Everyone’s skin is affected by the change in seasons; what worked during the summer may not feel quite right as we move into autumn. Just as you put away those maxi dresses and reach for warm, comfy knits, so your skincare needs to adapt. Swapping lighter textures for something more substantial, heading into the new season isn’t just about new formulations, but taking a fresh look at what products work for you. It doesn’t mean changing your entire routine either; by making a few strategic changes your skin can reap major benefits.
CLEANSER
While your skin still needs thorough cleansing during the colder months, switching to a creamier texture can be kinder to wind-battered, dehydrated skin. A soothing cleanser such as Superfacialist’s Rose Calming Creamy Cleanser (£7.99) does the job, calming any redness or irritation.
Don’t think that a creamier texture means compromising on that deep clean feeling. Burts’ Bees have come up with a great product that offers the best of both worlds. Their Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (£10.99) contains extracts of chamomile, echinacea and aloe – calming whilst deep-down cleansing. It offers a refreshing, aromatic cleanse –perfect for waking you up on those dark winter mornings.
If your skin is super-dry even during the summer months, a balm cleanser may be your best option as the temperature drops. Designed to deep-clean without stripping the skin, balms have become the beauty industry’s new essential. Prestige brands such as Eve Lom and Emma Hardie have long cornered the market in balm cleansers, but one of the newer balms available is a salon brand – and slowly gaining cult status.
The Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm (£39.50) contains a blend of geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, menthol and clove. Combined with mimosa and rose wax, this balm is a fabulous all-rounder, tackling the needs of oily / combination skin as well as nourishing dry, parched skin. It’s unusual to find a product that can be this flexible, but this was a cleanser two years in the making – Elemis never rush the launch of a product and with good reason. When it comes to delivering a product that lives up to the hype, Elemis work extremely hard at getting the detail just right.
Other winter-friendly cleansers include Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish (£24.75), REN’s Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser (£16) and for an extra treatment, Dermalogica’s Pre-Cleanse (£34).
TREATMENT OILS
It may not be your first thought when it comes to winter skincare, but it’s worth thinking about a pre-moisturiser treatment; and a good treatment oil could be the best investment you’ll make all year. These products are your secret weapon in beating the elements: oils are perfect for giving your skin a much-needed moisture boost and their super-smart texture means they won’t clog your skin or leave it feeling overloaded. This new generation of treatment oils are lightweight, non-greasy and suitable for every type of skin, not just dry or sensitive.
Oils work by being ‘lipophilic’ which means they are able to pass through the lipid (outermost) layer of your skin faster, plumping the skin with moisture more effectively. They’re also a great way of delivering highly-concentrated ingredients to your skin, using a texture that your skin will readily recognise and accept. It is an excellent way to get the benefits of active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid while minimising the potential for irritation.
This method of delivering active ingredients means that oils can deal with lots of different skincare issues. As someone with a history of oily, blemished skin, I have been converted to the usefulness of treatment oils in restoring balance. It may sound counter-intuitive to put oil on a skin that’s blemished and unbalanced, but the right one really can restore your skin’s equilibrium.
Not convinced? Clarins may be able to convert you with their Lotus Face Treatment oil (£32). Designed with oily / combination skin in mind, the Clarins oil incorporates plant extracts into its formula including geranium, rosemary and lotus to calm breakouts and refine the skin texture. Also adding hazelnut oil to the mix, this softens the skin, sealing in moisture to create balance. This oil works brilliantly because it doesn’t just tackle the impurities in your skin; it retains moisture. In a less sophisticated product, the emphasis would be on purification only, meaning that the moisture-starved skin would frantically produce more oil to compensate. With Clarins, this vicious circle is stopped in its tracks. Designed as an evening treatment, this can be layered under a night cream or just worn on its own. Used regularly, the skin regains its balance and feels under control.
But if your major concern is preparing your skin for the assault of wind, rain and the many other delights that autumn tends to bring, a good hydrating oil will become your new best friend.
Weleda’s Almond Soothing Facial Oil (£14.95) contains high quality organic almond oil and plum kernel oil. A skincare company with serious green credentials, Weleda’s Almond Facial Oil is suitable for use by vegans and is recommended for even the most sensitive skins.
This deceptively simple facial oil, renowned for its calming, healing effect on the skin, works by improving the skin’s suppleness, strengthening its natural protection against the elements. Rich in fatty acids, the almond oil prevents moisture loss and reduces redness – making it a must-have if you live in a corner of the UK where the weather takes on a somewhat biblical aspect.
You may think that serums and oils are an unnecessary add-on to a routine, but they are the foot soldiers of skincare; preventing moisture loss and calming aggravated skin; helping to boost the effectiveness of your other products, meaning you need less of them, making them go much further. In terms of getting value for money, it’s hard to argue with that logic.
Other good treatment oils include Boots Botanics Facial Oil (£9.99), REN’s Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil (£23) and Estelle and Thild’s Facial Oil (fragrance free version) at £42.
MOISTURISER
The final change is perhaps the most obvious one: moisturiser. It’s common beauty practice to switch to something more substantial for winter. If changing from a lightweight lotion to a heavier texture worries you, the cloying creams that were once touted as suitable for dry skin are a thing of the past: skincare has progressed in leaps and bounds in terms of offering a moisturiser that won’t create more problems than it solves.
If you want a moisturiser that keeps things simple, you will love Liz Earle. Their signature Skin Repair moisturiser comes in a variety of textures, from a formulation suitable for oily skin, through normal and combination to dry and sensitive. The formulas are soothing and comforting, helping the skin find its own harmony. Using a blend of anti-oxidants (Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E) and Borage oil (a rich source of fatty acid GLA), this moisturiser’s mission is to protect your skin from drying out, and it wholeheartedly delivers on that promise. It’s a beauty industry classic and is a hard-working product that has earned its stripes. I would dub this a winter skincare must-have – it’s your insurance policy against the damage done by harsh weather, pollution and central heating.
If you’re looking for a moisturiser that will provide anti-ageing benefits as well as substantial moisture hit, Murad’s Perfecting Day Cream delivers like a face cream three times the price of its £39 cost.
Armed with SPF30, this moisturiser gives superb hydration without overwhelming the skin, making it a great buy for most skin types. Boasting ingredients such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants and lecithin, this moisturiser is a luxury-made-essential. Regular use of this moisturiser leaves your skin feeling firm, supple but most of all properly hydrated – it’s an excellent moisturiser if you’re new to skincare. There’s no tricky science to worry about – you just put it on, and let Murad do the rest.
If you make hydration the focus of your winter moisturiser, you won’t go far wrong. Other great hydrators on the market include Weleda’s Wild Rose Soothing Day Cream (£15.95), Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (£24) and REN’s Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream (£19).
There’s plenty to love about this season, and with a few small changes, you can really make a difference to how your skin looks and feels during the colder months. Spending the autumn with dry, uncomfortable skin doesn’t have to be inevitable. Making your skincare routine adaptable can leave your skin more resilient, and better able to withstand the aggressors of winter. And with your skin under control, that just leaves you with more time to ponder the truly serious questions of the season: pumpkin spice latte, or toffee nut mocha?
HELEN TOPE
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