We all picture autumn and winter as this magical time of changing colours, snuggly hats and scarves and cozy nights sat in front of the fire. I think until it comes around again, most of us fail to forget the freezing dark mornings, getting caught in the wind and rain and the absolute havoc it can cause with our skin and hair. I don't know about you but when I was looking forward to autumn I was picturing bonfire night wrapped up in warm clothes and stepping on crunchy golden leaves- not standing at a bus stop at 8am in the pouring rain, with lips becoming more and more chapped by the minute. Keeping skin looking good is probably an ongoing process for most of us, with each season presenting its own set of challenges. Maybe it's because the summers are reasonably mild here in England, but the winters are absolutely freezing that skin problems are more predominant for me in winter. Here are my top five skincare tips for the colder weather.
Change Your Moisturiser
If your regular moisturiser isn’t quite cutting it over the colder months and you’re finding that you are still suffering with dry patches, flakes or itchy tight skin then consider using something more intensive. Don't go sticking your head in a pot of Vaseline or anything drastic, just look for something that says 'intensive' or 'hydrating' on the packaging. Go with a trusted brand, and try to find something that works for you.
Get Serious About Exfoliating
Get serious about exfoliation and start doing it consistently. I think exfoliation is a step that a lot of us are prepared to skip at times when we're feeling lazy, but no amount of moisturiser is going to be effective over a layer of dead skin cells. Use a good quality product that's designed for the face, don't ever be tempted to use a body scrub which contains larger grains that could potentially damage your skin. How often you exfoliate depends on the product and your skin type, but most people should aim for about two to three times a week.
Protect Your Lips
Sometimes it seems like my life is a never ending cycle of dry lips and lip balm; I can't be the only one. I envy those who never have to worry about dry lips, but for most of us mere mortals my advice is to just be prepared and never leave the house without being armed with a lip balm. Colder weather and central heating always make it worse, any dry skin or flakes should be scrubbed away gently with a toothbrush or lip scrub in order for lip balm to be most effective. The two lip balms I always seem to go back to are Nivea Essential Care which is just a simple lip balm stick (great for on the go as you don't have to worry about putting your hands into a tin) and Vaseline's pink tin which I use when I'm at home before applying lipstick.
Diet and Hydration
No list of skincare tips would be complete without this on there somewhere. Diet and hydration is important for literally every cell in your body, although your skin will be one of the places you'll see the effects the most. We all know the importance of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains but as this is an autumn/winter list these are the types of things that could be thrown into a winter soups: cooked tomatoes which are high in Lycopene- a chemical which helps to eliminate skin aging free-radicals (cooking concentrates the chemical). Sweet potatoes and carrots which are high in vitamins A, C and beta carotene which are great for stimulating the production of collagen, and kidney beans which are high in zinc. Zinc has been shown in studies to be effective in reducing blemishes. Maybe I should take my own advice with that last one, as I think kidney beans are absolutely disgusting.
Don't Forget Sunblock
I'm not going to suggest slapping on a factor 30 under your foundation, I mean in the colder months that would just be ridiculous (especially here in England) and also very hypocritical as I know that it takes for me to be in a hot country before I'll put an 'actual sunscreen' on my face. Even though it's colder outside, you still need to protect from the sun which is damaging all year round. It's really easy these days, just put on a BB cream with added sun protection factor in it as a makeup base; really light, non greasy and still get the effects of a sunblock.
Do you have any skincare tips for getting through autumn and winter?
