At the change of seasons, it’s time to re-assess how to best take care of our skin. Just as we change the clothes in our closets to meet cold weather needs, we should change our skincare regimens for cooler temperatures too.

As the seasons change from summer to winter, it’s important to re-assess how to best take care of our skin. Just as we change the clothes in our closet to meet cold weather needs, we should change our skincare regimens for the colder temperatures too. The harsh elements of central heating inside and dry air outside can wreak havoc on the skin; it can worsen dryness and cause a flaky, dehydrated, and tight complexion.

Conditions such as acne, rosacea, and facial redness can also return with a vengeance during winter. With this in mind, our skincare experts have put together a few quick but effective tips to help you winter-proof your skin this season.

Switch Your Textures

Think of your facial moisturiser like your own winter coat - you want your top layer to be thick and protective in order to nourish your dry winter skin. Opt for a richer kind of moisturiser (honestly, your skin needs it and can take the thicker consistency), and when you next need to replenish your cleanser, switch to an oil, milk, or cream texture to respect your skin’s natural oils. Locking moisture in your skin is crucial during the winter months.

PCA Skin Daily Cleansing Oil is a firm favourite cleanser in our winter skincare routine. When it comes to moisturiser, pick something with active ingredients such as ceramides, fatty acids, squalane, shea butter, and jojoba seed oil. PCA Skin Silkcoat Balm is a non-greasy balm specifically formulated to treat the skin during the colder months and provide deep hydration. It also contains antioxidants to further protect the skin and calm redness.

Shield Your Skin

UVA & UVB rays damage the skin no matter what time of year it is so sunscreen should never be limited to just the summer months. Not only that, as 90% of skin ageing is due to harmful UV rays, you would be undoing all the hard work that you put in with your other skincare and professional clinic treatments.

80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate clouds so, it's of the utmost importance that a high-protection sunscreen should be worn all year round. Choose a sunscreen with a richer texture to retain moisture. We love SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense SPF 50+.

Boost Your Exfoliating Routine

Exfoliating during the winter months is key to optimal skin health.

Exfoliation not only removes clogged pores and helps stimulate collagen but will also help to increase the skin’s hydration from within by removing dead skin cells and enabling your thicker moisturiser to penetrate the skin barrier more effectively. There are lots of different ways to incorporate exfoliation into your skincare routine with varying strengths - whether that be cleansers, treatments, moisturisers, or exfoliating pads.

Which exfoliating acids you should be using for your skin type can be confusing. You can read all about them here but these are the key differences:

• Salicylic acid - Ideal for oily skin and acne-prone skin

• Glycolic acid - Ideal all skin types, especially pigmentated, ageing, and dull skin

• Lactic acid - Ideal for dry and sensitive skin types

Treat Your Skin To A Weekly Hydrating Face Mask

Sometimes your skin needs a boost, espeically after prolonged exposure to cold wind and the winter chill. The colder weather can cause irritation and redness so, feed your skin with replenishing face masks for more hydration.

PCA Skin Hydrating Mask is an at-home mask that leaves the skin feeling instantly softer and more hydrated. The skin is calmed and soothed with oat milk extract that also helps retain essential moisture, arnica montana flower extract, and cucumber extract are additional calming ingredients to provide further anti-inflammatory benefits.

Hydrate Your Under Eyes

Are your eyes giving away your lack of sleep? The secret to bright eyes is layering without overloading, otherwise, you risk causing inflammation, puffiness, and in worst cases, milia.

Under-eye patches visibly keep the skin hydrated, instantly. HydroPeptide Polypeptide Collagel+ Eye Masks are our top pick for a weekly lift along with a does-it-all daily eye cream such as Eminence Organic Wild Plum Eye Cream. Not only does it target dark circles with active ingredients vitamin K but, vitamin C and green tea brighten and re-energise the delicate skin to create a more youthful eye area. Incorporate some gentle facial massage during your eye cream application to aid in draining, improve circulation, and reduce puffiness.

Look After Your Skin Beyond The Chin

When did you last moisturise your body? Or, exfoliate somewhere other than regularly exposed areas? Our body skin care regimen often gets neglected, not only during the summer months but even more so during the winter. Choose a body lotion that smells good enough to eat in order to encourage you to use it daily, we love Eminence Organic Strawberry Rhubarb Body Lotion or Eminence Organic Apricot Body Oil if you prefer an oil.

Our hands are often one of the first places that we notice dry skin, along with constant hand washing, they need maximum hydration. Make a habitat to protect your skin by wearing gloves whenever you're outside. To boost hydration further, apply a thick layer of hand cream before going to bed and then cotton gloves over the top to allow the thick cream to penetrate the skin throughout the night.

Switch your usual body wash for something creamy and nourishing for extra replenishment. A hot shower can be the most relaxing part of your day. But don’t linger too long – very hot water can dry out your skin. Extremely hot water will strip away your skin’s natural oils which lock in moisture, resulting in dry skin. For better skin throughout the winter, try a lukewarm shower between 10-15 minutes.

Add An Extra Step

Your skin may need an extra step to really counteract the effects of winter.

Add a face oil or hydration-boosting serum, such as hyaluronic acid, into your skincare routine. Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water making it ideal to relieve tightness in the skin and for parched, dehydrated skin types. Facial oils, on the other hand, prevent moisture loss and give any moisturiser an instant charge, combining organic oils and herbal extracts that amplify skin health and appearance. ZENMED Omegaceramide+ Elixir In Oil is our oil of choice. You can even use it on your body and hair!

If you would like any further advice regarding winter skincare or how best to care for your skin then feel free to ask us! You can shop a wide range of skincare via Dermacare Direct with free tracked delivery via Royal Mail. We can help with our expert advice and top tips making your online shopping stress-free. You can contact us by live chat, email via [email protected], or pick up the phone now and call us on phone number 0116 251 4848 to speak directly with a friendly advisor.