When the temperature drops and winter arrives along with shorter days and longer nights, chances are it’s more than just your body clock that’s being thrown off kilter. Unfortunately for all of winters seasonal sweeping highs, there are a few less pleasant side effects to note when it comes to the skin – a dry rough texture, chapped lips, and a surface that is sore and sensitive – welcome to the withered skin club. Cold weather is tough on skin as the cold temperatures and low humidity levels result in dry air drawing moisture away from the skin and harsh winter winds and dry indoor heat can make the problem worse causing the skin to flare up and become easily irritated. The good news is that you can adapt your skincare regime and build yourself a winter ‘skinsulation’ wardrobe that combats all of the above and gets your skin back in the glow game.
Lightweight foaming cleansers feel great in the summer when sweat and sebum can be an issue but in winter when things are altogether drier its worth embracing in a milky cleanser which will still leave the skin feeling really clean without sacrificing its protective barrier. Therapie Pureté Mineraux Marins Milk Cleanser has an indulgent creamy formula and harnesses Mineralised Seawater and Sunflower Seed Oil as its main ingredients. This water is especially rich in manganese, zinc and iron which increases the production of collagen and provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection whilst the nourishing effects of Sunflower Seed Oil, an oil very close to our own naturally produced sebum, keeps skin soft and supple. It is a truly pleasurable experience at the beginning and the end of your day, and your complexion will love you for it!
Ask any skincare expert out there and we will all agree that a winter skincare strategy should focus on layering products (Treat your skin like you do your clothing). Layering lets you craft the most appropriate regime for you skin and allows you to address multiple skin concerns with different products at the same time. I love Our Hydra Aura Eclat De Soie Water Crème, a refreshing water cream gel and a versatile skin solution which wears seamlessly into your existing skincare routine whether you are mixing it into an existing serum, adding it to a primer, layering with a mask or using it as the ultimate topcoat. This takes your skin on a major dewiness trip and is brimming with skin strengthening Barbary Fig Extract, moisture imparting marine algae and complexion calming Alpine Skullcap. For me it is a true staple in a winter skin-remedy routine.
When in doubt, add an oil into your skincare wardrobe as they are the perfect antidote to winter skin woes. Face oils are occlusive meaning they seal in moisture and all other ingredients deeply replenishing cells’ reservoirs. Oils are intensely nourishing and used at night-time their benefits are through the roof as they strengthen, protect, and regenerate skin as you sleep so you wake up looking luminous. With its bi-phase formula, Age Benefit Youth Revitalizing Oil Serum is an innovative rejuvenating treatment with the upper phase charged with a medley of lightweight rapidly absorbed oils to nourish the skin and restore vitality whatever your skin type. The lower phase is bursting with age-defying Persian Silk Tree and Chestnut Tree Extract to combat all signs of ageing, whilst the pairing of Vitamin C and Vitamin B3 act like a super-charged shot to promote that lit from within glow. This potent oil serum really restores the complexion to its velvety best.
Exfoliation is the first step to unleashing a smooth and supple skin as sloughing away dead skin cells and dulling surface debris can solve multiple dilemmas such as wrinkles, uneven skin texture and pigmentation to reveal head-turning luminosity. A twice weekly intensive treatment, Peeling Expert Pro-Radiance Anti-aging Gommage is one of the most ‘innovative’ exfoliators on the market and was originally developed purely for the professional salon trolley. Due to its high performance, efficacy, and phenomenal results in Gatineau’s professional anti-aging facial treatments and through sheer client demand it was eventually transported into the retail line-up. Expertly formulated to deliver smooth, soft, and radiant skin in just one treatment this ingenious granular free exfoliator is suitable for all types of ageing skin and because it doesn’t contain ANY granules is also suitable for sensitive and delicate skin types too. Deemed either a quick fix or a luxurious facial treatment this incredible gooey yet indulgent cream is powered by a blend of naturally derived enzymes together with two superpowered oils and it offers so much more than just an exfoliation. A true multi-tasking product which melts away dead skin cells it then doubles up as a youth-boosting face mask that bathes the complexion with an abundance of skincare goodness including refreshing menthol which not only revs up the micro-circulation awakening sluggish skin but restores the complexion vitality and that gorgeous rosy bloom.
And I just love the two techniques in which you can use this wonder product. For time poor: Apply a thin layer to the face, neck and décolleté and massage in until it turns from a glue like/ gum texture to a slightly sloppy texture, then use gentle strokes to buff it off. Watch the dead skin just fall away and then rinse the excess. For that cosy night in: Apply a thick layer to the face, neck and décolleté and leave it to sink into the skin for at least 30 minutes. Once the Gommage becomes translucent loosen the edges and peel the mask off. You will feel like you have lifted the lid on a brand-new skin!
So don’t let winters bite get the better of your skin – a few simple tweaks and a capsule skincare wardrobe will seal the deal on a happy, healthy, and nourished complexion.
Lucy x