The weather seems to change so much, one day it’s freezing, then it’s milder, followed by rain then cold again! It’s no surprise that your poor skin doesn’t know if it’s Arthur or Martha! Along with the bursts of central heating and even worse if you have an open fire or log burner! Nice and cosy, but it can make your skin so tight and dry.
I remember as a child we had an open fire, hot in front of it and freezing away from it! Oh God, the chilblains! At least when I went away to school the frost on the inside (yes inside!) of the windows was constant! No wonder I had great patches of red, raw skin.
So with all that in mind, try and avoid extreme changes of heat and cold.
A Nourishing Cleanser: so where should
I start with my skin? Start at the very beginning with a good creamy or balmy cleanser. Be careful though, not all creamy ones are soothing! I recently got a Hot Cloth Cleanser from Aldi, looked good, but when I tried it it wasn’t as soothing as I thought, turns out it had eucalyptus in, a bit sharp. Maybe ok in the summer or if you had more combination skin. It was not at all like the lovely Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser which is really creamy and lovely!
I have been using two cleansers recently, both are the balm kind, where you apply with your fingers, massage well into your skin, can even go all over the eyes for stubborn mascara, add a little bit of water, some then turn oily, and rinse off or wipe off (that’s what I do with the Primark little reusable pads (love these, so soft) one is by Aldi, it’s a big pot, Rose Cleansing Balm, I’m not a great fan of rose, but this smells lovely. The second one is Cleanse B by Superdrug which doesn’t have a scent. Both remove your makeup in a second and feel so comfortable on the skin. I always use a micellar water as a second cleanse, the one I’ve got is by L’Oreal, they are all brillant! Treat: Revolution Cleansing Balm
So I’ve got a super clean, comfortable skin! My next step to fight winter skin is to use a good feeding, soothing serum full of moisture but not heavy. I always turn to a serum with Hydraulic Acid. a natural substance that helps the skin and eyes retain moisture. Hyaluronic acid is more than just another ingredient; it’s a naturally occurring molecule with remarkable moisture-retention capabilities. As time progresses, our skin’s reserves of HA dwindle, resulting in visible wrinkles and diminished skin firmness. Clinical research affirms that topical application of hyaluronic acid, especially in serum formulations, can elevate skin hydration levels by an impressive 96%, reduce wrinkle appearance by as much as 40%, and amplify skin firmness by 55% within a mere two-month span. So as you can imagine, whatever I use I always use this! Every drug store has them, and every brand has it too, so you don’t have to spend a lot! At the moment I’m using one by Balance Hyaluronic Deep Moisture Serum with an intense Hydration (always handy!) Also at the moment in the day I’m using Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser and Serum. This is a great little product that you can use just by itself (I do when I’m away on holiday and I’m trying to reduce my bottles! The husband uses it too!) comes in a little pump, nice and easy. At night I use something richer like the Treat: Revolution Miracle Serum.
Should I use a Face Oil? Crikey! Yes, yes, yes! I have to say without a face oil day and night my skin would be in a hell of a state! I could use tons of serum and jars of cream but without the inner, deep feeding that comes with regular daily use of a good face oil, I might as well not bother! That’s how deeply I feel! Wow, so there you have it, my desert island must have!
l’m using two different ones at the moment, only because the Aldi Lacura Miracle Oil is slightly thicker, so I use it at night, and in the day I use my absolute favourite, the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (multi purpose dry oil) which is the real deal! Both smell gorgeous, and are soft and silky and are not sticky. The Nuxe oil is lighter being a dry oil. Treat: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
What kind of moisturiser? I think moisturiser sare a very personal thing, it’s all down to smell, thickness, how they glide on the skin and how thy absorb. I hate ones that sit on the top of my skin! Do you have a day cream and a night cream, or do just have one that does both? Well that entirely up to you! I do both ways depending what I’m using at that given time. At the moment I’m using one I got in Lidl! Cien Age Beauty Cream for mature & Dry Skin. Because I was in there and I needed an am & pm in one pot! It’s really luscious cream, soft, smooth and silky, absorbs nicely, not sticky and smells nice! All my requirements! When I put my glasses one I discovered it was for dry skin, but it’s ok it doesn’t feel like a dry skin cream! If you know what I mean! Even though the one I have says Day Cream it’s great for the night too.
I also often use the Treat: Revolution Miracle Cream (a dupe for Charlotte Tilbury’s Miracle Cream) and use that morning and night even though they have a stronger one for the night. I really don’t need it. It’s a truly beautiful, luscious cream, and if all else fails, and my skin is tight and dry I will always turn to Nivea cream (the one in the blue pot) apart from being a dupe for Crème De La Mer, it will always sort my skin our!
I always put something on my lips at night too, dry, cracked lips are always so painful and not very pretty either! Vaseline works beautifully but if you want something a little bit more special try the Elizabeth Arden 8hr lip Balm, so silky, and of course always my favourite is the Nuxe Reve de Miel, for instant results!
What about my eyes? Yes, they are so important and can easily get sore in the winter, particularly iif your eyes water the moment you step outside.
firstly you need to be very careful and gentle with taking off your eye makeup and treating the delicate skin around your eyes.
