Ok so it’s technically Autumn but we winter is most certainly coming. In fact, for us here in London it feels likes it’s already arrived. Whilst there are many fabulous things to look forward to in winter (like Hygge and Christmas), dry skin and dull looking skin is not one of them. Fear no more, we’ve put together this skin-saving winter skincare guide. With these simple tips only a few products, you can have soft and glowing skin to see you into spring.
Face & Neck
Daily Winter Skincare Routine
By now you should know exactly how easy it is to put together a fuss-free beauty routine entirely personalised to suit you. Cleansing on a daily basis (morning and night time) is equally important in the winter. We always advocate double cleansing (especially in the evening). Firstly, start with a good cleansing oil like the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil to remove makeup and de-clog pores. Follow up with a conditioning cleanser like Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser to clean and hydrate skin at the same time. Toning is also important to achieve fresh glowing skin. For winter, try to use a more gentle hydrating toner like Simple’s Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner which has Vitamin B.
Moisturising the clean and fresh skin will help hydrate and protect it from moisture loss. In addition to an intensely hydrating moisturiser, choose one with Vitamins C for softer and more radiant skin throughout the gloomy months. Medik8’s C-Tetra is a rich cream which contains Vitamins C and E as well as hyaluronic acid to brighten and smoothe any skin type. If you prefer to keep your current moisturiser, then you can always purchase a separate Vitamin C serum like the Medik8 CE Tetra to use underneath.
Winter doesn’t mean you can slack off on sun protection. In fact, our skin is just as at risk of UV damage in the winter as it is in summer. You can either use a moisturiser with SPF in it already or if you prefer, use a separate sunscreen. For the latter, use a light and hydrating SPF like the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light Fluid SPF 50+.
Weekly Add-On
The above routine is essentially everything that you need to do to have soft and healthy looking skin all winter. If you want to up your game a little then add in a couple steps once a week (or even every other week if you’re truly pressed) to get glowing skin. Exfoliating and masking will remove dead skin, rehydrate and nourish your skin. Luckily, you can combine these steps with Ren’s Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. It contains a cocktail of four AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) to resurface skin and make it more radiant.
Specialist Skin Boosting Treatments
Winter is a great time to also have any advanced skin treatments that you’ve been wanting to try. If you’re keen to give your skin a bit of a boost or want to focus on targeting a specific skin concern, try a clinical skin treatment. These include chemical peels which resurface the skin, collagen induction therapy which stimulates collagen production or hyaluronic acid dermal fillers which help hydrate and restore lost facial volume. If you’re considering any of these treatments, its worth remembering that you can get the most benefit of you have dedicated course of 3 spaced about 4-6 weeks apart (ie try to plan it around your schedule).
Lips
Our poor lips tend to get a bit of a rough time during the winter. The combination of wind, cold and indoor heating can leave lips dried out, rough and even chapped. Use a lip scrub like the e.l.f lip scrub exfoliator twice a week. Regularly moisturise with a product like Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm from Burt’s Bees. These two winter skincare steps will keep your lips smooth and soft all season.
Rest Of The Body
It’s easy to slack off with the rest of your body since we spend the winter wrapped up in layers. Legs can be safely hidden under trousers and tights. So no one needs to know right? Wrong! If you look after your skin during the winter, you will have a soft and gorgeous appearing body which can make this time of year seem a little less depressing. It also makes it much easier come the spring and summer since you don’t have to do much to improve.
As with the skin on our face, it’s important to cleanse, hydrate and exfoliate the skin on your body. A daily exfoliating wash like St Ives Smooth & Glow Apricot Exfoliating Body wash will soften and brighten dull skin. Follow up with a rich moisturiser like St Ives Acai, Blueberry & Chia Seed Oil Lotion for softer and glowing skin.
On a weekly basis, it worth using a scrub like the Grounded Grapefruit Coffee Scrub. This awesome scrub gets rid of dry, dead and flaky skin with brown sugar and sea salt. It also contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Sweet Almond Oil in order to brighten and moisturise skin. Finish with a rich cream with containing skin hydrators like hyaluronic acid, glycerin or body butters (e.g Shea and cocoa butter). Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Body Cream is great if you have super dry skin as it has skin exfoliating acids. For intense hydration, try Dermalogica Ultrarich Body Cream which contains Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E.
Last but not least, don’t forget winter skincare for your hands and feet. For gorgeous hands, use your exfoliating face mask once a week. Daily use of a rich hydrating moisturiser like Molton Brown’s Orange & Bergamot Replenishing Hand Cream will keep your mitts moisturised. If you follow both these steps, you’ll enjoy silky smooth throughout winter. Few people haven’t experienced the dreaded dinosaur foot! The good news is that you can banish cracked and dry feet using your body scrub once a week. For a daily foot moisturiser, go for an intensive lotion like Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Foot Magic which also contains Vitamin E.
Right, that’s our no-nonsense winter skincare survival guide for your skin. Follow these simple steps and you can enjoy smooth and glowing skin for the entire winter. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog for more fuss-free beauty advice. Also, let us know in the comments how you get on with these steps (or if you have your own!). If you’ve tried any of these or have other products you recommend please let us know in the comments below!!
What next?
If you fancy learning a bit more about chemical peels then check out our insider’s guide to chemical peels.More on how to do your own bespoke facial and gentle DIY chemical peels this way.
