Winter Sun

How to beat the Winter itch and put a little Spring back into skin
The coldest season of the year brings with it issues for the skin. Dry, hot air in homes and meeting rooms, combined with low humidity and freezing temperatures outside can dry out the skin, particularly on the hands, feet and lips. According to Euromonitor, the skin care market in Ireland was worth 122.4m in 2012, an increase of 107.4m since 2007, of which facial care accounted for sales of 91.1m and body care accounted for sales of 27.6m. Knowledgeable counter assistants, attractive, well placed displays and education days in pharmacy will always encourage extra sales in the skin care category. Olivia O Reagan, pharmacist and owner of Foodys Pharmacy, Ballina, which holds in-store skin care education days said; People with problematic skin usually are very perplexed about the number of products that are available on the market. Generally, they tend to spend a lot of money on the

newest products to try to cure their skin conditions and they hardly ever receive any advice on the type of products which could help them with their skincare problems. She continued, Dermo-skincare brands are available in pharmacies across the country and many of the staff are trained how to meet the customers needs. The in-store days that we hold really do help our customers. We hold forums in an environment where people are not pressurised to buy skincare products but they are able to engage closely with professionals about their problems. From a business point of view, it is essential to build up trust with the customers and, if customers receive the correct advice they generally purchase product afterwards. In addition, our customers nd it extremely

valuable to be able to talk to our pharmacists, particularly when they come in with problems, such as are-ups and other difcult skin conditions because it saves them going to the doctors. SUN SCREEN The National Health and Medical Research Council has conducted some research regarding the benets of using sunscreen all your round and, after four years, participants, who applied sunscreen on a daily basis showed less skin ageing than those who used sunscreen on a discretionary basis. Customers, who want to slow the ageing of their skin should be

advised to use rich moisturisers, containing high SPFs on a daily basis. Many people forget they can get just as burnt on ski-ing holidays as they can during the summer months when the suns rays are generally at their highest. This is because people do not realise that they are nearer the sun at the tops of mountains. Anyone coming in to the pharmacy who is going ski-ing should be advised to take high SPFs with them and they should be

48

warned that the sun can not only damage the skin but also cause skin cancers. To bring the message home, customers could be reminded that the sun is the most common cause of cancer in Australia these days. VITAMIN D The Food Safety Authority Ireland (FSAI) recommends the Irish should consume 5 g vitamin D per day for children and for adults, especially during the winter months when there is little or no direct sunlight. Apparently, the Irish rarely eat foods containing any vitamin D whatsoever, and this is especially so during the winter months. Therefore, vitamin D supplements should be recommended to all customers, and more especially to the at-risk groups, such as pregnant women and children aged 12 months to four years. DRY HANDS Hand care products perform well in the Irish skin care market. In 2012, the category was worth 3.7m. Very dry, cracked hands can be a symptom of severe dermatitis or eczema. In both circumstances, ointments, emollients and oily creams can be recommended. There are many products which are available to deal with severely cracked hands but, if the condition is really bad, a visit to the GP could be recommended because the condition would improve more quickly with a course of steroids.

Staff should be aware of the products, which are created specifically for eczema and very dry skin, such as emulsifying ointments that can be meltedin the bath as a soap substitute.

Selene Daly, a dermatological nurse from Sligo said, Dry hands can be a problem in winter. Using leather gloves as a barrier method can dissipate cracking and drying out. Patients with eczema should avoid wearing woollen gloves because they can irritate the condition and, in addition they will not block out the cold effectively. A greasy hand cream is an essential part of the winter skin care routine for everyone, regardless of whether they have a skin care condition or not. Naturally, everyone should be advised to always wear rubber gloves when washing up, winter, spring, summer and autumn. LIP CARE Cold sores or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) are very common during the winter months, due to lowered immune systems. One in ve people in Ireland suffer from HPV. The Irish market for cold sores was worth 4.3m last year, an increase of almost 1m from 2007. Most cold sores resolve themselves after seven to 10

days but there are many anti viral solutions on the market that can speed up the healing process, while relieving pain and discomfort. HPV often reoccurs so it is advisable to tell customers to keep a treatment with them at all times, so they can use it immediately the tingling feeling is felt. SKIN CONDITIONS Daly also said that psoriasis and eczema symptoms worsen during the winter months. Patients with these conditions should increase their use of soapfree products and moisturisers, she continued. Inevitably they will need to use some form of topical steroid during this period. While topical steroids have earned themselves a bad name in recent times, they remain the mainstay treatment for conditions such as eczema. Compliance is the most important factor with topical steroid therapy. The pharmacist is in a good position to educate customers on the correct usage of this type of therapy. Humidity levels are also very important and should be kept between 30% to 50% during the winter months. Therefore, it might be a good idea to stock and sell humidiers for those sufferers with severe cases of eczema or psoriasis. ECZEMA Weather is a common trigger for those who suffer from eczema, said Jeanette Brazel, Director with the Irish Skin Foundation. When the skin becomes dry and irritated, eczema can are up. Cold weather means that many homes will be turning up their central heating, causing the air to become dry, which will cause the skin to become rough, aky and itchy, causing skin irritation and, in extreme cases, eczema. The skin can also become exacerbated by wearing heavy clothing made of materials which will irritate the skin. Pharmacists will be familiar

with the importance of a daily care regime for eczema patients, involving bathing with a product specically created for severe dry skin and this should be followed up with a good moisturiser for the whole body after bathing. Very often a severe are-up needs more than emollient therapy to get it under control. Staff should be aware of the products, which are created specically for eczema and very dry skin, such as emulsifying ointments that can be melted in the bath as a soap substitute, as well as being applied after bathing as a leave-on emollient. Silcocks base is a lighter product and is a traditional skin cream or base that can be used as both a skin moisturiser and soap substitute cleanser for the face and body. The Irish Skin Foundation also said that the use of an aqueous cream, which is not an emollient if left on the skin can cause eczema. The cream was created initially as a soap substitute but it is not recommended for use if it contains sodium lauryl sulphate. PSORIASIS Because of the lack of sunlight during the winter, phototherapy could be a solution for psoriasis. However, the use of sun beds is not advised, due to the high risk of skin cancer, which is associated with them. Psoriasis can be intensied by the consumption of alcohol, stress and an unhealthy diet. Topical treatments, together with a stringent skin care regime should be encouraged and, as always compliance with all treatment is essential for positive outcomes. The winter season tends to bring with it not just coughs and colds but severe air ups of the skin and many of these could be avoided by regular use of specialised skincare preparations and a daily moisturising programme.

50