I prefer a bi-phase eye up removers that you shake to mix the two liquids together. They seem to remover eye makeup easily in a few swipes! I’m using one from Eternite Double Phase with Hyaluronic Acid Eye Makeup Remover from Savers, couldn’t believe it when I saw it, just the same as the Lancôme or Clarins one! But at about £2.50 One of my favourites though is the one from Beauty Pie, The Perfect Eye Makeup Remover at £12. I know the Beauty Pie formula will be far more advanced but …. I really can’t tell the difference.
I was never very good at using an eye cream until I probably reached my 50’s, terrible admission! No time, too stressed, no dryness or lines around my eyes, I don’t really know. Then it suddenly dawned on me! Help! Since I’ve never missed a morning or evening! I’m using one that I really like at the moment, though I have to say I do prefer using a pot (easier to use!), it’s the Retinol Eye Glow Brightening Eye Cream by Biovene the Spanish Beauty Company from Barcelona that I featured last year. It’s soft, creamy, easy to just wiz around my eyes, sinks in and doesn’t interfere with my makeup. Gives my eye area a really good feed. The other one I’ve used and is really great is the Treat: Revolution Miracle Eye Cream, it’s delicious! Really creamy , really fluffy!
Don’t forget your body including your feet and nails and hair!
Just three more areas you have to look after when the weather turns nasty, I know it seems never ending!
I read an articles few years ago, how Anita Rani’s mother (random, I know!) massages her feet every night with a good foot cream. It stops all dryness, cracked heals, dry cuticles and chilblains! Oh I thought, I’ve never been that consistent with my feet, let’s give it a go. While a food footcream is a great bonus, (Beauty Pie, Footopia £8) I have to admit, I often use any creamy cream that’s hanging around, as long as it absorbs and isn’t greasy and makes my feet squeak when I walk! Once a day I give my feet a really good massage, and the dryness is a distant memory!
Everyday, without fail, I use a body cream. I just slap it all over. It doesn’t take long, but the rewards are great. No dry skin, no flakiness and a super circulation boost. At this time of year I tend to use the Nivea Q10 Firming cream, either this one with a gradual tan or the blue bottle which is plain, and also comes in a very dry skin version. They come in a flip top or a pump which I prefer. The smell is fresh and lovely, and the cream is so feeding, easily absorbed and not sticky. Just enough residue left on the skin to make your skin feel comfortable. Fabulous! For a delicious splurge I sometimes use the Treat: Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Deluxe Body Moisture Creme which is the most divine body cream I have ever experienced! Total heaven in every way!
Being kind to your skin also means finding a good gentle shower gel or soap, whatever you use. I find TKMAXX has a fabulous collection, usually French which somehow makes them extra special. Gorgeous scents, great prices, and beautiful formulas!
What else does need a bit of care? Hair - find the most caring shampoo and conditioner you can, and there are lots of extra products you can use like a hair mask to really feed you dehydrated hair caused by log burners, open fires and central heating. I’ve used a glorious one from Espa in the past, but these days I use a rosemary oil on my roots, give it a good massage before I wash my hair. The effect is remarkable! Light, bright, shiny and sparkling hair!
I’ve used lots of different shampoo because of my problem scalp so at the moment I’m using the Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo and Conditioner by Ogx and being a drugstore product it’s very good value, but with all the ‘Discover restored strength, shine, softness and seductive, silky perfection’! There you go, need I say more! Treat: anything by Philip Kingsley
My hands and nails always take a battering, so I was so pleased to have found two great nail products, having had psoriasis in my nails over the years, they always tend to be dry, ridgey and can flake so quickly. So I do try and consistently use some to feed snd look after my nails. After years of wearing nail varnish and once or twice worn gel nails (ruined my nails) I really wear anything now preferring the nails nature oils to do their job. So I either use this great little pot of Sally Hansen Cuticle Cream that I can only seem to find on Amazon, or the fabulous Beauty Pie Cuticle Therapy, consistency is the key! Treat: Dior Vernis Crème Abricot Strengthening Nail Care.
As you would expect I have hand creams everywhere!
I have just discovered the Elizabeth Arden 8hr Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment. It’s one of the best I’ve ever used. So soft, so creamy, just lovely, but otherwise I do often find really good ones in Lidl and Aldi! My very favourite was one from Treat: Beauty Pie Super Retinol Hands that was anti aging and improved my pigmentation so much, one I would always recommend!
Phew! That’s about it for winter proofing! Soon it will be Spring, with flowers, warmth and sunshine! So keep looking after yourself! With lots of spoiling!
Please share the blog if you know anyone who might like to read them!
Just click on here or above to sign up for the beauty blog straight to your inbox! brendaanvari4@gmail.com
@aldi
@beautypie
@lidl
@elizabetharden
@sallyhansen
@dior
@ogx
@philipkingsley
@revolutionpro
@nivea
@biovene
@nuxe
@Eternite
@naturallyradiant
@balance
@lizearle
Add comment
Comments