How to Wake up Winter Skin

Those long and dark winter months really take their toll on your skin, don’t they? By the end of February my skin usually looks dry and dull. I blame it on central heating which I keep on high, lack of fresh air and a diet containing high doses of comfort food and a generous amount of vin rouge but how exactly does one wake up and revive winter skin?

In this post I want to share with you some of the products that currently form part of my skincare routine and help to restore glow and fight the battle against fine lines and wrinkles.

My skin has become a bit of an obsession since I hit my mid thirties, I explained in one of my very first posts that I have combination skin and I’ve done battle with it for years. Avoiding breakouts was my one and only concern but now I have fine lines to deal with too, the loss of glow and skin tone bother me the most.

I have mentioned on several occasions how much I like using the hot cloth method for cleansing and Liz Earle is my go-to brand but if the budget allows I am an Eve Lom girl. I’m dying to try this pro-collagen cleanser by Elemis by the way, I’ve heard so many good things about it!

I really enjoy exfoliating my skin a few times a week and I like quite a coarse scrub – enter Bobbi Brown Radiance Boost Mask which has walnut grain and orange oil. It was kindly sent me to try and it smells divine! Apply a small amount on to damp skin, carefully scrub using circular motions and leave on the skin for 2 – 5 minutes. I really like using it but if you have sensitive skin something gentler would probably be better suited to you.

Glow Tonic by Pixi has been a firm favourite of mine since I tried it when I wrote this post. It’s very gentle and contains 5% glycolic acid so it’s great for improving the overall look of your skin and brilliant at restoring that elusive glow.

I was recently sent Idealia by Vichy and I was blown away by the results. This is a night time only treatment (unlike Glow Tonic which is morning and night) and it left my skin feeling incredibly soft and definitely brighter. It contains glycolic acid, Kombucha tea extract and Blueberry Polythenols and I would recommend it for skin that looks exhausted.

All I would say is that you must be careful in the sun when using any products containing glycolic acid. Make sure you wear a high SPF as your skin will be sensitive to sun exposure.

Reading this post by The Green Eyed Girl reminded me of Alpha H Liquid Gold. I tried this product years ago when it was only available in the UK via QVC so I bought it again and it really is as good as I remembered. I use it once a week and put it on before I go to bed, crucially I don’t apply any other products. Alpha H again contains glycolic acid and really helps to brighten the skin, I use it once a week or every now and again when I feel my skin needs it.

Are you still with me? Well done if you are, this is such a long post! So while I was hanging around at the Bobbi Brown counter in Dubai airport I spotted the Remedies range and bought No 91, a concentrated skin reviving and nourishing tonic. I’ve been using 3 to 5 drops twice a day before moisturising and I can see a difference – my skin looks much brighter and hydrated at the moment. Products like Glow Tonic or Idealia prep and optimise the skin’s ability to absorb whatever goodness you apply next. Whether it’s Bobbi Brown’s No 91 or any of my other favourite serums like Aqualia Themalia from Vichy – I have raved about this one in my very first beauty post if you would like to dive into the archives!

Thank you for reading if you made it this far. Now it’s my turn to ask for some tips from you: I’m looking for a lightweight moisturiser with anti ageing properties and for a sunblock that I can wear under makeup and won’t look greasy.

Have you tried any of the products in this post? I’d love to compare notes and hear your recommendations!

Antonia x

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All words and opinions are my own.