".

And we've got bad news - you know those steamy baths and showers you've been having to warm yourself up? They're not too great, either.

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"In the winter a hot shower can be like a comforting blanket, but too hot and it can strip your skin of your natural oils," he warns.

Of course, with temperatures as low as they are right now, avoiding the heating and hot baths is near on impossible.

However, there are some solutions to keep things in check.

"Using an air humidifier can help increase hydration in the room and making sure to drink water to replace moisture from the inside out is even more important to skin health in winter," he advises.

"Adding in a rich moisturiser to your regime can [also] help put the hydration back into skin at home.

Plus, Dr Hunt advises cooling down your baths and showers a bit if you can bare it, and finishing "with a body butter or oil" after drying yourself "to seal in hydration".

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Naturally, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it's also possible that your spots could be caused by stress, changes in lifestyle habits (like what you eat and how often you exercise and increased alcohol intake) as well as your trusty mask.

"As we adjust to the new normal - it is not surprising that skin is not as healthy as it once was for many," Dr Hunt concludes.

So, just remember not to beat yourself up about the odd flare up. From one group of spotty ladies to another, we're all in this together.

Topics: acne, health news, Skincare

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman