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Desert Living: How to Maintain Healthy Skin in Year Long Dry Weather

Sunny Southern California is known for beautiful weather year-round. While other states struggle with humidity and snow, we’re pretty lucky in that nearly every day is a balmy 75. However, the constant sun and dry heat can take a toll on our skin’s wellbeing and even accelerate the aging process.

If you live in the desert, try these tips for keeping your skin smooth, supple, and protected all year long.

Moisturizer is Your Best Friend

While the dry heat can be a welcome change for snowbirds from wet, snowy climates, those of us who live here year-round know how drying the Palm Springs weather can be on your skin daily. Without proper care, skin can quickly turn flaky or crack, making you look older than you are. Investing in a high-quality skin cleanser and lightweight daily moisturizer can help keep your skin hydrated and supple even on the hottest summer days.

Keeping your body well hydrated is another important step in desert skincare. If you want to enjoy beautiful, healthy skin, be sure to drink plenty of water during the day as well as limiting alcohol intake to the weekends or special nights out.

Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Did you know that Palm Springs boasts nearly 350 days of sunshine year-round? While a day spent tanning and reading by the pool is one of the top relaxing activities for visitors and residents alike, this leisurely activity can also take a toll on your skin if you don’t take the right steps to protect yourself. Regular sun exposure can accelerate the aging process by slowly destroying important elastin – the protein that keeps skin looking smooth. Over the years, this can cause fine lines and wrinkles, leading to the appearance of premature aging. Furthermore, sun exposure can increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer such as melanoma or basal cell carcinoma.

Rather than risking serious damage to your skin and health, we strongly recommend that all our patients wear SPF every day, even the occasional cloudy one. Even if you’ve never burned, a good quality broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher can help protect your skin from fine lines, burns and reduce the risk of skin cancer. In addition to sunscreen, packing a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses can help keep your skin protected.

Smooth Away Dead Skin Cells with Exfoliation

What do dust, oil, and sun exposure all have in common? Each of these environmental factors can accumulate on your skin, increasing acne development and premature aging. In drier, hot climates, the skin can over-produce oils that can clog up pores and create unsightly blemishes across an otherwise clear face. Likewise, dust and dried or dead skin cells can cling to your skin throughout long days, keeping your face from looking clear.

Regularly booking professional deep exfoliation treatments like microdermabrasion and chemical peels can help kickstart your skin’s natural healing process, remove dead skin cells and blemishes, and reveal healthy skin. Likewise, adding a daily or weekly exfoliation treatment to your at-home skincare routine can help keep these environmental stressors from accumulating.

Keep Your Skin Beautiful with Dr. Kato

Whether you’re visiting the desert for the first time or are a desert dweller like the rest of us, our team is here to help you keep your skin clear and ageless. In addition to consultations for creating your perfectly personalized skin care regimen, our Palm Springs dermatologist Dr. Kato can help you build a long-term treatment strategy that helps keep your skin looking younger for longer. To learn more about your options, call our team at (760) 610-5558 to schedule your next visit.