Winter skin care guide

Want glowing skin all year round?

Treat your skincare like your clothes and change with the seasons! Here are our winter skin care tips to help get you through even the frostiest of days.

Just like you protect yourself from the cold with layers of fluffy jumpers, scarves and gloves, it’s worth remembering that your skin needs some protection in the winter months too.

The combination of colder temperatures, blustery winds and central heating can wreak havoc on your skin – even if you’re looking after it as normal.

Our skin-needs change throughout the seasons, meaning that the same products that kept your skin looking gorgeous will not automatically continue when the frosty nights set in.

Winter weather can cause our skin barrier to become dull, dry and prone to breakouts.

Pair this with your summer glow fading to reveal age spots and redness, and it’s no wonder your skin can get you down during winter.

The beauty industry has recognised this growing demand for season-specific skincare in the past few years, making it pretty easy to refresh your routine.

Here’s some tips on how to avoid dry facial skin in winter, repair dry chapped hands, reduce redness and help control breakouts.

Stay hydrated

Winter = dry skin for the most of us. But what causes dry skin in winter?

The main culprits are low humidity, central heating and cold winds, which can leave our skin struggling to retain moisture.¹

This is why your skin may feel tight and uncomfortable.

This environment can also make skin look older and duller, as when skin is dry it doesn’t reflect light, instead the shadow effect can make fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.

So, what’s a gal (or guy) to do? Here are our winter skin care tips

1. Turn down your shower temperature

However tempting it may be to turn up the heat in the shower after stepping in from the cold, it won’t do your skin any favours.

Heat can cause further damage to your already-delicate skin barrier, which may cause your skin to become even drier.²

2. Take off the day gently

Opt for gentler, pH-balanced products to help your skin barrier, like Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion.

3. Ease up on the exfoliating

Using harsh exfoliating products regularly can damage the skin barrier, but it is still beneficial to remove dead skin cells.

So, if you are going to exfoliate, choose a gentle one like VitaSkin Vitamin C Gentle Daily Exfoliator up to three times a week, and always remember to moisturise after!

4. You guessed it, moisturise!

A good moisturiser for winter plumps up skin by adding water to them, brightening up your complexion.

So forget about your lightweight summer lotion for the time being and upgrade to a richer, more nourishing face cream like UpCircle Face Moisturiser with Argan Powder.

5. Re-nourish dry lips

Chapped lips are just another – annoying – indicator that our skin’s barrier is struggling.

One of the best things you can do to tackle dry skin on lips is to regularly apply a moisturising balm with an SPF like Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Lip Balm, and please don’t pick or bite them, it will only make it worse.

6. Don’t forget your hands

Developing dry skin on hands in winter is common, so make sure you always have a trusty, rich cream like Balmonds Intensive Hand Cream in your handbag, ready to tackle those dry cracked hands.

Reduce the redness

If you naturally have cool-toned skin with red and pink undertones, chances are this will only get more pronounced during winter.

This is mainly due to temperature changes e.g. coming in from the cold to be met with central heating, which causes blood vessels to expand and contract.

But there are things you can do to reduce the redness, like

• Investing in a good SPF: yes, however strange it may seem when there’s not a single spec of sun in the sky, a good SPF will still serve you well. Choose one with added moisture and apply to your face, neck, hands and any other exposed skin to avoid further skin discoloration.³
• Find the right moisturiser: if red skin is your main concern in the winter, look for a moisturiser containing niacinamide and vitamin B5 (aka pantothenic acid) to soothe warm tones in the skin.

Stop spots in their tracks

You may be surprised when spots rear their ugly heads in winter – how can they even be created in such dry conditions?!

Well, it turns out that winter is the ideal climate for spots – we know, it’s not fair!⁴

Don’t fret too much though, there are certain things you can do to tackle winter-time spots, like:

• Gently polish dead skin away: choose a gentle facial polish to help free those blocked pores, like Alba Botanic Acne Deep Pore Wash, which contains blemish-reducing salicylic acid.
• Choose gentler spot treatments: consider swapping your current treatments for a gentler one as your skin is already battling the weather! Try using a natural one like Alba Acne Invisible Treatment Gel during the winter months.

If these problems persist or worsen, please seek the advice of your GP who may be able to prescribe medical products if necessary.

4 products to help prevent wintertime dry skin

Keeping your skin hydrated is key.

And the good news is, there are some great products on the market to enable you to adopt the right skincare regime.

Like these four winter skin saviours below:

Winter skincare product #1: Dr Organic Snail Gel 50ml

What is it?

This gel contains Helix Aspersa Muller, the substance snails naturally produce to quickly regenerate their skin and shell when they get damaged.

Aloe vera and plant ingredients have been blended with the snail gel to produce a refreshing and moisturising face gel, leaving skin glowing and feeling soft.

Made with natural ingredients, it can be soothing for sensitive skin and have a plumping effect on facial skin.

How do you use it?

Apply a small amount of gel to the face and neck after cleansing. Use in conjunction with a moisturiser after the gel has been absorbed.

What’s everybody saying about it?

Ebbb - 5/5 stars
‘Sinks in face, don’t have to use loads of it, moisturises, great product.’

Kamil - 5/5 stars
‘Very good product. Highly recommended. Perfect for my dry skin.’ 

Winter skincare product #2: Dr Organic Snail Gel Eye Serum 15m

What is it?

Dr. Organic’s eye serum contains a number of beneficial organic extracts, including Helix Aspersa Muller secretion.

It’s also made from a blend of bioactive ingredients, including olive leaf extract, levan and jujube fruit extract to create a healthy-ageing serum that helps improve skin hydration and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

How do you use it?

Apply a small amount of serum to the skin on the outside of the eye and gently rub in towards the nose.

What’s everybody saying about it?

K8TLemming - 5/5 stars
‘Easy to use, absorbent and makes skin instantly feel less tight, as well as reducing ageing signs. Couldn’t recommend this range more! Just magic!’ 

janeg12 - 5/5 stars
‘This eye serum really does work! It hydrates and is excellent for mature skin.’ 

Winter skincare product #3: Vitaskin Vitamin C Anti-Pollution Glow Day Cream

What is it?

This hydrating anti-pollution day cream is packed with the highest levels of Vitamin C and Omega oils to give skin a layer of hydration.

It helps keep skin looking soft and healthy throughout the day.

How do you use it?

Apply the day cream as the final step in your skincare routine. For best results combine with the full Vitaskin Vitamin C range.

What’s everybody saying about it?

Dynasty - 5/5 stars
“Lovely light texture, my skin drinks it and there’s no tackiness so I can add my makeup without any bother, I’m waiting to experience the benefits I use it alongside the serum.’

Winter skincare product #4: Vitaskin Vitamin C Collagen Boosting Night Cream

What is it? 

This hydrating collagen-boosting night cream contains high levels of Vitamin C and Omega Oils that recharge skin overnight for a youthful and healthy glow.

How do you use it?

Apply the night cream as the final step in your skincare routine. For best results combine with the full Vitaskin Vitamin C range.

What’s everybody saying about it?

Vpae - 5/5 stars
‘I love this cream, smells so nice and fresh, my skin becomes so soft and moist in the morning.’ 

Last updated: 25 August 2021