Some people take months or even years to craft the right skincare routine. However, most people don’t realise that a skincare routine that protects, nourishes, and hydrates your skin is seasonal.

As the colder months approach your skin’s health, look, and feel will change in response to the changing environment. And that’s exactly why it is essential to understand these changes and address them through an adequate skincare winter routine.

If you have found that the colder weather is giving you that “winter itch” or making your skin appear red, dry, or dull then it’s time to shake up that routine!

As the weather turns cooler, the level of moisture in the air will diminish. We will experience more wind and harsher weather conditions. We start to turn up the central heating in our homes and offices.

These changes appear on your skin in the form of:

• Dryness
• Irritation
• Inflammation
• Cracks
• Skin conditions flare-ups such as eczema and rosacea
• Clogged pores deriving from build-ups of excess dry skin

When all these effects are combined, it can be hard to take care of your skin and prevent outbreaks of acne, eczema, and other skin conditions.

You can prevent all this by designing an effective winter skincare routine. Here are a few tips for your perfect skincare routine:

• Use a gentler cleanser without harsh surfactants that can help your skin get rid of grease and grime without drying your skin. We suggest switching to an oil or balm cleanser.
• Hyaluronic acid should be your constant companion this winter. Use a hydrating mist between cleansing and moisturising that is rich in this powerful hydrator.
• Invest in richer moisturisers or even balms that can protect your skin’s lipids and seal in moisture. Look for plant oils, butters, and ceramides.
• Remove dead skin cells by using a gentler exfoliant and avoid harsher physical exfoliators such as crushed nuts and seed shells. Switch to a light AHA or BHA toner once or twice a week for brighter and easier to hydrate skin.
• Add serums to your skin routine that specifically targets hydration.
• Don’t skip sunscreen – even if we can’t always see it we need to protect our skin from harmful UV rays all year round

Studies have confirmed that the skin changes over time, often alongside environmental changes. Symptoms like the winter itch, eczema flare-ups, and reddened skin are the tell-tale signs that your skin microbiome is being affected by the winter weather.

With the Skin Trust Club plans, you can book your recurring skin microbiome tests, learn more about the changes in your microbiome, and receive tailored suggestions for your skincare winter routine. It takes the guesswork out of perfecting that winter skincare routine!