As soon as the temperature drops my skin tends to go a bit haywire. The combination of the cold air outside and central heating inside causes so many dry patches and flakiness, it is not a pretty sight! I know I'm not alone with this so here are the skincare and body products I have added to my routine to combat this.
No. 1 -
Ultrabland from Lush
This is a beautiful cleansing balm with so many moisturising and calming ingredients so it's almost guaranteed not to upset your skin. I apply a small amount of this to dry skin and massage it in then remove with a damp face cloth and it removes all traces of make up and leaves my skin feeling really clean but still super nourished. It has no scent whatsoever which I definitely prefer from my cleansers and it says it is suitable for all skin types. This is also a super affordable cleansing balm compared to others that I've tried and it does the same job for a fraction of the price.
No. 2 -
Intensive Glow Pads Brightening Treatment from Bare Minerals
As my skin has been so dry is was seriously lacking in any radiance and was looking so dull I needed to seriously inject some life back into it. I was in Boots with my Mum one day and was having a pretty loud moan about my horrible skin to her and the girl from the Bare Minerals counter grabbed me and showed me these. Bare Minerals isn't a brand which I would usually pay much attention to and I haven't heard much about their skincare but I am so impressed with these. They come in a tub and contain pads already soaked in the solution so they're really quick and easy to use. After cleansing you just sweep the more textured side over your skin (avoiding eye area) then repeat with the smoother side then dispose of the used pad and you're done. Even after just one use I noticed a huge difference, my skin was a much even texture and a really stubborn dry patch on my forehead had almost completely gone. After a few more uses my skin was considerably brighter and radiant. They are an acid exfoliator so not to be used more than 3x a week and I was at first worried they may upset my skin a little but so far I haven't had any problems. The only downside it the price as they are £34, but the tub does contain 60 pads so really it's not too much money compared to how many uses you will get from one tub.
No. 3 -
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
I think this moisturiser featured in a Favourites post this time last year. If I could only use one moisturiser for the rest of my life it would be this one. For me it offers unbeatable hydration which lasts throughout the entire day or night without feeling heavy or greasy on the skin. For such an intensive moisturiser it is so lightweight and sinks in so quickly, my skin absolutely loves this stuff. It doesn't have any SPF in it so I usually just use this as my night time moisturiser but if I know I am having a day inside then I sometimes use this in the morning too as it sits really nicely under make up. As with Ultrabland it is completely unscented so won't upset any skin sensitive to fragrance.
No. 4 -
Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask Superfacialist by Una Brennan
This mask is very heavily rose scented so this will either be a love it or hate it product. If I'm using a face mask I like it to have a nice fragrance and I am a big rose fan so I adore this. It's not thick in texture which makes it very easy to apply to your skin. Once applied it instantly feels calming and moisture boosting and is just a lovely experience. I leave it on for 5-10 minutes then rinse the majority of it off with a splash of warm water then I take a damp face cloth and remove the rest of it properly and continue with the rest of my skincare routine. It leaves your skin feeling so plump and hydrated and a nice addition to my winter skincare routine a couple times a week. I also like the fact it comes in a tube as it makes application much less messy compared to masks in a pot.
My hands probably suffer the most throughout winter, they get so dry the skin ends up cracking and becoming so sore. This Kiehl's hand cream helps so much. It almost creates a moisturising barrier against the cold which is exactly what I need. It contains avocado oil and sesame oil so it is very nourishing for poor dry skin and it smells gorgeous. It does take a while to sink in thoroughly but in winter I think that is actually a good thing as it provides longer lasting hydration and protection from the cold. I apply this to clean hands just before I'm about to go outside. This is a miniature version which is perfect handbag size, the full size version however is really huge and I would not want to carry it around in my handbag.
Not the most glamourous or exciting beauty product but for me it is such an essential. E45 is a magical brand and one that has been in my house my entire life. The original E45 cream was used on my skin throughout my childhood and I've used it on all my tattoos whilst they have been healing. During winter it's not just the skin that is exposed to the elements that dries out, it effects my whole body so I picked this up a few weeks ago after my friend with eczema said it helped his skin. I don't have eczema but this has definitely done a great job of hydrating the skin on my body after showering or bathing. As it's a lotion it is much thinner than the original E45 cream which makes it very easy to smooth over large surface areas and to my surprise it sinked in so quickly which is essential during cold months as standing around waiting for moisturiser to sink in before getting dressed isn't fun in winter! Again it's another unscented product and is hypoallergenic so is perfect for even the most sensitive skin. Also £5.99 for a big bottle is so affordable, you can't go wrong.
This definitely wasn't the most luxurious of posts but these few products really have been a saviour for my dry skin and I can't recommend them enough so anyone suffering with similar over the winter season.
Thanks for reading
Laura x
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