Winter Beauty Tips

Eight Beauty tips for Surviving Winter

Read the beauty tips from our Beauty Therapist at Loved by You. Making sure you look your best in winter is vital to surviving these dark months, read how.

Keep Water Lukewarm, Not Hot

Hot water robs skin of moisture, so it's best to shower in lukewarm water. If you can't bear this rule, I can't, try to keep your warm showers short and try showering only once per day. This also means skipping the hot tubs in winter (another rule I simply can not bear). The hot, hot temperature, combined with drying chemicals, is torture on skin. The same rule applies to hand-washing: Wash hands in lukewarm, never hot, water (this is a rule I firmly abide by). If your skin turns red, the water is simply too hot. Product suggestion:

Moisturise After a Shower or Hand washing

Moisturising is the key to soft, supple skin in winter. Apply product when skin is slightly damp. For best effect, pat skin dry instead of rubbing with your towel before application. Antibacterial soap in public places can be harsh on hands, so I like to keep Arran Aromatics hand and nail cream in my purse. To keep cuticles soft, I massage in olive oil but you can also try Nailtiques cuticle and skin gel. Extra tip: I love keeping moisturiser and facial water on my desk at work. I always a spritz of mineral water on hand then I have my moisturiser, Guinot Nourishing and Protection Cream. The water locks in moisture and leaves my skin refreshed even in harsh office heat.

Exfoliate on a Weekly or Semi-weekly Basis

A moisturiser is much more effective on properly exfoliated skin. Use a scrub in the shower and exfoliate facial skin with Guinot Gommage Grain Declat Exfoliating Cream as a mild scrub made for the face. It's best to scrub skin when it's dry. Apply scrub such as the Australian Bodycare Facial Exfoliator to dry skin before you turn on the water (mix with lotion if it's not moist enough). Massage the scrub in for a good five minutes for best results. Extra tip: Dry brush skin before a shower with a Hydrea Rubber Grip Body Brush to remove flaky skin (it's more effective than brushing in the shower). Can we also suggest our Natural Sea Sponges or the Natural Massage Glove.

Invest in a Humidifier

Furnaces rob air of moisture, leaving very little humidity in the air. I once read that your skin needs more than 30 percent humidity to stay properly moisturised. A room heated by a furnace can have as little as 10 percent moisture. In the winter, consider sleeping with a humidifier in your bedroom. Keep doors closed so the moist air doesn't escape the room.

Skip the Drying Soaps

Stick with a creamy moisturising cleanser that contains a pH balance formula , such as Guinot Mousse De Coton Shower Cream , or Arran Aromatics Shower Gel. Extra tip: Simply can't skip the bath? Skip the bubbles, which can contain harsh foaming ingredients and opt for bath oils or oatmeal scrubs , which are great for soothing itchy skin.

Baby Your Hands and Feet

Hands and feet can suffer terribly in winter. Put on moisturiser and gloves BEFORE you head outdoors, or consider wearing your GeLuscious Gel Gloves after a hard day whilst sat relaxing and swathing TV Extra tip: Cover feet in a thick moisturiser, wrap feet in a moisturising sock , geluscious turquoise gel booties .. Try to sit or lie down while the moisturiser soaks in or risk sliding into a full split and pulling your groin muscles.. A half-hour should do you

Staying Hydrated But Don't Go Overboard

Many people believe if they drink more water, they'll hydrate skin. But I've read time and time again that this is a myth and you simply cannot moisturise skin from the inside out. That said, a small study recently published by the University of Hamburg (and reported in Allure magazine), suggests people who drink relatively little water could see a significant benefit in skin hydration if they started drinking nine half pint glasses of water per day. What does this mean? Probably that dehydration does affect skin, but a normally hydrated person isn't going to see major benefits by drinking even more water. My advice: don't expect bottled water to save you from winter itch and always support your hydration with a facial and body moisturiser.

Don't Forget Your Lips

Licking your lips will not moisturise them and instead will help dry them out. Lips retain less moisture than other parts of the body, so they tend to dry out more quickly. A simple lip balm (product suggestion) helps, as does my all-time favourite lip trick learned in high school from "Seventeen" magazine: moisturise your lips with Vaseline. Take a toothbrush and "brush" your lips in a circular motion. This will remove dead flakes and leave your lips soft and supple. Try: Guinot Longue Vie Levres Lip Cream or Neom Organic Multi Lip and Skin Balm or the Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formula Honey and Lemon Lip Balm.

Your Face Needs Extra Care in Winter

Cold, winter wind can wreak havoc on skin. To keep your face supple in winter, apply moisturiser to your face before going out into the cold and cover your face with a scarf in harsh wind. If you have super, duper sensitive skin, consider avoiding rinsing your face with tap water, which can contain harsh minerals that are especially drying to the skin. Instead, do like the French and cleanse skin in winter with a cleanser that does not require rinsing, like the Guinot Lait Hydra Confort Cleanser which requires by cotton wool.