I know that there are still a few more weeks until we are officially in Winter but it’s never too early to start preparing your skin for the increased exposure to indoor heating, freezing cold temperatures and icy winds. My skin feels itchy and tight just thinking about it. I suffer from regular breakouts but also have dry patches that often flare up and become irritated. It’s like walking a tightrope trying to find the right balance in my skincare routine so I’m always cautious about adding new products to the mix. As you may already know, I am a huge fan of the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] and Purifying Cleansing Gel to keep my spots at bay but I’ve also introduced a few new products to help keep my skin soft, plump and hydrated this Winter…
As a working mum trying to juggle changing nappies, breakfast time and getting ready and out the house all before 7.30am every morning, I am a huge fan of skincare products that have more than one use or that work overnight. The Cloud 9 Skin Solutions Good Night Deep Nourishing Sleep Mask (£38/50ml) is an incredibly rich treatment that contains active ingredients which nurture and moisturise normal to dehydrated skin while you sleep.
As I mentioned before my skin is actually pretty oily in certain areas so I concentrate this product under my eyes, cheeks and forehead for fear it will break me out. The mask contains avocado oil which is high in antioxidants and is also rich in Vitamin A, B12 and E. This product has done wonders at soothing and calming down redness across my forehead and cheeks but is definitely too rich to apply all over my skin. This is an intensely moisturising formula that really does give your skin an instant boost. I found that it can feel a little greasy when applied too thickly, however, a little goes a long way so this product should last you a long time. This is my first product from award-winning British skincare brand Cloud 9 and I am really impressed. I can’t wait to try more from their collection and, also, how beautiful is the packaging?
The REN Perfect Canvas (£50/30ml) is another time-saving mummy must-have perfect for Winter. Perfect Canvas is an incredibly light, clear, runny ‘skin perfecting silicone-free serum’. It can be used after you moisturise to lift, smooth and naturally fill the skin thus creating the perfect matte canvas upon which to apply your makeup. The serum also contains probiotic extracts which claim to speed epidermal growth and help to reinforce the skins natural barrier.
The probiotic extracts boost cell division and the “production of essential structural protein which increases cell cohesion, cellular proliferation, and the Natural Moisturiser Factor”, this is just a scientific way to say it keeps skin smooth, hydrated and healthy-looking whilst strengthening the skins natural defences. Perfect Canvas also contains Agave tequilana extract which provides an instant filling effect and mattifies without the use of silicone. I’ll be honest Perfect Canvas is full of all manner of fancy ingredients and comes with a huge list of bold promises and claims. Perfect Canvas is basically a primer-serum hybrid packed full of wonderful skincare ingredients designed to improve your skin over time. This is a great product if you want a primer that creates a smooth matte finish without clogging or overloading your skin with silicone based ingredients and enhancing your skin’s natural defences this Winter.
The Amie Daybright Glow Brightening Sheet Masks (£6.99 for a box of 3) are individually wrapped and the perfect pick me up after a stressful week of being exposed to the frosty elements. The soft cloth masks are infused with ingredients, including liquorice root, coffee, hyaluronic acid and Indian Lotus Extract, designed to brighten, hydrate and revitalise your skin in just 15 minutes. The masks have a delicate floral scent and feel incredibly soothing and gentle. They feel especially calming to my undereye area which, by the end of the week, is usually feeling a little tired.
Do you switch up your skincare routine in Winter?
