Should we change our skincare for winter?

If you tend to have dry skin, swap from a foaming or gel cleanser to a cream or milky cleanser that helps encourage the skin to retain moisture. If you have oily or combination skin, reduce the number of times you use a gel or foaming cleanser and instead use a cream cleanser a few times a week, this will help make sure you are not over stripping the skin of its natural oils. Double cleansing at night with a nourishing cleansing balm and then following with a cream cleanser is a great way to nourish and hydrate the skin whilst thoroughly removing any make-up, impurities and excess oil without drying out the skin.

Exfoliating our skin is an essential step in removing dead skin cells. These dead cells can sit on the surface of our skin and can prevent our skincare products from penetrating deep into the skin, reducing the benefits. Dead skin cells can also leave our skin looking dull, so effective exfoliation improves how radiant your skin looks and feels. Cell renewal slows down in winter, which means dead skin cells stay on your skin longer than they should, making it look dull and lacklustre. Using either a chemical exfoliator or a physical exfoliator helps remove these dead skin cells and encourages a healthy skin barrier during colder months. However, it is a delicate balance. Over-exfoliation can cause your skin to become dry and flakey whilst making your skin more sensitive, causing redness and increasing breakouts. With this in mind, most skin types benefit from exfoliation two to three times a week. Use a gentle and mild exfoliator, either chemical or physical, to keep your skin bright, glowing and smooth.

Changing your usual moisturiser to a slightly thicker, more nourishing moisturiser helps to skin ensure it’s getting the hydration and moisture it needs. It’s just as important for oily and combination skin too, even applying a slightly heavier moisturiser at night will help ensure a healthy skin barrier.

Facial oils offer an extra layer of protection for your skin to help strengthen the skin barriers and lock in hydration by preventing water loss. There are so many great facial oils out there that are derived from potent natural oils that boast anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hydrating and soothing properties, there’s one for every skin type! Face oils can be added to your moisturiser or applied after serum or over your moisturiser to lock in all the benefits of your serums and moisturiser. Facial oils help create a protective barrier, keeping the toxins out and trapping the hydration in which helps ensure a healthy skin barrier which in turn ensures healthy skin.