DERMAL ENERGY
It’s time to kiss goodbye to winter dullness and prepare for that summer glow. Sarah Young suggests four simple tweaks to your skincare routine that will help you do just that
A new season calls for a new skincare regime, and with the official start of spring tomorrow, there’s no better time to start readying your complexion for the warmer months that lie ahead.
Autumn and winter are tough seasons on the skin – think harsh temperatures, snow, and dry, indoor heating – and as such it can be difficult to transition from one season to another with healthy skin.
Luckily there are a few simple changes you can make to prepare the face for sunnier days to come. Scrub up
Your first port of call on the way to glowing skin should be to invest in an exfoliator. During the cooler months, skin becomes dull and can develop a season-long build-up on the skin of leftover products, dead skin cells and environmental toxins.
As such, using a gentle scrub will help to get rid of that winter skin, unblock pores and even make your products work better. For best results, follow with a hydrating mask a couple of times a week to keep your complexion smooth and hydrated.
Our favourite is Ren’s Micro Polish cleanser that is designed with a mild but ultra-effective formula that helps to eliminate dullness and resurface the skin without leaving it feeling overexposed.
Lighten the load
During the warmer months our skin actually holds onto more water so, as a rule, you don’t need as much hydration (of course, this is dependent on your skin type also).
Instead, switch out heavy winter creams for lighter lotions and potions that are rich enough to quench skin without feeling OTT.
For this we love a gel-cream like Sunday Riley’s Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream, which feels cooling on the complexion. Ideal for dry and dehydrated skin types, it contains hyaluronic acid to keep your skin feeling supple, smooth and plump.
Protect yourself
After months spent hidden under layers of clothing and chunky scarves it can be easy to get out of the habit of applying sun protection, but this really is a step you should adhere to all year round.
Now that sunnier days are on the horizon it’s especially important to swap to a moisturiser with built-in SPF for a standalone product that’s at least SPF 50.
One of the best products on the market that’s effective and doesn’t feel uncomfortable on the skin is Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily Defense. Designed with a high level of sun filters, it provides the skin with effective UVA and UVB broad-spectrum protection while simultaneously defending against the appearance of dark spots or wrinkles.
Add an eye cream
The skin under your eyes is much thinner than that on the rest of your face and after months of cold weather, chances are it’s in desperate need of a little extra hydration.
To combat fine lines and wrinkles, an eye cream will temper the effects of squinting in the sun, leaving you to look at spring through fresh eyes.
Our favourite is Clinique’s Pep-Start Eye Cream which is designed with a cooling and depuffing tip. Simply squeeze out a small amount, swipe in a circular motion and use your finger to smooth in any excess.