Winter Skincare regime
Have you changed your skincare regime this winter? If the answer is ‘no’, then tut tut to you! You really should change your regime in the winter. Your skin needs a little bit more TLC when the weather isn’t great, the central heating is up higher, and we all feel a little bloated and lifeless after a long festive season.
Make simple changes, with just one or two products, and you will feel the benefits. And, if you can, it’s the perfect time to take up some fab 5pm offers and indulge in just a little skin pampering at a salon.
I’ve upped the ante with my moisturiser, to really nourish my skin, because in the harsh cold my dry patches can get really bad. I had never heard of Anne Semonin before, but wow, I am a convert. I can’t tell you how much I love the Anne Semonin Extreme Comfort Creme (£68, annesemonin.com and Liberty). It has the consistency and thickness of an old-school cold cream, and it nourishes like nothing I’ve known before.
It is formulated with Macadamia Nut Oil to nourish and moisturise, Beeswax to soften skin and protect the skins barrier, and seaweed extract to stimulate cell regeneration. It also contains soya oil, sunflower seed oil and Vitamin E to sooth, smooth and repair the skin. Use it in the morning (I’ve been mixing it with a little of Creme De La Mer’s The Renewal Oil), and if your skin is dry and sensitive you will notice a difference immediately.
Other rich moisturisers that are worth checking out when you need a nourishment boost include Benefit’s Total Moisture Facial Cream (£29.50, benefitcosmetics.co.uk) which contains mango butter, a natural plant-based emollient known to provide moisture, and L’Occitane’s Shea Butter range is another good place to start.
The L’Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream (£26, L’Occitane) is formulated with 5% shea butter, which will help normal to combination skin, as well as sensitive skin types, giving you at least 48hours of moisturisation.
Crystal Clear Intense Anti-Ageing Serum (£60, crystalclear.co.uk) is a brilliant change to your skincare regime if you are looking for nouirhment and anti-ageing properties. 
It intensely hydrates skin with shea butter and extract of olive oil, while Norgel, a water binding agent, locks in moisture.
Precious stone Tourmaline performs a light exfoliation, reviving skin radiance. This is the secret of all Crystal Clear products – they all have exfoliating properties, perfect for when your skin needs a little bit more care.
Use this under your regular moisturiser for an extra boost.
If you don’t already use a nightcream, then consider yourself scolded, and start using one now! Your skin gets huge benefit from nightcream. if you think you will forget to apply, keep it on your bedside table so you don’t.
Clinique have just launched their Superdefense Night Recovery Moisturizer (£42, clinique.co.uk), an overnight recovery cream that does the hard work while skin is at rest.
A blend of key ingredients help strengthen skin’s moisture barrier, while also stimulating natural collagen and elastin production whilst you sleep.
It contains Murumuru butter, Soybean protein and chlorella vulgaris – to help nourish and stimulate the skin’s collagen and elastin.
Ole Henriken’s Empower range is brilliant if you are just starting to experience signs of ageing. (I’ve been there, it hurts!). This daily skincare routine offers a surge of moisture, but it’s in a featherweight way, as well as an antioxidant boost.This skincare will tackle dullness, dehydration, fatigue, uneven skin tone and loss of radiance, all while fortifying the skin’s barrier and protecting it from damaging free radicals.
That’s thanks to ingredients like Arctic Cloudberry, packed with vitamin C to fend off free radical damage, Nordic Cotton, an Omega-6 powerhouse, delivering weightless hydration, and White Willow Bark, which has mild exfoliating properties.The products you should look for are Foaming Milk Cleanser (£20) and Featherweight Moisturizer (£38), available from John Lewis, lookfantastic.com, Harvey Nichols.
Finally, I’ve been trying to capture the healthy glow back into my tired January skin with Chanel’s new foundation, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation SPF25 (£36, Chanel counters). And it should be working. The Chanel laboratories studied the specific characteristics of a natural healthy glow, and this analysis led to the creation of the Healthy Glow Booster.
This singular titanium dioxide absorbs light rays to reflect their white component and transmit their red component through skin for reflection on the skin’s surface. The result is a fresh and slightly rosy halo. This very unique mineral pigment is joined by carefully selected soft focus powders to even out and embellish the complexion with a sheer finish.
It contains kalanchoe extract, known for its ability to adapt to different climates, it boasts hydrating and antioxidant qualities and encourages skin oxygenation. Combined with SPF 25 UV sunscreen, it provides skin with optimal protection. And, it looks fantastic on. This has lifted my complexion, and my spirits, this January! Try it!
What’s your winter skincare regime?
