Before you settle into your seasonal hibernation, we have a very important PSA (public skin announcement).
Winter (skin) is coming—even for our most oiliest of skin have-rs. As temperatures, daylight, and humidity all dip, so do your moisture levels. Leading to irritated, dehydrated, and seriously cranky skin.
Be on the lookout for these ingredients in your winter skincare to help nab you the extra TLC your skin needs.
Ceramides
Ceramides (or the master moisturiser, as they’re known around these parts) are fatty acids that are essential for keeping your skin cells together, which allows them to function properly. Ceramides help fight dryness, irritation, inflammation, as well as free radical and environmental damage. Ceramide-rich skincare gives a serious boost of moisture for even the thirstiest of skin, which will help leave your face hydrated and plump, all winter long. Nice!
Hyaluronic Acid
Don’t let the convoluted spelling deter you. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin and joints—and more importantly, it’s a humectant. Meaning it does a killer job at drawing moisture from the air into deeper layers of your skin to keep it hydrated and supple. An essential in your skincare routine, hyaluronic acid is your hack to the dewy, bouncy and plump skin you’re craving.
Niacinamide
A form of vitamin B3, niacinamide does a stellar job at strengthening your skin’s moisture barrier. And a strong skin barrier = less dehydration. By regulating water loss, your skin barrier plays a major role in keeping your skin hydrated and supple against those harsh winter conditions. Not to mention, niacinamide also helps to calm inflammation and improve your skin texture, making it a great winter all-rounder.
Squalene
Let me set the scene: You just worked up the courage to finally turn off the shower and venture out to the bone-chilling winter air. The last thing you want to do is sit in a freezing cold layer of body moisturiser. Enter: squalene. Derived from olives, squalane not only reduces dryness with its hydrating qualities—it has a very similar composition to human sebum so it absorbs quick smart. This means you can hydrate your skin without having to catch a chill waiting for your moisturser to absorb.
Retinal
Hear us out. Is retinal infamously drying for the skin? Yes. Is winter still the right time to get into it? Also yes. Since retinal majorly increases your sensitivity to the sun, the colder months are the perfect time to step up your retinal game. A good hack for battling the retinal dryness is the sandwich method. Apply a hydrating serum (like hyaluronic acid) then your retinal, and then a generous layer of moisturiser to help limit irritation.
Vitamin E
As a humectant and emollient, vitamin E helps to fight against transepidermal water loss. Not to mention, it’s also got antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight against oxidative stress and inflammation. Your dry, pissed off skin’s gonna love it.
SPF
Rain or shine—all year round. No excuses!
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