Everyday skincare heroes to see off the last of winter
Everyday skincare heroes to see off the last of winter
Skincare Saviours To Hydrate And More
Snowdrops may be popping through the hardened ground with a beautiful promise of Spring but our skin can still suffer the effects of a long, cold winter; mine certainly does.
So today I wanted to have a chat about some skincare heroes that help get me through these winter months, let you know why they’re so great and why I won’t be dumping them at the first sign of warmer weather.
My skincare routine: An Addiction to lip balm
I always have a lip balm on my person. A lifetime of very dry lips (thank you autoimmune condition) has led me to be extremely reliant on the good stuff. Therefore believe me when I say, I have trialled the masses. My skincare routine is not complete without a lip balm in every makeup bag, handbag and coat pocket.
Let’s talk about two of my favourites today.
Lanolips
Lanolips 101 Ointment
If you’ve particularly dry lips an occlusive, hydrating lipbalm like this could be perfect for you. Lanolips is made from lanolin which is derived from sheep’s wool. It is 100% natural and incredibly hydrating. Lipbalms like Lanolips, or another favourite of mine Lansioh, are thick in texture therefore form a good protective barrier helping to protect lips from the drying effects of the elements while preventing moisture loss at the same time.
Lanolips also offer tinted versions of the original lip balm which are lovely and pretty, great to freshen up any look.
I became a massive fan of these lipbalms when I was on Roacutane treatment, in fact it was Lansinoh that was my lip savour then.
(Note Lansinoh is a lanolin ointment for use for lips, nipple care when breastfeeding and for dry skin. It is marketed as that, not just a lipbalm.)
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Lips Balm
La Roche Posay Cicaplast lip balm is a beautifully light yet hydrating lip product. This is a lip balm for you if you prefer a product that soaks into your lips rather than sitting on top of them. It contains humectant ingredients which support barrier repair with no irritants. It is fragrance and paraben free, suitable for sensitive skin.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Leveres
Serums – A Skincare stable
Hands down one of my favourite serums that I will use daily will be a Hyaluronic Acid serum and this winter has been no exception.
One of the reasons that Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is so great is that we produce it in our body already. By adding it topically via a serum we’re trapping moisture in the upper levels of our skin, plumping and aiding hydration. It is simply one of the easiest way to add surface hydration to your skin.
Hydrating hyaluronic
I have a few options for you at different price points.
I’m a fan of all of these serums and can honestly say I’ve been very impressed with both ends of the scale.
‘This formulation combines low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA crosspolymer at a combined concentration of 2% for multi-depth hydration.”-The Ordinary
A booster which is very easy to add into your skincare routine. Adds plumpness to your skin and offers surface hydration.
It is Vegan, alcohol free, nut free, silicone free, gluten free, cruelty free.
£18.00
Edit: Hylamide (owned by Deciem) announced today (27/02/19) a price reduction on the Core Series products. In their Instagram post they state: “The four-step regimen simplifies caring for skin without compromising on efficacy and there’s a further 20% price reduction waiting should you decide to checkout with all four Core Series products. Important bit: This offer is long-term so there’s no need to rush into a new routine until you need one.”
With this offer the Hylamide HA serum is now priced at £15.00.
What Hylamide say
“Hyper-strength rehydration serum with 5 forms of hyaluronic compounds with varying molecular weights.”-Hylamide
This serum has a much more watery texture than the previous serums I’ve discussed. They have the typical sticky hyaluronic acid serum texture which can remain tacky on the skin, until you add your moisturiser on top. MMHC2 is a fine texture that melts into your skin beautifully and leaves no residue.
“NOID Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex MMHC2. The formula offers a multi-dimensional approach to topical hyaluronic supplementation by combining 15 forms of hyaluronic compounds, hyaluronic precursors and a hyaluronic support technology in a peptide-charged delivery system. It offers water-based hydration and helps skin surface look plump, elastic, comfortable and uniform.”-NOID
A thicker, juicer serum than the other serums the H.A Intensifier by SkinCeuticals is intended to correct skin that needs hydration. It does what it says on the tin, or bottle should I say. Instant hydration is achieved and I notice plumper skin, especially around the eye area.
