Winter Skincare

5 min read

The clocks go back this weekend, signalling the end of British summertime. Of course, any ‘summer’ we had ended a while ago, right? But have you changed your skincare routine accordingly? What you use in the summer is probably not good enough come the shorter nights and colder days of the autumn/winter season.

Just like you change your wardrobe, you need to give your beauty wardrobe a refresh.

There are a few key changes you should think about making. Swap out lighter moisturisers for something richer, more able to cope with the drying out of your skin that occurs in the winter months.

Winter Skincare

This happens, thanks to the colder weather, and the use of central heating, which plays havoc with your skin.

I love a rich moisturizer, because my skin tends to be dry all year round, and Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Riche Crème (£35, aveda.co.uk) containing extract of Salicornia herbacea, a seashore plant with unique hydrating properties.

The same goes for a night cream – try something richer, or try a special night treatment, using it once a week, like an overnight mask, to give your skin a real nourishment boost. Dr Hauschka’s Night Serum (£2Creme de la Mer The Renewal3, marksandspencer.com) featuring apple fruit hydrosol and apple blossom extract tones and refreshes, as well as hydrating.

Apply a thin layer of this at night as well as your night cream to really give your skin a winter skincare boost overnight.

Exfoliation helps at the start of any season change to get rid of the dead skin cells which effect radiance on your skin,” says facialist Emma Hardie.

This doesn’t mean you have to suddenly harshly exfoliate your skin, of course. Perhaps just add a gentle exfoliating cleanser to your routine, like Emma Hardie’s Amazing Face Moringa Foaming Wash (£34, emmahardie.com).

Multi-use products are great – your hair suffers too, so never overlook the chance to add a little bit of oil to your locks. Crème de la Mer has just launched  The Renewal Oil (£155, cremedelamer.co.uk) and this is the multi-use product to end all multi-use products. Containing the miracle broth, which is water-based, this is a dual-phase oil. When you shake it, little bubbles appear, and when applied these ‘pop’ on the skin. You can use this oil alone, and anywhere you like on your body.

You can mix it with any of your products. Try it with handcream for extra nourishment for those hands in the winter. It really is a great product, and although expensive, you just need a tiny drop here and there – don’t go overboard, even though you might want to!

Another multi-use product is a bit of a leftfield one, but I love Sophie La Girafe Baby Protection CrClarins Double Serumeam (£14.99, sophielagirafecosmetics.com). It is essentially for babies, and babies’ bottoms, but it’s just a lovely, rich, natural, gentle cream.

Use it on your hands, any dry patches, as it contains shea butter, lavender and thyme extract, which helps tackle bacteria that can cause eczema and acne. It’s also brilliant on the cheeks in winter to protect them from windburn.

Add a serum to your routine if you don’t already use one. Rich, anti-ageing products are a great winter routine addition. Clarins Double Serum (from £55, clarins.co.uk) is a best-seller for a reason – quite simply, it’s brilliant.

It has 20 plant extracts to stimulate all of the skin’s vital functions. So, it helps to form and reduce the look of fine lines, restores a radiant complexion and makes pores less visible.

Add this to your skincare regime, and you will notice the difference very quickly.

Don’t neglect the body – make sure you religiously use a bodycream in the winter – your skin will thank you for it. Just because those pins are under tights, it doesn’t mean they’re forgotten.

My legs are as dry as a desert riverbed at this time of year if I don’t moisturise, and it’s not a good look!

I love dipping my hands into a tub of body cream, and I do love Origins Comfort Mood Whipped Vanilla Body Souffle (£28, origins.co.uk). It’s a really nice vanilla fragrance, not synthetic, and not too cloying. And it works. This lovely soufflé cream richly moisturises – a joy to use.St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Facial Oil

An old favourite though, is Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion (£30). I find it hard to fault this. The shea butter works wonders on dry skin, and this product does exactly what you want it to do.

For a bit of winter skincare fun, I love the St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Facial Oil (£23, boots.com). You apply this in the morning, just a few drops, and it will develop into a gorgeous glow.

The day before you apply, try to exfoliate, to slough off those dead skin cells. The more you reapply the deeper the tan. The oil nourishes and hydrates as it tans.

Add a lip balm to your routine, use alone, or under your favourite lipstick. Or spend a wee bit more, and go for a lipstick with rich consistency, and top of the range, nourishing ingredients.

Tom Ford’s lipsticks are expensive at £37 each, but they are rich and nourishing and mWinter Skincare Body Careake your skin feel fantastic. And for Christmas, they are launching their Tom Ford Lips and Boys Lipstick (harveynichols.com) range nationwide this year.

These cute little lipsticks are just £27, but have all the goodness of the larger versions, and the colours are FANTASTIC. And there are an incredible 50 to choose from!

Hands suffer the most in the winter. Find a handcream you like, and carry it with you always. And then get another one and leave it on your desk, so you are never without.

I love Bobbi Brown’s Extra Hand Cream (£22, bobbibrown.co.uk). Smells wonderful and packed full of goodness.

And finally, before you go to sleep, apply some fantastic foot cream, and if you want extra nourishment from it, pop on some socks. They’ll keep your tootsies warm on those cold nights, too!

Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream (£23) has worked wonders with my psoriasis, so I can’t fault it. I love to apply it every morning and evening.

 

Make a few changes to your beauty routine –face and body, and your skin will love winter this year!