Winter skin-care tips

Winters have knocked on the doors already, and the weather is getting cold, and the air is getting dry by the day. The weather can be a little problematic for everyone, and more so for those with dry skin.
With the skin getting dry, itchy and even scaly in extreme conditions, a few quick and easy tips will help keep the skin soft and supple.

As tans fade, most of us will notice our skin starting to look worse and worse by the week. So, to keep the summer glow rolling into the next few months, follow our top winter skincare tips to see you through the worst of it.

Cleansers

‘Nourishing your skin is even more important during the winter months because the harsh weather means your skin is regularly exposed to changing environments,' Claire Vero, founder of Aurelia Skincare says. ‘Using a cream cleanser will lift impurities and make-up without stripping the skin of its natural oils. This is particularly important during winter when harsh conditions dry out the skin. It’s important to keep it healthy and nourished.’
Moisturisers

The lighter moisturisers we used in the summer will need replacing for something richer come winter. Skin can appear dull during this season as the cold weather, coupled with indoor-heating, sap skin of luminosity and moisture. Getting skin up to full hydration now will help you avoid this issue once winter arrives.
Oil
To add a little boost to your night time regime replace your night cream with an oil three times a week. This will act as a mini facial for skin whilst you sleep and keep the luminosity you have over the summer months. Apply oil last thing at night to stop it competing with moisturisers and make-up. Essential oils penetrate to the deepest layer of the skin, helping to restore its natural barrier. Starting this now will strengthen and prepare you skin, making it more resistant to environmental aggressors come mid-winter. For best results, warm the oil in your hands first, and then apply.
Treatments

Sun damage will weaken skin. Without improving the strength, as winter approaches skin will deteriorate quicker. To keep skin in its best condition, regular treatments will continually reconstruct the epidermis to boost moisture levels. Applying a face mask once to twice a week will help brighten the complexion and keep your glow after the summer season.
Diet

As soon as the sun starts to drop, we instantly start craving comfort foods. Incorporating a ‘rainbow diet’, provides you with the nutrients you need to fight off winter illness and keep you looking your best. For the skin in particular, yellow and orange foods are beneficial, so stock up on sweet potatoes, mango and red peppers, which contain Vitamin A which is linked to keeping skin healthy.

Don't wait until it snows to find your mittens.
Start protecting your hands now; preventing dry/chapped hands is infinitely easier than trying to cure them once they're a hot winter mess. "Wear gloves outdoors whenever the weather gets cold," advises New York City dermatologist Heidi Waldorf. "And apply a good hand cream at least every morning and evening. I swear by Derma Topix Intensive Hand, which hydrates and seals without greasiness and lasts through multiple hand washings and Purel applications." Which there will be many of now that cold season has kicked off. 

often your feet during your workout.
There's no reason your winter feet can't be as pretty as your summer feet—they just require a little TLC. If you never seem to find the time (and/or hate wearing socks overnight to help your foot cream soak in, as derms so often advise), multi-task this with your workouts. "Apply petroleum jelly under your socks before going to gym to deeply moisturize and reduce calluses and blisters too," Waldorf says.
Eat more fat.
No, not french fries (sorry), but healthy fats like those found in fish and olive oil. Low-fat diets can contribute to dry skin problems in the winter, says Chicago dermatologist Carolyn Jacob: "Eating fish oils and olive oil can help balance some of the necessary free fatty acids in the skin cells."
Check your lip balm's label.
It's that time of year—better make sure there's a balm in every handbag. But instead of basing your selection mostly on flavor and packaging (guilty), Wu says you should go out of your way to buy one that has sunscreen in it, to boost its protective powers and block riskier-than-you-think winter rays.