For most of us, our daily skincare regime is as routine as brushing our teeth. And while well-established habits make it easy for us to accomplish a task, as the weather changes, it’s important to re-examine what you’re using on your skin to be sure it’s right for what you need at the moment.
When we turn on the heating and start wearing scarves and gloves outside, your skin needs extra protection as well. In the colder months, there is less moisture in the air, which means skin dries out more quickly. The light moisturiser you used during the warmer months of summer will not provide enough support when temperatures drop.
To avoid that telltale tight feeling on your face, use a richer moisturiser at night to comfort your skin as it repairs and rebuilds during the hours of darkness. And even if temperatures haven’t become arctic yet, now is the time to introduce a richer moisturiser, to prevent that winter skin feeling.
Depending on your skin type and how serious your winter weather, sometimes, a thicker moisturiser isn’t enough and this is when I recommend adding a facial oil to your routine. Just a couple drops applied directly to your skin or cocktailed with your moisturiser can help keep your skin feeling soft.
As the daylight hours shrink, our face isn’t the only place that can start to feel dry. Ever find your legs go a bit reptilian? One way to combat this is to dry brush before your bath or shower. This helps to manually exfoliate your skin, removing the dry bits and revealing fresher, more hydrated skin.
Another option I like when my legs are flaking is to mix a bit of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with my body oil after a shower, once or twice a week. AHAs offer chemical exfoliation and when combined with lotion or oil will remove dead skin while moisturising. If this multi-task option sounds appealing, check out these body lotions from Nip + Fab, Vichy or Avene.
Autumn and winter months mean that I am never far from hand cream and lip balm. I’ve got options stashed everywhere as these areas dry out first for me. I apply early and often to stay ahead of chapped skin. For hand cream, I’m currently loving this unscented facial moisturiser from Embroylisse. It's lightweight and absorbs quickly. When I want a bit of scent, I love these options from The Body Shop and Rituals.
My favourite lip balms include Nivea, Nuxe and Hourglass. And I recently discovered that the much-lauded rose balm from By Terry is available in a tube, which I prefer for on-the-go application. I love the slight sparkle it gives my lips!
These are my cold weather helpers. What are yours?