Looking After Your Skin Through The Colder Months
I know it’s technically still autumn, but there’s certainly a nip in the air isn’t there? Now is a good time to take a look at your skincare routine, to see if you need to give it a bit of a boost. Your skin might be starting to feel a bit dry and thirstier. (Central heating and cold air do take their toll.) So you might need to treat your skin to a bit more TLC.
Cleanse
Women often wear more makeup in the colder months, once that summer glow has faded. So it’s particularly important to take it all off before bed. A good cleanser should gently cleanse it all away in one go, but a double cleanse can help to leave your skin really fresh and clean, so it can breathe properly overnight. Look for a gentle cleaner, that won’t strip away too much natural oil.
Once a week, you might want to treat your skin to an extra nourishing cleanse, using coconut oil. Don’t worry, it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Just warm a small amount of the coconut oil between the palms of your hands, and massage it into slightly damp skin. You can leave it on a little while if you like. Then just wipe it off with a damp muslin cloth.
Exfoliate
It’s important to exfoliate all year round, but particularly in the winter months, when our skin can feel dry and lacklustre. You might want to go for a gentle face scrub, that won’t scratch or irritate your skin. My Face and Body Scrub is triple action. Bamboo stem grains gently exfoliate away dead skin particles. The kaolin clay draws out impurities that are trapped in the pores. And the rice grounds gently polish the skin surface to leave it soft and smooth. It’s gentle enough to use daily, but three times a week is plenty.
Tone
I know Toner can seem like a bit of a faff. But try to find time for it at least twice a week. Ideally, go for a Toner with hyaluronic acid, as it can help to aid cell renewal and keep your skin hydrated.
Moisturise
There is a temptation to reach for heavier creams in the colder months. But they can sometimes be a bit too rich, or block pores. Instead, I suggest sticking to your normal cream, but adding a night cream to your routine. (Daily if you can, or a few times a week if not.) It’ll help to combat the effects of the central heating and winter air. I use oat oils in both my Day and Night Creams, as they help to nourish skin, without being too heavy or greasy.
Treat
Twice a week, treat your skin to some intensive hydration. You could opt for a mask (find a DIY recipe here) or a nourishing oil. I’m still perfecting my facial oil, but in the meantime, my Baby Massage Oil will do the trick. It’s lovely and hydrating and really calming for the senses.
Hands
I know many of my customers suffer from dry, cracked hands during the winter. Try swapping to a gentler soap or handwash, that doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulphate. Keep hands cosy in gloves when you go out, and work in a rich hand cream a couple of times a day.
Body
Ah winter woollies! I know how tempting it is to cover up and ditch the body lotion for a few months. Do try to massage a cream in at least once a week though, ideally after exfoliating in the bath or shower. My Body Lotion absorbs quickly, so you won’t have to shiver naked in the cold for too long I promise!