Our Expert Tips to Winter-Proof Your Skin Routine
May 26 | 4 minute read
Words by The MECCA Memo
With winter weather comes icy winds, freezing temperatures and indoor heating. While the season can be magical and cosy, it can also wreak havoc on every skin type and exacerbate concerns – affecting the way your skin looks, feels and behaves.
“Your face might feel extra tight and dehydrated because there’s less moisture in the atmosphere, so it sucks everything out of your skin,” our in-house skin expert Lucy Shaw explains.
To beat the seasonal skin blues, here are the best ways to winter-proof your skincare routine and keep your complexion looking bouncy, dewy and radiant all year round.
Cleanse with care
“I always recommend using a cleansing balm in winter because it cleanses my skin and removes my makeup but also replenishes skin leaving it feeling really nourished and hydrated,” Lucy tells us.
ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm will melt away all traces of makeup before transforming into a nourishing milk that leaves skin feeling soft yet deeply cleansed.
Stick with a cleansing balm to melt away excess sebum then follow up with a gentle cream cleanser as your second cleanse. In winter, cream formulas are far more forgiving than the gel textures that work well in summer, helping to cleanse without compromising your moisture barrier.
KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser is a simple, soothing, no-fuss cleanser that washes away the day without making the skin feel overly stripped. There’s also The Rice Wash from Tatcha, which uses Japanese rice powder to gently exfoliate and leave skin radiant.
Moisturiser is key
Like cleanser, swapping lightweight gels for richer, indulgent textures helps keep dry, dehydrated skin happy in cold weather.
Designed to instantly relieve stressed complexions, calm redness and strengthen your skin barrier, Cosmetics 27 Baume 27 Advanced Formula is a winter staple for those with sensitive, dehydrated or ageing skin. Rich in ceramides and hyaluronic acid, Tower 28’s SOS Daily Barrier Recovery Cream is also great option for those needing to replenish and protect skin from the elements.
Serums to supercharge hydration
“Serums have a lightweight texture with a small molecular structure,” explains customer education manager, Francesca Hyde.
Smaller molecules mean serums can sink in deeper than moisturisers, hydrating skin from the inside out. Slip one of these into your routine for an easy way to treat that tight, dry feeling without leaving skin feeling greasy.
With an ability to hold one thousand times its weight in water, a hyaluronic acid-based serum like this one from Kiehl’s is both ultra lightweight and ultra hydrating. Make sure to apply onto damp skin to maximise its effects.
“Picture 1000 tiny little water balloons filling your skin with hydration and plumping it up,” Francesca tells us.
Of course, serums are essential for dry, dehydrated skin too.
If you’re looking for a weightless serum to help calm sensitivity and repair your compromised skin barrier, Summer Fridays Jet Lag Deep Hydration Serum is the one. Its jelly texture suits every skin type, while the fragrance-free formula is packed with moisture-attracting humectants and barrier-boosting ingredients like oatmeal, aloe and arnica.
Add a drop of oil
Feel like serum and moisturiser still aren’t enough? Rich in essential fatty acids and designed to replenish your moisture barrier, face oils are the perfect addition to your winter routine.
“Add a few drops to your moisturiser to bump up the nourishment or apply on top of your moisturiser to lock everything in,” Francesca advises.
As for our favourites, Sunday Riley’s Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil will instantly nourish dehydrated skin and restore radiance. If you’re after an oil that does more than just hydrate, Emma Lewisham’s Supernatural Face Oil contains bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative, to address pigmentation and visible signs of ageing. And for something you can use on your face, body and hair, this multitasking oil from sans [ceuticals] is a winner.
And don't forget SPF!
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times – SPF isn’t just for summer! Winter sunshine might feel less intense, lulling us into a false sense of security, but the sun’s rays remain strong all year round.
MECCA COSMETICA To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen is a Hall-of-Famer for a reason. As well as providing broad spectrum protection, it has a feather-light matte finish designed specifically for makeup wearers.
If your skin is on the sensitive side, then you might want to opt for a mineral SPF like Emma Lewisham’s Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Face Crème.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. Sunscreen is only one form of sun protection. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and reapply as directed.
