Air humidity, wind, central heating and cold temperatures can all play a part in the changes we often see in our skin over winter.
- Dehydration.
- Rough, dull texture.
- Flaking skin.
- Tight and uncomfortable skin.
If your skin struggles with these, it may be time to make some simple tweaks to your routine to keep your skin happy until Spring!

Bring back the retinol
We know that retinol use can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, so many people stop using retinol over the summer to minimise irritating effects.
But in autumn and winter it is a good time to pick it back up again.
If you have had time off, it can be good to start by using it every other night for a couple of weeks, to make sure your skin gets used to it again.
Consider your cleanser
During the summer months, many people find their skin suffers more breakouts and they need to use cleansers with more actives such as salicylic acid to combat spots.
As the winter approaches, the skin can become more dehydrated, so switching to a gentler cleanser can help avoid the dry and tight sensation.
You might try cream or balm cleansers instead of foaming ones.

Don't skip exfoliation
It may be tempting to skip the exfoliation process if your skin feels drier.
But gentle exfoliation once or twice a week can help remove the build-up of dead skin cells, leading to a brighter complexion and helping the other skincare active ingredients penetrate the skin better.
Stick to chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid rather than physical scrubs as these can be too harsh on the skin.
Yes, you still need to use sunscreen
There may be less burning UVB radiation over the autumn and winter months, but the ageing UVA radiation is still present, and it can reach our skin through clouds or windows!
So it is important to continue to use your sunscreen daily all year round to protect your skin from ageing UVA and also from the risk of developing any skin cancers.
I recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with high UVA, UVB and IR protection i.e. factor 30 plus.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
With our skin battling all the elements, and the central heating (if you have caved and turned it on this year!) our skin can become more dehydrated.
This might make your skin feel dry, rough, flaky, irritated and tight.
Switching to a richer moisturiser, particularly at night can help lock in the moisture and keep your skin happily hydrated.
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