The best ingredients for winter skincare
What are the ingredients we should be looking out for in our skincare products through the winter? In winter, when our skin is subject to greater extremes - from warm and dry inside our homes and workplaces to cold and moist outside, we need to nurture it slightly differently to the summer months, concentrating on feeding it with skin boosting ingredients while protecting the skin barrier with rich moisturising ingredients to reduce the impact of the changes in environment.
Here’s my guide to the best ingredients for winter skincare you should look out for:
Glycerin
Glycerin is a humectant which is present in all natural oils. A humectant is a substance that attracts and binds water to the skin, and in fact we have a naturally occuring humectant in our own bodies - hyaluronic acid. I use glycerin in my Cream Drench for its very useful properties, including:
Moisturising: glycerin attracts and retains moisture from the environment, helping to hydrate the skin and prevent dryness. It forms a protective layer on the skin, reducing water loss and maintaining its natural moisture balance.
Skin barrier repair: glycerin can support the skin’s barrier function by strengthening
the outermost layer of the skin, so helping improve the skin’s ability to retain moisture and protect it from external irritants.
Soothing and calming: glycerin has soothing properties that can help with
skin irritation and inflammation caused by external aggressors, which includes the winter weather.
Anti-ageing: glycerin can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles - by keeping our skin hydrated, it helps with skin’s elasticity and bounce.
Hylaluronic acid
I know, I have written many times about the joys of hyaluronic acid, but it always bears repeating! Our natural production of hyaluronic acid decreases as we age, which contributes to that feeling of dry, tight skin and the onset of fine lines and wrinkles. SkinGoal’s Power HA Serum will give your skin all the hyaluronic acid it needs to maintain good hydration in the face of drying central heating and air conditioning.
Simply smooth it on to freshly washed skin and you can feel it start to work immediately. It’s a personal favourite of mine, and I use it day and night.
Ceramides
Just like hyaluronic acid, ceramides draw in and retain water to keep skin hydrated, but they also go a step further, working to repair skin, reduce inflammation and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.
Ceramides are lipids (fats) found naturally in high concentrations in the uppermost layers of skin. They make up over 50% of skin’s composition and play a vital role in determining skin appearance and how it responds to environmental threats. Think of your skin cells as bricks in a wall - ceramides act like the mortar between the bricks. As walls age, the mortar wears away and is less effective and it’s the same with ceramides in your skin.
I have included ceramide NG in my night cream created for more sensitive skins, Cream Repair. It’s very close in its molecular structure to the naturally occurring ceramides and offers truly excellent benefits, especially in winter.
Moisturising: Ceramide NG helps to improve the skin’s ability to retain moisture, which can help to keep the skin hydrated and plump. This is is especially beneficial for dry or dehydrated skin struggling with winter’s aggressors.
Skin barrier repair: Ceramide NG helps to repair and strengthen the skin’s barrier function, which can be compromised by the environmental stressors winter brings, and (of course) ageing. A healthy skin barrier can help to protect the skin from damage and prevent moisture loss.
Anti-ageing: Ceramide NG has been shown to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve the overall texture and tone of the skin. Hurrah!
Soothing: Ceramide NG has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to calm and soothe the skin. It can be particularly beneficial for those with sensitive or irritated skin, which often flares up as the air in our houses becomes much dryer in winter.
Niacinamide
Niacinamide, or Vitamin B, does many wonderful things for our skin when added to skincare, and I have it in my gorgeous Cream Revive, which is a fabulous winter night cream to really boost skin during these colder months.
Like hyaluronic acid, it helps reduce water loss from the inside out, keeping our hydration levels higher, which really helps improve the elasticity of the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Niacinamide also works as an antioxidant, helping the skin defend itself against external stressors such as UVA and UVB. In fact, niacinamide has been shown to repair UV-induced DNA damage, in turn reducing the signs of photo-ageing.
When you’re considering what products to buy to keep your skin fit through these horrible winter months, do check the ingredients and seek out those that will proactively support your skin through the tough times!
Love, Penny x