Insulate your skin this winter

Winter, I think we all see ourselves cosying up in front of a wood fire, glass of red wine, reading through a list of fabulous books, having long baths, and layering up for long walks in the cold. All lovely (if the rain would stop in Auckland) and I am looking forward to them myself, but winter is not so lovely for the skin.

The indoor heated living (especially wood fires I have discovered this year) hot showers and cold and windy weather make it dry, tight and dehydrated and that’s neither healthy nor flattering so here’s a few easy things to do to keep it at its best through the cold months.

• First and most important, because this one is the easiest to drop-use an SPF sunscreen. So many don’t bother with this in winter because we believe the sun is weaker but the most harmful of the sun’s UV rays, the ones that cause premature aging skin, are still beaming in loud and strong through winter.
• Avoid hot +/- long shower or bath. Even when that seems like heaven, there is nothing more dehydrating for your skin. Hot water strips your skin of natural protecting oils, so keep the water warm, not hot. Keep them short, not long.
• Cleanse with a gentle cleanser at night.

• A good face cream is key. In winter our skin loses lots of moisture from the top layers thanks to evaporation in windy conditions or sitting in rooms that are artificially heated. An oil-rich moisturiser high in humectants will hydrate your skin from the top by locking in water while also drawing up moisture from lower in the skin layers where there is plenty.
• If your skin is feeling dry even with a Face Cream add a face oil because dry skin is lacking oil
• Don’t forget about the rest of your body 😊

Let me know if you read any fabulous books xx