The Ultimate Cold Weather Skin Cheat Sheet

Freezing temperatures,  frost on the ground and your skin is suffering.  Soothe your dry, itchy skin with a serious hydrating regime to keep things supple and healthy.  

It doesn't have to be complicated or fiddly, here are my top tips for keeping your skin soft, supple and radiant.

The bottom line is that colder air holds less moisture than warm air and factor in the central heating  and there's a good chance your skin is going to rebel.

Dry, itchy skin isn't fun but there's lots you can do that will make a difference.

It's all about hydration levels..

To stay hydrated, skin pulls moisture out of the air, which is a problem in colder weather when the humidity reduces. 

To make things worse, as our skin ages, its natural oil producing capabilities slow down makes it more difficult for dry skin cells to slough off resulting in flaky skin. 

To prevent a rather unattractive skin snow storm effect, invest in a gentle exfoliation treatment, but one which will boost hydration levels with natural oils. 

Give our Honey & Rose Exfoliation Treatment a go.  (Bonus - it will leave your skin smelling beautiful).  

I stress this should be GENTLE!  Scrubbing your skin raw is not going to help.

Steaming hot water is not your friend

Cut back on the super hot baths and showers. 

Spending too much time wallowing in steaming hot water, though a tempting option when you're freezing, will ultimately further strip the oils from your skin.  

If you have to do the toe-dip dance lowering yourself into the bath inch by inch, it's too hot!

Get clever with oil and water

 If you can't live without a bath, it being the only time you get 5 minutes to yourself in a locked room (and I do understand)  go for a beautiful aromatherapy bath oil which will hydrate and soothe your skin and leave you smelling fabulous at the same time.  

Try our Soothing Bath & Shower Oil which contains a generous shot of calendula infused oil which naturally fixes all those sore bits.  

DIY Essential Oils

If you fancy a spot of DIY, add a few drops of essential oil and tailor the scent to something you love - lavender for a beautifully relaxing soak, ylang ylang and jasmine for a touch of the exotic, or grapefruit or juniper for a revitalising treatment.  

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, throw in a pint of milk or a scoop of dried milk powder and you will come out with skin so soft, the angels will weep.

Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise!

Slather on a serious moisturiser. 

I am a big fan of oils,  but the trick is finding the right product that works for you. These are some of my favourite oils for dry, sensitive, skin.

Applying Body Oil  while your skin is damp after a shower takes 5 seconds but packs a real punch in terms of effectiveness;  it seals in moisture, removes the need for a separate body lotion and leaves a subtle scent - win, win!

The Best Ingredients for Dry, Dehydrated Skin

Natural plant butters are naturally repairing and form a protective barrier on the skin to guard against moisture loss and soften skin.  Think butters like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter.

Humectants to Drive Moisture

Ingredients like honey and glycerine are humectants which mean they attract moisture and draw it into the skin.  Just watch out for the synthetic stuff like propylene glycol which isn't going to help.

The Right Plant Oils for Dry Skin

This sounds a little odd, surely all oils are good for dry skin?  Natural plant oils are not going to damage your skin, but some are better equipped to hydrate when temperatures drop.  In particular oils rich in oleic acid will work best, these have a richer feel and will in turn moisturise more deeply.  Think avocado oil, argan oil, camellia oil, hazelnut oil.  Check out my guide to the best plant oils by skin type.

Layer your Skincare

For your face, especially if your skin is on the sensitive side, go for ingredients that are natural and super gentle.  

Think about layering products together, I like to use a base layer with the super nourishing Facial Essence with Rose & Blackcurrant and then either the Radiance Cream over the top or the Intensive Balm with Marshmallow & Frangipani.  

Go with what feels good for your skin, pick the texture that works for you.  If you want some advice, ping us a note on one of our social media channels!

Here's to your super soft, hydrated skin all season long!