OurHealthNetwork.com's leading facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. John Rachel, offers tips for managing acne and dry facial skin during the winter.

Des Plaines, Illinois (PRWEB) January 23, 2008 -- When the weather outside is "frightful," better begin preparing for the "dry skin season," especially if you suffer from acne. Whether your dry skin problems are seasonal or year-round, certain acne medications make the skin even drier. This, in addition to the cold dry air and biting winds of winter, can cause real problems for acne sufferers. When skin becomes exceedingly dry, there is an increase in the number of dead skin cells present. Dead skin cells clog pores, which in turn leads to acne breakouts. "An ounce of prevention" will keep your skin soft and comfortable, and help you beat the discomfort and pain caused by dry, irritated acne-prone skin.

Chirally Correct Cosmeceuticals

Sircuit Skin products have made a name for themselves among the Hollywood A-list set thanks to a novel formulation approach known as Chiral technology. Derived from the Greek word "chir," which means "hand," the technology refers to a mirror image phenomenon frequently found in nature (e.g., human hands, eyes and feet are identically opposite, mirror images of each other). Sircuit’s full product line is built on a "Chirally Correct" molecule theory and are promised to pair perfectly with the skin’s cells to produce "only the positive effects of each ingredient or nutrient, while virtually eliminating any adverse reactions," thus restoring purity and alignment to the skin on a molecular and cellular level. When a product is "Chirally Correct," it implies that it contains only the molecules with the ability to give the desired results, according to Michael Wolfgeher, president of the Los Angeles, CA-based company, who cited vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, as an example.

Ease the pain of winter-ravaged lips

Anyone who's said it doesn't hurt to smile must not have had chapped lips.

Chapped lips are basically an infl ammation of the lip itself and can occur for a variety of reasons, including exposure to wind, dry air, cold temperatures and the sun, said Stephanie Burleson, family medical physician with Utica Park Clinic Jenks.

“Chapped lips can be a big problem when they get sore. They can interfere with eating, drinking, talking or other types of everyday things," she said.

Breathing problems such as asthma that cause people to breath out of their mouth more than their nose can also trigger chapped lips, as can some medications.

“Medications for acne, like Accutane, are notorious for drying lips," Burleson said.

Heaters also affect the lips by causing the air to dry out.