The onset of winter is tricky when it comes to skin. All of a sudden humidity drops, we spend more time in central heating, and in turn our skin can feel the effects.
The first thing to do is establish if you’re dealing with dryness, dehydration or both. Dryness is more of a skin type whereby it lacks oil, and will typically manifest as feelings of tightness, flaking and discomfort. Dehydrated complexions lack water, and generally have a crepey, lined appearance. Dehydration is more or less a condition that comes and goes, but the two often come as a pair, especially when the mercury drops.
Image credit: Edible Beauty
But the good news is a few simple winter skincare tweaks can make a world of difference. Things like hydrating cleansers, nourishing oils and protective moisturisers are all effective options, you just need to know where to look. So to help you out, we’ve curated six of our favourite clean winter skincare picks – for your brightest, most bouncy winter complexion yet.
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Sometimes caring for dry, fragile skin is as simple as switching out your cleanser. This milky option from Edible Beauty is full of nourishing oils (like coconut, camellia seed, sunflower seed) to gently cleanse and dissolve makeup without impacting the barrier. Massage it into dry skin for at least 30 seconds and remove with tepid water.
If your face is feeling tight when you wake up in the morning, consider adding a sleeping mask to your routine. They’re thicker and often full of occlusive ingredients, so will prevent transepidermal water loss while you snooze. La Mav’s iteration is rich and comforting, thanks to a stellar combination of hyaluronic acid, kangaroo paw, raspberry seed oil, jojoba and macadamia seed oil. Slather it on top of a hydrating serum and you’ll wake up bouncy and plump.
If you’ve tried a stack of skincare options and still feel tight, this facial oil is like liquid gold. It’s a concentrated mix of 23 plant oils (buriti, olive, rosehip, macadamia and marula among them), so not only will it flood the skin with nutrients, but leave you glowy and supple. Use it at night on top of a hydrating, water-based serum for best results.
Switching up your moisturiser come winter is an easy way to get more nourishment into your routine. Try something with added plant oils or butters, like this one from Retreatment Botanics. There’s macadamia, squalane, shea butter and coconut oil to form a bit of a barrier on the skin, to keep the good stuff locked in.
Our hands and body are also prone to drying out over the winter months, so a luxurious cream is necessary. Inika Organic’s one is really rich thanks to the inclusion of several plant oils, but still sinks in quickly with zero residue. Try massaging it in straight after a shower to lock in moisture.
Dry skin in particular lacks oil, so it’s important to replenish via topical products. This serum-oil hybrid from Kylie’s Professional is an incredibly rich blend of camellia, jojoba, kakadu plum, rosehip, sea buckthorn and meadowfoam seed oil (among others), so it’s really effective when it comes to restoring lipids and providing comfort.
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