My Top Winter Skincare Tips

Hellooo, everyone! I hope you’re all fine and dandy. Is anyone else ready for some sun?! As much as I love this time of year, once Christmas and New Year are over, I find myself crying out for summer. The constant cold can really wreak havoc on your skin! My lips and hands often get incredibly chapped, I have dry patches on my face and my makeup doesn’t seem to sit as well. I’ve tried all sorts over the years to try and help combat winter skincare woes, so thought I’d share what I’ve learned with you, just in case it’s of any help…

FACE

Drink 2 litres of water per day | An obvious one, yet easy to forget. Even though it’s super cold, making sure you’re still getting 8 glasses of water a day is incredibly important. The colder climate can really dry your skin out, but if you maintain a regular intake of water, it helps ease winter dullness and keeps your skin looking clear and healthy.

Use day & night creams | Everyone knows to moisturise, but life often gets in the way and our skincare routine suffers. This time of year is when I want to snuggle up in layer upon layer of clothing and rush my skincare to escape the cold as fast as possible. Having decent, consistent moisturisers is essential though for keeping wintery dry patches at bay. In the morning, I use the Body Shop‘s Drops of Youth Cream and in the evenings, I’ve been using their Vitamin E night cream because it’s much richer and I like to give my skin something a tad more intense to work its magic whilst I sleep.

Use a serum | An added boost of hydration is never a bad thing, especially when you’re constantly going from out of the cold into the heating, which really dries your skin out. Use a serum after you’ve cleansed then follow with your moisturiser to give skin extra luminosity. I absolutely LOVE the Liz Earle Superskin Serum. It’s a bit pricey at £39.50, but it is absolutely magic and makes a massive difference to the quality of my skin. There are lots of cheaper options available, like Pixi by Petra’s Rose Oil Blend for £26 or Green People’s Hydrating Firming Serum for £19.50. Once you start using a serum, you won’t go back!

Exfoliate regularly – 1-2 times per week for dry skin, 2-4 times for oily skin | I know, I know, these tips are all totally obvious, right? Oh no my friends, exfoliating is one of those things we all say we do but we don’t do it consistently. I chose three days a week to give my face a proper scrub, (Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s – no idea why I chose those particular days, but set days appeals to my obsessive nature and ensures I don’t forget to do it!) and use a gentle exfoliator that I keep in the shower. Most exfoliators advise you to massage onto wet skin, which seems like a bit of a farce after the effort of removing makeup after a long day, so keeping your exfoliator in the shower is an easy way to incorporate this skincare must into your routine. Recently, I’ve been loving Soap & Glory’s The Greatest Scrub of All, which is only £9 (gotta love a bargain) and all of their skincare is currently on offer for 3-for-2 in Boots! Treat yourselves.

Wear lip balm every night | A simple yet effective way to combat Winter’s most attainable accessory; chapped lips. There are a huge range of cruelty free lip balms on the market, but my personal favourites are The Body Shop’s lip juicers, which are £7 each, 100% vegan and were inspired by smoothies, so they all have super cute fragrances and provide effective moisture! I love their Coconut Lip Butter which is incredible at leaving your lips kissably smooth, it smells completely divine and costs just £4.50. Another great option is SportFX’s Candy Floss lip balm which is a mere £4.99 and it’s über moisturising, long lasting and adds a pretty pop of subtle pink. I also love the Barry M Mango Lip Scrub for an added boost of care; it buffs lips to silky smooth perfection.

BODY

As much love and care as you give to your face, you’ve got to do the same for your body!

Hand cream is your bff | Think about how much we put our hands through on a daily basis; now add cold and inconsistent weather into the mix! Hand cream is a total must – try to keep one in your bag so you get in the habit of applying it regularly. I also apply it right before bed so it gives my hands some time to rejuvenate ready to face the next day ahead. My current obsession is The Body Shop’s Almond Hand Cream, which is £5 and really effective at locking in moisture and keeping dry, cracked skin at bay. They have a wide range of scents so you’re sure to find something you love!

Exfoliate | I suffer with really dry, irritable skin on my legs that’s prone to ingrown hairs and rashes from whatever method of hair removal I use (great, thanks universe), so exfoliating is an absolute must for me. In the winter, I increase the amount I exfoliate to about 4 times a week and use fairly gentle exfoliators, like the Body Shop’s Strawberry Body Polish which is a reasonable £10. When I want something a bit more invigorating, I like Lush’s Ocean Salt Scrub, which starts at £8.95. In my opinion though, you just can’t have enough exfoliators in your life! A dry body brush is also a handy little tool – you can get them in Boots, Superdrug and the Body Shop to name but a few.

Moisturise daily | This is crucial for keeping your skin soft and defended against the harshness of winter. I prefer body butters in the colder months as they’re richer and penetrate the skin more deeply, then I switch to lotions and oils in late Spring. My favourite body butters are Arbonne’s Olive Blossom & Eucalyptus, which I got in a gift set over Christmas and loved. They are an incredibly expensive brand though, so keep an eye out online for discounts and gift sets – you can get a right bargain. I also love the Body Shop’s Coconut Body Butter and Zoella Beauty‘s Snow Smooth Body Butter, which was a limited edition sadly, so I can’t replace it! The smell was absolutely gorgeous and I’m gutted it hasn’t been made part of the regular range. Soaper Duper also have some brilliant body butters and products; their Zesty Lemon is particularly fresh and zingy.

Have a bath | Honestly, the thing that makes the biggest difference to the overall quality of my skin in winter is having a bath. This is somewhat problematic as I only have a shower in my flat (sob!), so whenever I visit my parents, I take a trusty Lush bath bomb with me and indulge. If you can have a bath at least once a week, you’ll definitely notice smoother and softer skin. If you’re like me and suffer with ingrown hairs, you’ll also find those pesky buggers appearing on your legs less and less! Plus, it just helps you relax, unwind and warm up. What’s not to love?!

What are your top winter skincare tips? Are there any brands here that you love? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks so much for reading folks, it really means a lot!

Until next time,

Jessa XO

All photos are my own unless otherwise specified

7 Comments

  1. Makeup by Erin
    February 24, 2018 / 3:27 am

    I keep meaning to try Zoella’s ranges! They look so lovely and aesthetically pleasing!

    • February 26, 2018 / 12:37 am

      They’re lovely and they all smell SO good!

  2. Jen Lloyd
    February 24, 2018 / 4:53 am

    Jess, you’re fab! Always read and watch your stuff. Can’t wait for your summer tips as I live in Thailand now so chapped hands are a thing of the past! Take care babe, and keep doing this!! Jen (Bethel – Windsor!)

    • February 24, 2018 / 11:52 pm

      Ahhh thanks so much, Jen! Wow, that’s amazing, hope you’re happy and enjoying the endless summer days! Much love xo

  3. March 2, 2018 / 10:39 am

    I received the Liz Earle serum in a gift set for Christmas, and I am obsessed! It’s so good X

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