How to winter-proof your skin!

As winter drags on, and we’re battered by yet another barrage of arctic temperatures and gale force winds, it’s tempting to hole up inside and turn the heating on full. But what about our skin?

As if sleepless nights up with restless babies and poorly kids wasn’t enough of a challenge to our beauty regime, the cold and damp winter weather can still strip our skin of its natural moisture barrier and cause the top layer to dry and flake off. And the Sahara-like dryness of the average centrally-heated home and office doesn’t help much either.

Thankfully beauty and makeup pro Pamela Moss is here to share her expert tips on keeping your skin dewy and youthful-looking – even if you feel very far from dewy and youthful inside!

How to winter-proof your skin

Here’s Pamela’s simple five-step plan to winter proof your skin and take you from flaky to fabulous:

  1. Have cooler showers – no matter how cold it is in the morning, resist the urge to turn up the heat in your shower. Long soaks in hot water actually dry skin even more, so try to use tepid water and cut down on your rinse time.
  2. Exfoliate often – regularly exfoliating will also help.  Use a gentle exfoliant like Dermalogicas Daily Microfoliant to slough off dead skin cells and keep your skin looking smooth.  For your body use a buffing cloth or gentle scrub, but don’t rub too hard – you’ll only be damaging the skin you are trying so hard to keep healthy.
  3. Moisturise well – for most people, upgrading to a slightly heavier moisturiser, or using a concentrated hydrating serum under your current mosituriser, should help guard the skin against chilly weather. Finish off with lashings of body moisturiser, look for body oils or dry skin formulas – they’re made for all the heavy duty help you need. My favourite is The Sanctuary’s Body Moisture Spray.
  4. Use sunscreen – don’t forget your sunscreen. Even in dull weather we still need to protect our skin from daylight’s ageing rays. A minimum of SPF 15 is a must.
  5. Spritz away – try a hydrating spritz throughout the day. These are designed to be used over the top of makeup during the day to keep your skin hydrated and are perfect for keeping in your handbag or at the office. Try The Body Shops Vitamin E Face Mist.

And lastly, put on your favourite lipstick. There’s nothing like it to perk you up on a dull day!

By Pamela Moss from the Mode Academy of Makeup.