[ARTICLE] Lovely Weather for Ruining the Skin

ttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/fashion/30beauty.html
January 30, 2005
Lovely Weather for Ruining the Skin
By ELIZABETH HAYT
WHEN the CNN correspondent Alina Cho reported live from Central Park
about the blizzard last weekend she thought she had prepared for winter's
worst in the most stylish way possible, dressing in a slim–fitting parka,
a synthetic–fur hat from Bergdorf Goodman and a pair of Pucci boots.
But with 10 seconds left before airtime in the pelting snow she suffered
a full–blown beauty breakdown. "The windchill was like zero degrees, and
it was snowing sideways," she explained. "My nose and eyes were running.
In between live shots, I ran to the truck and grabbed napkins, Kleenex
and a MAC compact powder to mop up the mess."
Soggy, dreary and bone–chilling, midwinter is no time for public
appearances. Holiday suntans are fading, bulky clothes are unflattering
and single–digit temperatures are wreaking havoc on lips, hands and
cheeks. Nevertheless dozens of weather–beaten New Yorkers interviewed
last week manage to find salvation in curatives as varied as oatmeal,
olive oil and pedicures.
Of all Arctic weather afflictions parched, flaky skin is by far the most
widespread. Dr. Boni E. Elewski, president of the American Academy of
Dermatology and a professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama
in Birmingham, blamed a combination of three factors: outdoor cold, the
dryness of heated indoor air and the low levels of humidity, which
together deprive skin of its moisture. To ease the condition, she
suggested washing with warm water, rather than hot; adding baking soda or
oatmeal to bath water to soothe itchiness; using mild soaps like Dove or
Neutrogena; applying moisturizer while skin is still damp; and sleeping
with a humidifier on.
"My skin feels shriveled like a prune," said Linda Wells, the editor of
Allure, the beauty magazine. "It's a challenging time." For Ms. Wells,
who has almost limitless access to skin products in her job, the
drugstore brands are what she has come to rely on: "I use Nivea hand
cream and Neutrogena lip balm and a lot of moisurizer, so I'm embalmed
before bed." She also uses Oil of Olay body wash instead of soap. "It
might not be the chicest, but it holds the water right to your skin."
Diane Higgins, a New York facialist, offered an equally no–frills beauty
boost that she applies before parties: the "honey pat." She warms a
teaspoon of ordinary honey on her fingers and applies it all over her
face, tapping it to stimulate circulation and loosen congested pores.
Once it's sticky, she leaves it on for 10 minutes, then washes her face
with tepid water.
"The honey is a natural lactic acid," she explained. "It hydrates, breaks
down dead skin cells and gives a great glow, a pick–me–up."
At an eyepopping $110 an ounce, Crème de la Mer is at the high end of the
market for hope in a jar, but some New Yorkers seem to think it works.
Because the cream is a heavier moisturizer, Dr. Patricia Allen, a New
York gynecologist, uses it only in the winter. "It saves my life," she
said. The singer Vanessa Williams said she carries La Mer hand cream in
her purse and slathers it on throughout the day.
Other popular heavy–duty products include Clinique Repairwear Intensive
Night Cream. Carolyn Millstein of Larchmont, N.Y., who recently recovered
from a two–week bout of the flu, said she uses it as part of her "crisis
oriented" skin care regime, along with Clinique's Anti–Gravity firming
eyelift cream, which she called a "girdle for your skin."
For those seeking a quick fix, the dermatologist is the first stop. "I'm
ready for Pat Wexler," said Sharon Dorram–Krause, head colorist at the
John Frieda salon in New York. "There really is something about the
winter blahs. It's not about buying new shoes. It's cosmetic."
FOR her own clients, Ms. Dorram–Krause suggests lightening the hair
around the face, which offsets its pale appearance in winter. "Contrary
to what we're seeing in Hollywood with all the brunettes at the Golden
Globes," she said, "I think you should go brighter around your face so
you don't look so tired and washed out."
Or you can just brighten your skin tone. Ms. Williams not only uses a
facial bronzer by Cargo, available at Sephora, to achieve a "sun–kissed
look," but also risks the effects of ultraviolet rays by going to a
tanning booth at least once a month during the winter and before
performances.
"Tanning beds," Dr. Fredric Brandt, a cosmetic dermatologist in New York
and Miami, warned, "are the only time you pay someone to look older." He
recommended instead a microdermabrasion treatment to "polish the skin in
order to create a beautiful, smooth canvas before getting a spray–on
tan."
Others turn to exfoliants. "This exfoliating thing has also taken me
over," said Daphne Merkin, a writer in New York. "I'm trying to exfoliate
off winter. I use a two–sided, two–textured luffa. I want to burst
gleamingly from the shower."
For Megan Watkins, the assistant manager of the Chloé boutique on Madison
Avenue at 70th Street, Aveeno cleansing pads do the job just fine and the
price is reasonable. On the other hand, June Haynes, director of retail
for Valentino USA, shells out a few hundred dollars at the Christine Chin
Spa on Rivington Street for a Diamond Peel microdermabrasion treatment
with Green Tea Mask and some skin–care products. "I have to show you my
before and after pictures," she said. "I had these sun spots, and now
they're gone."
Perhaps the most surprising remedy mentioned – and it was mentioned often
– is nail care. "I'm not going to wear open–toed shoes," Ms. Wells said,
"but if I get a manicure and pedicure, I feel like I'm ready for anywhere
even though I won't go anywhere." To strengthen nails, Dr. Elewski, the
dermatology professor at Alabama, tells her patients to soak their
fingertips in olive oil as well as take three milligrams of the vitamin
Biotin a day.
Hair turns dry, limp and static–ridden, Dr. Elewski said, from the use of
blow–dryers, hot rollers and flatirons, which she said squeeze out
moisture, damaging hair cuticles and causing the frizzies. To guarantee
that her long highlighted locks look glossy and smooth Lena Casale, a
personal banker at Chase Manhattan, applies Lancôme's Hair Sensation
Nutrition Intense Extra Rich Conditioning Mask every week. Judy Kerstein,
the director of product development at Zitomer's, called Terax Crema and
René Furterer Karité oil and conditioning cream the "gold standards for
hair conditioning."
But for some the only way to combat the season's assault on style and
beauty is to cover up.
"I'm dry as a desert crack," said Peggy Schneider, the manager of Jiri
Suda, a NoLIta clothing boutique. "I moisturize all day. I don't want to
get out of bed but I have t