£85.00
What SkinCeuticals say
“Powerful corrective serum that helps amplify skin’s hyaluronic acid levels to improve appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and skin texture.”-SkinCeuticals
All in all
What’s so great about all of these serums (and pretty much all HA serums that I try) is that they are very lightweight. This means they are great for layering under moisturisers and SPF’s (we all know we need those 😉 ) making them perfect for use all year round. This is a great range to suit all budgets.
Masks that give back
Sometimes we’re in need of a mask that will give you a hit of hydration without the need to pencil in 40mins in your diary just to ‘chill’. And while we all need to work more time into our ‘self care’ rituals (we do, it’s really important), sometimes other things prioritise masking. Fear not. Here I have a quick, 5 minute mask that gives a whopping load of hydration without any greasiness (horay! I hear my fellow oily skinned friends shout!).
Avène have produced a bit of a skincare miracle here. I’m reminded just how much I love this mask with each use.
I’m not sure how they deliver such results so quickly…it must be that French mineral water (off to book a flight to swim in a creak in the Alps somewhere…).
What makes it so good?
What I love about this mask is it’s ease. I can pop on a thick layer, as advised, while brushing my teeth and by the time my teeth are sparkly (give or take) I’m ready to remove it with a warm face cloth. Yet it’s also gentle enough to leave on a little longer should you wish, not that that’s advised however, as usual that’s just me 😉
What you’re left with is the softest, hydrated, plumped skin in a flash.
This mask is a staple for me and really aids my skin through the winter, especially during those tough times as a avid Retinol user.
It’s gentle, yet effective.
So there you have it. A few products that help keep my skin in check during the colder months. As someone who uses Rentin-A and Acids in her skincare this is something I need to do. The products I choose to use alongside these need to support my skin and these are some I will repurchase time and time again because they simply work.
I hope you find this helpful!
Are they are skincare products you swear by? Let me know in the comments, I LOVE finding new goodies to try!
*This post contains a product that was gifted to me. It has been marked as GIFTED and was not given to me with any expectation of review or post. My opinions are my own.
This is super helpful! I definitely suffer from dry skin in the winter months and never know what products will actually work. I’m addicted to lip balms, but I think it’s because the ones I’ve been using actually dry out my lips more, so I constantly need to keep reapplying. I’m going to try the Lanolips – sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
The winter weather takes it’s toll on our skin doesn’t it! A HA serum will help your dry skin, they do wonders! Yes, some lip balms have a tendency to dry out lips more and actually mint can sometimes irritate lips! Which seems crazy as it always feels soothing and makes you want to apply more…but that says everything really! Lanolips really is great and I love that they do tinted balms too, perfect for Spring-when it comes haha! I’m glad you liked the post! Let me know how you get on!
The Ordinary do some great one’s don’t they! Pleased to hear you’re a fellow serum lover too-they really are powerful additions to our skincare routines! Glad you enjoyed the post!
This serum also contains B5, to aid surface hydration. This is an amazing value for money serum, that you can’t go wrong with. It is Vegan,
I’ve been struggling with my skincare and not really knowing what to do, I will definitely be trying out some of these products!
It can be a bit of a minefield can’t it! Glad to hear it, I hope they help! Let me know how you find them!
This is super helpful! I definitely suffer from dry skin in the winter months and never know what products will actually work. I’m addicted to lip balms, but I think it’s because the ones I’ve been using actually dry out my lips more, so I constantly need to keep reapplying. I’m going to try the Lanolips – sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
The winter weather takes it’s toll on our skin doesn’t it! A HA serum will help your dry skin, they do wonders! Yes, some lip balms have a tendency to dry out lips more and actually mint can sometimes irritate lips! Which seems crazy as it always feels soothing and makes you want to apply more…but that says everything really! Lanolips really is great and I love that they do tinted balms too, perfect for Spring-when it comes haha! I’m glad you liked the post! Let me know how you get on!
I love serums, especially the ones by The Ordinary! Some great picks here.
The Ordinary do some great one’s don’t they! Pleased to hear you’re a fellow serum lover too-they really are powerful additions to our skincare routines! Glad you enjoyed the post!