HOW I TAKE CARE OF MY COMPLEXION IN THE WINTER
Winter — not a favourite time of year for my upper epidermis. My dry Vata skin needs intense moisture but doesn’t always drink it up. Add to this the fact that I’m days from my 40s and living in a cold and polluted city where stress abounds, and my once happy-go-lucky, anything-goes skin that always thanked me as long as I dumped some kind of moisturiser on it is now a slightly angry dry dehydrated landscape with enlarged pores appearing across my cheeks and nose and a propensity to congest on my T-zone.
As the seasons move from the dry rough Vata qualities of early winter to the heavy, wet Kapha qualities of deep winter-spring (and back again with the strangely mild weather highlighting the climate crisis unfolding), I’ve been struggling with my skin. Hydrating products would literally get sucked up by my skin, leaving it dry hours later and oily products would just hang out on the surface sliding my makeup around but not doing much absorbing (beware if you’re planning to dump oils on your face and then head out into the cold — you get a clammy sheet on your skin).
Over the last week or two I’ve nailed a combo that seems to work — and it all kicked off with finding Irene Forte serum vials that left me with the perfect deeply hydrating base with just enough tackiness to protect. When I leave the house I top it up with a light moisturiser to seal and protect — just a drop of Rudolph Care’s Firming Therapy Moisturizer does the trick, and blends well with the existing serum and provides a great base for my makeup. A dash of Romilly Wilde’s eye cream look after my peepers (and has lasted forever so far). I rub any excess onto my lips and then finish with a lick of Burt’s Bees lip butter, which more or less lasts me until lunch and then I top up after.
Come evening, I gently cleanse with By Sarah oil-based cleanser, which contains clay to help purify the skin, and take it off with muslin cloth for the right amount of deep cleaning, a light exfoliation and a stimulating refresh. After that I spritz my face with MV rose water, then warm the tiniest amount of EGYPTIAN MAGIC cream into my palms and press in, adding a dab more on my poor nose, which has been streaming of late when I cross the threshold from the cold outdoors into the dryness of central heating, which means it’s getting sore from nose-blowing tissues. Before bed I treat my lips to a wash of Twelve hyaluronic lip treatment — expensive but worth it after pretty much allowing them to burn every summer throughout my youth.
So that’s my little story of winter skin, it’s been one of trial and error, but I’m quite happy with my little routine now. It’s been my shield against the January chill, and it’s serving me well in these teeny February temps. These products are definitely not on the same price level that I used to spend on my skin, but I’ve learned that with this a little goes a long way, and these are not only active products but they’re also natural, so I’m avoiding the silicones and other chemicals. This is skincare for the long term.
The Organic Pharmacy Stabilised Vitamin C Serum
An organic serum to fight back against winter dullness, patchy skin and signs of ageing.
An all-natural cream made with lovely ingredients like olive oil, honey and pollen, and formulated according to ancient Egyptian tradition. I use it for my face, but it also works as eye cream, hair conditioner and defrizzer, lip balm, and nail and cuticle conditioner. It doesn’t say “all purpose” for nothing!
Romilly Wilde Eye Believe Eye Serum
Made with natural plant stem cells, this is not your mother’s eye serum. It is powerful stuff, and the only thing that soothes my tired eyes in the winter. The formula contains schisandra, sea chamomile, Chinese hibiscus and green tea, so it smells lovely too.
Irene Forte Hyaluronic Acid Vials
These vegan, organic vials are formulated to help retain moisture in the skin and boost your skin moisturising efforts.
MV Skincare Rose Hydrating Mist
A natural spray that literally smells of roses, and soothes and hydrates my sensitive skin.
Rudolph Care Firming Therapy Moisturizer
A moisturiser that actually works on my Vata winter skin, made with mango butter and avocado oil, among other natural ingredients specially formulated for deep moisture.
This lip butter is 100% natural and actually heals dry lips, rather than just keeping you dependent on your lip balm like many mainstream brands do.
Twelve Beauty Hyaluroil Lip Treatment
For those of us who need a little extra hydrating for our irritated lips, this treatment is just the thing — made with konjac root powder and argan oil among other natural ingredients.