The weather hasn’t changed drastically, but my skin is already protesting by getting drier, more sensitive and generally needier. But with a little care and some changes to my routine I can minimise the damage done and soothe my cranky skin. Here are top tips and product suggestions for the cooler months:
1. No foaming cleansers
The easiest and most effective thing to do for a winter skincare routine is to change how you clean your face. It’s the first step to protecting the skin and ensuring natural oils aren’t stripped away. Those on the drier side could particularly benefit from moving to balm and oil cleansers that will strengthen skin and keep moisture locked in.
Combination and oily skin can pick from light cream cleansers and gel cleansers (that don’t foam up), which give much-needed hydration but won’t leave a heavy residue or clog pores. This is not to say that oily skin can’t tolerate balms and oils, just FYI. Suggestions: Pixi Beauty Double Cleanse and Ren Clean Skincare Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk.
2. Heavy hydration
It’s not rocket science that winter calls for heavier creams; light, summer gel moisturiser simply isn’t going to cut it. However, it’s a bit difficult trying to find a cream that that’s packed with hydrating ingredients but won’t leave you feeling like a greaseball. The trick is to apply the cream very thinly and let it sink into the skin before adding anything on top. As someone with combination skin, I’ve found that my skin produces less oil if the skin is hydrated well, than if I skip moisturiser. Suggestions: Weleda Skin Food.
3. Layering at night
Applying multiple thin layers of skincare, such as toners and serums, and topping it all off with an emollient lotion or moisturiser ensures that all the hydration you’ve put on, stays on and works through the night. Layers don’t have to mean an excessive amount of steps or products.
It could just mean slapping on your usual hydrating toner, waiting a few seconds, and putting on an extra layer. The topmost layer could also be your regular cream applied with a heavier hand. A trick that I use is to wait for an hour or two after my night-time skincare routine and touch my skin to see if I can feel the products. If everything has completely sunk it, I’ll apply a tiny bit more cream or serum. It’s like a mask of hydration without buying more products.
4. Lip balm
One of the first victims when temperatures drop is the delicate skin of the lips. It’s mostly caused by constant lip licking that comes with our natural instinct to moisten the lips. My biggest suggestion is to stay away from petroleum jelly-based balms because they’re just not hydrating enough.
Pick products that contain beeswax and natural butters and oils, which protect the lips from weather conditions, prevents moisture loss by acting as a barrier and hydrates deeply. Suggestions: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Levres - Barrier Repairing Balm.
