When masks are mandatory, stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high and with working from home inflating our central heating usage, your skin is going to be prone to a handful of beauty bugbears.
In the age of coronavirus, it really does help to tweak your skincare routine to combat the winter elements.
Fear not, Professional Beauty Therapist, Lisa de-la-Plain at Beauty Flash has put together a list of key skincare ingredients that will help keep your skin glowing all winter long.
Vitamin E
Forget washing as normal. During the colder months, swap your regular cleanser for a balm or oil-based formula for a dose of hydration even after you rinse it off.
A hydrating cleanse is key so you’re not robbing your skin of much-needed moisture. While a facial skin resurfacing at Ethos Spa is recommended for those with skin issues, as this procedure ensures safe and quick skincare without any unnecessary hassle.
Look for a cleanser that includes vitamin E as this not only helps hydrate the skin but fights off free radicals on the skin too, like Medik8’s Lipid Balance Cleansing Oil.
This ultra-gentle cleanser oil cleanser gently dissolves impurities and water-proof make-up, that leaves skin feeling soft, supple and protected.
Hydration boost
Often forgotten, serums are essentially just shots of extremely concentrated nutrients, hydrators and antioxidants that really amp up your skin health as you apply them.
And during the harsh winters, this is exactly what we need.
For day time, make sure your serum includes Vitamin C, like Medik8’s C Tetra Serum. This will help combat sun-induced damage, trigger collagen synthesis and increase skin’s elasticity.
But be careful, vitamin C is strong, so if your skin is sensitive, use it every other morning instead of daily.
At night, opt for a serum filled with hyaluronic acid, which pulls water from the air into your skin to plump it up and keep it hydrated while you sleep.
Don’t skip SPF
Although the main source of blue light we’re exposed to is the sun, we also get a significant dose from our screens and indoor lighting.
During lockdown, many of us are spending more time indoors and in front of screens than normal, so we are increasing our exposure. Over exposure to blue light is known to contribute to eye strain, but it can also have an effect on your skin.
Although these effects aren’t always noticeable straight away, implementing preventative measures to help minimise them is key. So continue adding SPF to your skincare routine with products like, Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defence to defend against UV and Blue Light.
Check your diet
Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is made in our skin following sunlight exposure and is essential for good health and fighting off infections, as well as skin protection and rejuvenation.
Ironically, as we enter winter, when people need vitamin D the most, we’re not getting enough due to the lack of sunshine.
Instead, look to adapt your diet to include foods high in vitamin D, such as oily fish (mackerel, salmon and sardines), red meat and egg yolks.
What to avoid
The colder temperatures, decreased humidity and frigid breezes all work together to dry out the skin and the skin barrier. The combination of these things makes skin more likely to be dry, irritated and itchy in the winter.
So it’s important to avoid certain ingredients, to ensure your skin doesn’t become more irritated.
Avoid alcohol-based toners as these can strip the skin and focus on more hydrating versions.
Clay masks should be used sparingly as these can be quite drying and can do the opposite of its intending effect.
And finally, in the winter it’s really easy to over-exfoliate but this can damage your skin barrier. So reduce how often you would normally exfoliate and opt for products that include glycolic, mandelic or salicylic acid, like Medik8 Pore Refining Scrub Natural Exfoliator.