How to prepare your skin for winter?

Winter is a season of simple pleasures: the shimmer of fairy lights, the cosiness of thick cashmere scarves and the glow of a cup of chocolate chaud fastened between your hands. In any case, while the freshness all around might revitalize the senses, it's not exactly so good for your skin. The mix of frosty breezes, cold temperatures and toasty rooms with the heating turned up leaves skin feeling dry, harsh and for the most part exhausted. During winter, your skin has unexpected needs in comparison to the hotter months – by beginning everyday routines during Autumn you'll get a head start on the harshest climate.

FACE

Maintain your healthy summery-looking glow by switching to gentler products, such oil-based cleanser like our Cleansing Oil-to-Milk infused with Immortelle and Calendula, instead of a foaming gel. These rich cleansers delicately remove impurities and help preserve the skin’s moisture barrier, with nourishing ingredients to keep skin feeling soft and smooth.

The natural hydration level of your skin decreases during the winter, so it's important to be generous with your moisturiser application. Massage on an ultra-rich night cream before bed and a lighter day cream when you wake up in the morning. Look for products with an SPF rating to protect your face from the bright winter sunshine.

HANDS

Hands can become dry with exposure to cold temperatures, so lavish them with thick hand cream enriched with Shea butter. This intensely nourishing ingredient has been used for generations by the people of Burkina Faso – where we ethically source ours – to protect their skin against the harsh desert winds.

This high-in-fat butter has humectant and emollient properties, meaning it softens the skin and locks in moisture. It glides onto the skin to leave hands feeling smooth and supple. Choose one that's delicately fragranced with extracts from natural origins, such as almond, verbena or cherry blossom to add a subtle scent.

LIPS

The skin on our lips is thinner and more sensitive than other parts of our bodies, so it’s more affected by cooler temperatures. To keep your pout feeling soft, regularly apply a lip balm – preferably one that's rich in plant-based oils like shea butter. It's best to coat your lips with a thin layer of balm every time you venture outside. This creates a protective film similar to wearing gloves!
 

BODY

Although the body is less exposed than the face, hands and lips, it still needs extra care during the fall and winter months. Look for products with plant-based ingredients, perfumed with essential oils instead of synthetic scents. Soap or body wash with star ingredients like shea butter and lavender oil (known for its relaxing properties) will keep your skin feeling hydrated and beautifully fragranced.

Winter is the time to choose a richer moisturiser for your body. Instead of a lightweight lotion, help to preserve your skin’s moisture barrier by smoothing on a luxuriously thick body butter when your skin is still damp after a shower.

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