Is your skin feeling extra thirsty now that winter has hit?! Ours too. As the cold sets in, dry air, unruly winds and exposure to indoor heaters all suck the moisture from your skin and strip it of its essential oils too (these are needed for a healthy skin barrier function). Adding to the uncomfortable feeling of dry skin, this can also lead to facial redness, skin sensitivities and irritation too.
But winter doesn’t need to be synonymous with dry skin. Let’s winter-proof your skin to keep it happy and healthy with our guide of hydrating and moisturising ingredients!
Tweak your daily skincare routine
We say tweak because you don’t need to case aside your entire routine – just make some seasonal adjustments to your line-up!
- Use a nourishing oil cleanser
Start your skincare routine with an oil cleanser – especially if your skin feels tight or dry after cleansing. An oil cleanser assists to balance oil production, improve the skin’s barrier function to keep moisture locked in and protect the skin’s natural lipid layer – all resulting in softer, healthier and hydrated skin.
We recommend: Clarity: Nourishing Dual-Phase Cleanser
- Swap lotion for a cream
Always use a cream that contains both hydrating and moisturising ingredients to replenish dehydrated and dry skin. Hydrating ingredients add water into the skin, while moisturising ingredients help to seal that hydration into the skin.
Look for these ingredients:
- Humectant (ingredients that draw moisture to the skin) e.g. hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid and lactic acid
- Emollient (ingredients that assist in a healthy skin barrier function) e.g. shea butter, squalene, jojoba oil, camellia oil, vitamin B5
- Occlusive (ingredients that form a layer on the skin to seal water into the skin and block it from escaping) e.g. shea butter, squalene, jojoba oil, camellia oil, vitamin B5
Note: ingredients can act as both an emollient and an occlusive
We recommend Luna Vitality: Restoring Moisture Cream which includes all three key ingredient types including hyaluronic acid (a humectant), camellia oil (an emollient and occlusive) and vitamin B5 (an emollient and occlusive).
- Layer up at bedtime
Mix a facial oil in with your moisturiser! Acting as an emollient and occlusive, a facial oil will add an extra layer of protection to your skin to support a healthy skin barrier function, while also sealing in hydrating ingredients for that much needed level of nourishment. Not only does it blend two steps in one, but you’ll love the radiant glow too!
We recommend: Yester Youth: Regenerating Facial Oil
- Avoid licking your lips
Okay, guilty on this one – it’s so easy to start licking your lips during winter! But licking your lips actually coats them in a layer of your saliva which contains enzymes and chemicals used to digest food in your mouth… actually causing excessive dryness and irritation. So next time you feel the need to lick your lips, coat them in a trust lip balm instead!
We recommend: Luscious: Conditioning Lip Treatment
- Don’t forget your body!
Skincare doesn’t stop at your chin and your body is going to need some extra TLC during winter! Because just like your face, the skin on your body is going to feel extra dehydrated and dry. So, take a few extra minutes each day to add a body lotion and body oil to your routine too.
We recommend:
- Lustre: Renewing Bakuchiol & Champagne Décolletage Lotion
- Sublime: Replenishing Hemp & Probiotic Body Lotion
- Remedy: Calming Hemp Body Oil
- Healer: Protective Hand & Nail Cream
A quick guide to hydrating and moisturising ingredients
- Camellia oil: Restores bounce and elasticity, and forms a barrier that locks moisture into your skin
- Essential fatty acids: Serve as a protective barrier for clearer, soothed and increasingly radiant skin
- Hyaluronic acid: Helps to retain moisture within the skin, creating a plumping effect. It protects, hydrates and supports increased skin cell production
- Squalane: Moisturises and repairs dry, rough skin. Plus, it nourishes, softens, and regenerates skin too
- Vitamin B5 (DL-Panthenol): Binds and holds water within the skin - leaving skin hydrated and supple
And there you have it! Winter care is easy – just focus on nourishment with creams, oils and balms across your face, lips and body too. A few key ingredients will go a long way to keeping your skin healthy and hydrated!
