It’s that time of the year that people are getting excited about the cooler weather in the UK and I’m like, ‘no you selfish bitches, just because you have nice knitwear it doesn’t make up for the fact our skin is going to go to shit.’
Theatrics aside, it is kind of true. Whenever the climate changes or again, to be less dramatic, the temperature drops like ten degrees, my skin starts to behave differently. When it comes to easy beauty hacks for cold weather these are the steps I take to adjust my skin.
1. Soft water
London has very hard water and what that means is that there’s a high mineral content (that is also the cause of limescale in the kettle and around the mouth of faucets!). It’s negative impact on the skin and hair is really drying it out. I use a water filter in my shower from Orb Spa which is an ‘exfoliating’ and ‘vibrating’ shower head.
There are three settings with different intensities delivered by long rubber ‘teeth’. I’ve used it on my back after workouts with hot water but it’s most effective on the scalp when rinsing off shampoo. As for the science, hard water is turned to soft through a filtration system removing pollutants and ion exchange that extracts the calcium and magnesium – those are the culprits that cause skin dryness.
After a few months of using this water softening shower head, I have noticed a steep drop in instances of itchy patches of skin caused by mild dermatitis and dermatographia (when you scratch your skin and it instantly inflames). Moisturising helps combat these conditions but also having skin-friendly water has meant that these outbreaks are much fewer.
2. Hyaluronic acid
It seems like a bit of a cop out to just say, use this ingredient but what it essentially does is draw the moisture from within to the surface of your skin where the product has penetrated. Not only that but it’s a naturally occurring substance in the body, which is why its also so safe to use by aestheticians. But back to the kind we commonly find in our apothecaries and chemists, upping your usage of effective hyaluronic acid can plump up your skin and keep it looking healthy and glowing through the colder months.
3. Use a face oil
All that cold air really strips your skin and face oil in the evening acts as an extra layer of protection to keep the moisture in. Although I use this in the summer too, the feeling of the oil is a lot more noticeable than later in the year. Wear it over a moisturiser to prevent break-outs and keep your skin hydrated!
photos by Chrystal, @chrystlm
Zara leather jacket
H&M top
Uniqlo trousers
Charles and Keith shoes
Fendi bag
