How to Choose the Best Products for Dry Winter Skin

Winter skincare needs a whole different philosophy. When the seasons change, you might notice the difference in your skin quite quickly, with the cold windy weather comes dry chapped skin on the face, neck and hands. It gets harder for your skin to retain water when the elements get harsher. You have to add in products to your routine that will keep your skin full of juicy moisture. As we know, dry skin looks older and less bouncy, it is also less healthy and you are more likely to suffer with outbreaks and eczema if your skin isn’t properly cared for. Check out my post on the science behind treating dry skin.

In this post , I’m going to explain what changes to your skincare routine will help tackle dry winter skin and give you some product suggestions that will give your skin life, bounce and reduce irritation. The links in this post are likely to be affiliate which means I get a small percentage back to reinvest in my blog, so if you click and spend, it’s a way of saying thanks. I also have some discount codes for you- enter ESPASHOP5 at checkout for 5% off ESPA, AMELPLUS5 for 5% off Ameliorate, PMDXSD for 32% Off Perricone MD 14th-24th November and 28th-29th November, PMDX42 for 42% Off Perricone MD 25th-28th November.

Tips for Healing Dry Winter Skin

• Cleanse less– Cleansing is very drying for the skin. Check out my full guide to how to cleanse without stressing the skin. Cleansing can increase the skin’s pH which affects it’s ability to protect itself and it increases water loss from the skin.
• Use sunscreen– Even in the winter months it’s important to protect the skin. UVA rays affect us all year long. I covered this recently on my podcast, UVA is very damaging to the skin’s barrier and speeds up the aging process.
• Hydrate– Layers of hydration before moisturiser rehydrate the skin after cleansing and increase plumpness. I have an amazing list of products to try here.
• Use products that contain oils– Oils will help trap water in the skin. In the winter the skin becomes less oily, so it helps to replenish by adding some in. Pure plant oils can be a bit much and in some will clog pores, so it’s nice to have them as an additive in moisturiser.
• Search for Natural Moisturising Factors in ingredient lists– Natural Moisturising Factors are molecules that the skin produces within it’s cells to create the “moisture barrier”. Adding these Natural Moisturising Factors to skincare will improve the moisture barrier in a skin identical way. Look for these chemicals-
  • Free Amino Acids
  • Lactate
  • Sugars
  • Urea
  • PCA
• Use a humidifier by the bed– Increase skin hydration from the environment. The air can get very dry when the central heating is on, a humidifier helps to put it back.
• Use acids (sparingly)– Acids can be irritating for sure, but they can also be moisturising! a low concentration of a gentle acid like Lactic or Mandelic can balance pH, protect the moisture barrier and help smooth the skin.
• Layer it on– Just one moisturising product is probably not going to cut it in the winter. For best results, layer moisturising toners, serums and creams.

Now you are equip with the knowledge you need to tackle winter skincare issues, here are some good products that will be a great addition to your skincare shelf until warmer weather arrives.

ESPA Tri-Active™ Regenerating Calming Cica Cleansing Balm £50 for 100g

The best cleansers for winter are oil based. Oils do not affect the skin’s pH and will reduce trains epidermal water loss. Check out the ingredients-

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Peg-8 Beeswax, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Peg-60 Almond Glycerides, Silica, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Geraniol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aqua (Water), Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Leaf/Twig Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Linalool, Fragrance* (Parfum), Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil.

Ingredient list

ESPA Tri-Active™ Regenerating Calming Cica Cleansing Balm is a rich balm type cleanser and it’s perfect for winter time. It has a blend of plant oils and butters that lift dirt and makeup from the skin and then melt away with ease leaving the skin moisturised. Cleansing is very stressful for skin. I’ve had plenty of patients whose entire skin complaint has been caused by excessive cleansing. A gentle, oil rich product like the ESPA balm is ideal for the job when your skin is super dry from winter winds and central heating. It’s best to use the balm with a super soft cloth, which is included with the balm. It melts really easily with the heat of the hands and feels divine. There are essential oils in the formula but the scent is very subtle.

At the moment the ESPA Tri-Active™ Regenerating Calming Cica Cleansing Balm has £10 off plus our discount code ESPASHOP5.

AMELIORATE Transforming Body Lotion (Fragrance Free) £24 for 200ml

Aqua/Water/Eau, Ammonium Lactate*, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin. *From Lactic Acid.

Ingredients list

The AMELIORATE Transforming Body Lotion has some amazing ingredients for dry rough skin. You might notice there are a few ingredients in this list which are Natural Moisturising Factor, which I mentioned above- Urea, Amino Acids (like Serine), Lactate. There is also Allantoin, which is soothing. Also there is Lactic Acid, which is a humectant as well as an exfoliator, it smoothes the skin while it hydrates. Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion is great for ashy, dry winter skin as well as bumpy skin and Keratosis Pilaris.

It has a clinical fragrance and gives a slight tingling sensation when applied, so you know it’s working. Ameliorate also do a fragranced version of the cream, if that’s what you would prefer. I’ve found this cream really good as a hand cream also, it absorbs quickly and definitely helps with chapped skin. I have to admit my hands get pretty neglected and they start to feel pretty uncomfortable this time of year. Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion has really helped.

Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Nourishing & Calming Moisturiser £60 for 59ml

Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Nourishing & Calming Moisturiser has 480mg of 99% pure Canabidiol oil, here are the rest of the ingredients-

Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Betaine, Coco-Caprylate, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Calendula Ocinalis Flower Extract, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Ceteareth-30, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cannabidiol, Bisabolol, Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decyl, Gluco.

Ingredients list

There have been some studies which show that Cannabidoil has an effect on gene expression within skin and can upregulate the skin’s anti inflammatory and defence pathways. This shows that Cannabidiol could be a great treatment for inflammatory skin disorders like eczema and acne. It also acts as an anti oxidant and can generally improve skin health. I like that Perricone MD have displayed the amount of CBD in their product. Perricone CBD Moisturiser also contains soothing extract of Calendula and Bisabolol, Buriti oil for skin dryness and Licorice extract which helps with flakiness. It also has a ceramide, which is another natural constituent of healthy skin.

Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Nourishing & Calming Moisturiser is a very rich cream. It absorbs to form a protective layer and leaves the skin feeling comfortable and supple. It’s fragrance free, which I love. I’m not too keen on fragranced skincare on my face, I find it irritating. This cream has been a lifesaver particularly for my neck! It’s something I’ve only noticed the last couple of years, every winter my neck specifically gets very itchy and crepey. The soothing oiliness of the Perricone MD Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Nourishing & Calming Moisturiser is ideal for this eczema like situation.

Don’t forget that there is money off at the moment for Black Friday/Cyber Monday season, here are the codes again ESPASHOP5 at checkout for 5% off ESPA, AMELPLUS5 for 5% off Ameliorate, PMDXSD for 32% Off Perricone MD 14th-24th November and 28th-29th November, PMDX42 for 42% Off Perricone MD 25th-28th November. Check the websites for accurate up to date information.