By BR Amelia
As much as I adore dressing up in coats and hats, gloves and scarfs and going for a walk in the fresh winter air, my skin hates me for it. Whilst in summer my skin behaves itself, in winter it dries out like a piece of bacon left too long in the oven, and from what I saw in the forum recently I’m not the only BR Babe to experience this.
So what are we girls to do? Well, crack into some new skincare of course! (Any excuse, right?!) … And there are a few not-do-dos we need to keep in mind too.
The key things you need to think about in order to maintain hydrated skin over winter are moisturisation, exfoliation, and avoidation. Yeah, that last one’s not a word, but I was on a roll.
Obviously if your skin is screaming out for moisture you’ll want to give it some. But what kind? Should you reach for the thickest moisturiser you can find? Yes and no. A thicker moisturiser is all well and good, but you need to make sure that it’s still appropriate for your skin type – in other words if you’ve oily skin and it’s feeling drier look for a richer moisturiser suited for oily skin, because a moisturiser for dry skin could cause your skin to get even oilier.
So what should you be looking for in a winter moisturiser? Keep an eye out for one that features hyaluronic acid as it keeps moisture in while plumping up the skin. At night you can apply a richer moisturiser, and if it has a retinol or Alpha-Hydroxy-Acid component, all the better as it will help to increase cell turnover.
If you haven’t already, add a serum into the mix, like Antipodes Hosanna Serum, which is specifically designed to hydrate the skin while improving the skin’s appearance. You can even layer your skincare, with a serum and then an oil for an extra-hydrating boost. Argan or jojoba oil are ideal.
Up your exfoliation – but not too much – you don’t want to leave your skin irritated, you just want to ensure that cell turnover is on the up, removing old cells and revealing fresh new ones. Check out Za’s True White Exfoliating Clay – an amazing two-in-one exfoliant and mask product that is designed to clarify and brighten your skin whilst unclogging pores. Brilliant!
Oh and you know how some of us have a slight addiction to lip balms? Winter is the time to apply them with gusto in order to avoid cracked lips. (That’s a great excuse to buy another couple to have around the house, in the car or at work!)
So what should you not do if you want to avoid dry skin? You know how when it’s cold and you hop into the shower and you just stand there with the scalding hot water streaming down over you for as long as possible? You might want to stop doing that, as the hot water depletes your skin of its natural oils. (Hear that sobbing? Yeah, that’s me, oh how I love my long hot showers… but not anymore…) Keep your showers speedy, and don’t forget to moisturise as soon as you’ve gotten out and dried off to ensure you’ve trapped in all the moisturiser's hydrating properties. Another tip to help stave off dry skin is to not turn your heater up full bore. And if your skin is getting really bad consider investing in a humidifier in order to keep the air around you moist and your skin hydrated. Lastly put aside your facial and body foaming cleanser until the weather warms up again and swap it for a cream cleanser, as it’s gentler on the skin.
So are you suffering dry skin? Have you found a holy grail product that we all need to know about? Sharing is caring!
Definitely guilty of hot showers and just slathering moisturising products onto my face. I do find that having a dehumidifier works really well - it absorbs excess moisture from the room leaving it drier and slightly warmer, so you don't have to use the heater as much and won't dry out your skin. Your body will also be better because of the drier enrironment.