It’s official - winter has arrived. Tell-tale signs include freezing winds, dark mornings, constant heat pumps and chapped lips. It might be enough to put a damper on your day, but don’t let it bring down your skin game too!
I believe in taking a holistic approach when it comes to skin care, and winter skin remedies are no exception. I’ve put together my top 7 tips to help keep your skin glowing and feeling healthy this winter. Settle in with a hot cup of tea and let’s jump in.
1. Cleanse with oils
One of the most common symptoms of winter skin is dryness, which means your skin is lacking oils. A simple way to remedy dry skin is to put down your normal cleanser, and opt for an oil cleanser. When you use a normal cleanser, it cleanses by removing your skin’s natural oils. On the other hand, an oil cleanser helps restore your skin’s oils by drawing out dirty oils and replacing them with healthy ones.
Pro tip - oil cleansing is especially helpful for oily skin. When your skin’s natural oils are stripped, it over produces oils to compensate. By using an oil cleanser, it helps balance natural oil production.
2. Limit hot showers
After a freezing winter's day, nothing is more satisfying than a long, hot shower. While this can be super tempting, it’s best to steer clear. The hot water dehydrates your skin, and can strip it of its protective oils. This can be especially aggravating if you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, rosacea or dry skin.
Look after your skin's protective barrier this winter by opting for lukewarm showers and baths, and replacing the oils that are stripped by your showers.
3. Up your fatty acids
Fatty acids are essential for healthy skin. To best nourish and protect your skin, I recommend covering all your bases. Try boosting your skin's fatty acids both topically and in your diet. They are the skin's natural moisturisers, helping to maintain your skin's flexibility, barrier function, and normal skin repair.
Omega-3 and omega-6 are fatty acids essential for healthy skin, but your body doesn’t naturally produce them so you need to make sure you’re getting them through your diet and skincare. Omega-6 is probably already prominent in your diet, from vegetable oils and grains, so make sure you’re getting enough omega-3s by incorporating flaxseeds, linseeds, walnuts and fish oils daily.
Topically, try adding Tailor Oil Cleanse which is made with sunflower seed oil (rich in omega-6) or Tailor Illume, which is made with hemp seed oil (rich in both omega-3 and 6).
4. Boost your antioxidant intake
You’ll probably know that antioxidants are super important actives to add to your routine in summer, as they help fight the free radical damage caused by sun exposure (A.K.A they help fight signs of ageing). Did you know antioxidants are just as important in winter?
In addition to the way they help fight the signs of ageing, they also support skin healing. This strengthens your skin’s outer barrier to help lock in moisture and project against the elements.
In particular, look to add these heavy hitters to your routine; Vitamin E and Vitamin C.
In addition to being an antioxidant, Vitamin E is also a fatty acid - taking care of multiple aspects of your winter skin with one ingredient. This is why I added Vitamin E to Moisture and Oil Cleanse. Vitamin E can also be absorbed from your diet, good sources include; sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, and spinach.
Boost Vitamin C levels with treatments like Tailor Gold Dust, to help support collagen production and brighten your skin. Get more Vitamin C in your diet with your favourite citrus fruits and leafy greens.
5. Get rid of dry & flaky skin
It’s super common for dry, winter skin to look and feel flaky. Keep on top flaky, dull skin with a gentle exfoliant like Tailor Polish. Polish is ideal for boosting winter skin as it contains both a physical exfoliant (this is what you can feel when you buff your skin) and a chemical exfoliant (which removes congestion from your skin and brightens). Try adding a gentle scrub to your routine every few days for a brighter, smoother complexion.
6. Keep your skin hydrated
When it comes to keeping your skin hydrated, you might think upping your water intake will solve all your problems. Granted, it’s a good place to start - it benefits all your organs, not just your skin. However your skin is the last place to receive the water you drink.
Boost your skin hydration with my favourite hydrating active, Hyaluronic Acid. HA is a humectant, which is a fancy name for an ingredient that keeps your skin moisturised. HA actively draws in and maintains water, binding to 1000x its weight in water. It even plumps your skin to help reduce fine lines.
I paired Hyaluronic Acid with Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) in our hydrating serum, Hydrate. Niacinamide is a new buzz ingredient - and rightly so! It supports your skin's production of healthy fats, which protects your skin and locks in moisture. Paired with hyaluronic acid, this duo is my go-to for hydration.
7. Winter skin routine
When it comes to a winter skincare routine, my advice is to stick to the routine you know works for your skin - just add some nourishment. It’s likely your skin will be feeling dry, so switch to an oil cleanser and add a facial oil rich in fatty acids, like Illume. If you don’t like the feeling of leaving oils on your skin, try adding a drop of this oil to your moisturiser before applying it.
Boost your antioxidant uptake with a Vitamin C treatment like Gold Dust, and look out for Vitamin E in your moisturiser or serum.
For added protection, try adding a probiotic serum like Renew into your daily routine. Probiotics repair and strengthen your skin, so your skin can more effectively hold on to moisture and protect itself from the winter elements.
Don’t forget - everyone’s skin is different. Take these tips on board, tailor them to suit your skin and say hello to glowing skin this winter.