Time of… Cold Weather Season: How to Protect the Skin 2016/12/07

Its important to always protect our skin, but when the first cold weather seasons arrive we must take some additional precautions, especially if its about our children.

Premise: but what is the skin made of?

The skin is the largest organ of our body and it can cover up to a 2 square meter surface in adults and it separates our body from the outside world.

It’s a barrier capable of reacting to any type of stimulus: pain, pressure, temperature and its strongly connected to the psyche.

The skin is composed by 3 layers:

- Epidermis: it’s the superficial and weatherproof layer where the cells are born continuously.

- Dermis: it’s a tissue rich in nerve endings, thermal and tactile receptors, capillary roots, sweat and sebaceous glands.

- Hypodermis: layer composed by adipose tissue, which has a thermal regulating function.

Without a doubt cold is an enemy of the skin, but temperature changes, stress, smog also turn out to be very hostile.

A newborn’s skin is 5 times thinner than that of and adult, therefore, its also 5 times more delicate, which is why mayor precautions are required.

Around 6 years old the skin completes its maturity and becomes “adult”, except the sebaceous glands: they must wait for the typical hormonal changes between 11-13 years old.

So, what should we do to protect the skin of our children?

Covering the children well from the cold and applying hydrating and calming cream on the most exposed parts, like the face and hands. On the mouth you can use cacao butter.

Even before going to bed we can take on the habit of applying moisturizer to ourselves, since at night the skin absorbs the product better.

As always, remember these tips are purely informative. You can ask for information to your pediatrician or a trustworthy pharmacist about the specific products.