As the cooler months well and truly begin dictating our schedules and our wardrobes, so too do they impact on our beauty regimes. We’ve taken a closer look at the new ingredients and products tackling the problem of dry and flaky winter skin, from top to toe.
Face
Technology in winter skincare has come a long way recently, and we’re now seeing the fruits of this labour in the ingredients coming through on the product shelves. has just delivered a breakthrough product to our shores known as Advanced Vitamineral C Complex. The daily cream utilises Acerola Cherry, which contains 32 times more vitamin C than oranges, to tackle skin showing early or advanced signs of ageing, as well as environmentally stressed skin.
As skin becomes increasingly dry, exfoliating becomes an important part of a good skincare routine. For quality products, Bioré is leading the way in terms of new technology. The brand’s Steam Activated Cleanser contains SteamActiv Beads, which deliver a burst of aloe vera when massaged onto your face, leaving skin soft and pure. Plus, the Bioré Skin Preservation Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator contains superfine alumina crystals, which are just like those used in professional micro-dermabrasion treatments.
According to Dora Ngov, Biore brand manager, Our skin changes remarkably in the winter months mostly due to the fact that most of us spend the majority of our times indoors with heaters switched on high that dry out the air and sap hydration out of our skin. This causes increased dull dry skin cells to sit on the surface of our skin and give it that lacklustre look. A good exfoliator used more frequently than in summer will keep skin looking fresh.”
Eyes
Meanwhile, are also heeding to the winter skincare demand with a series of products designed to combat dehydrated skin. The brand’s ($71) contains a concentrated blend of botanicals and phytonutrients, including rose extract and avocado oil to moisturise. It also contains vitamin C and eye-soothing botanicals of cucumber, butcherbroom and arnica to help maintain skin’s elasticity and texture – something that is easily lost in the face of cold winter wind. Another standout from the Dermalogica range is the ($64), a silicone-based moisturiser containing an anti-ozonate complex, evening primrose oil and emollient silicones, which strengthen the skin’s natural lipid barrier and utilises shea butter, vitamin C and bisabolol to combat free radicals and moisture loss.
Skin
is still celebrating its most recent innovation, Hydra IQ technology. Based on the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of aquaporins – tiny water channels in the membranes of the epidermis that encourages the flow of water from deeper levels of the skin to the dryer top layer – Hydra IQ intelligently activates the skin’s natural moisture network with a 24-hour, non-stop moisturising action. The active ingredient is gluco-glycerol, which stimulates the formation of new aquaporins in the skin cells, thereby improving its natural moisture network. That means skin stays moisturised throughout the day, and because it works deeper than a formula which simply sits on the skin, you won’t feel it slipping off your skin as soon as you jump in the shower. The technology is found in (from $5.40) and their ($6.25), among others.
Speaking of brands that have generated a cult following, it's hard to look past QV Skincare. The brand is known for its soap-free formula and gentle, hydrating abilities. The QV Cream ($10.95) is pH balanced - as opposed to soap, which has an alkaline pH that can strip away skin's natural oils - to maintain skin's protective properties. When it comes to moisturising, QV Wash ($10.45) is highly concentrated to provide re-hydration and protection for skin against winter's elements. This hero product - more QV Cream is exported overseas than any other QV product - is also free of fragrance, propylene glycol and lanolin, which sets it apart from many other moisturisers on the market.
Katarina Heath, senior brand manager for QV skincare reiterates that the brand is focused on being the sensitive skincare specialists. "It's more of what we don't use than what we do use," she explains. "The entire range is free from soap, as soap can strip away the skin's natural layer of protective oils."
Natural discoveries
Also in the skincare category, swears by 100 per cent pure coconut oil in its new Pure Coconut range of body and shower products. The brand claims that the wonder ingredient has been proven to soften, moisturise and protect skin during the cooler months. The Pure Coconut Moisturising Body Oil ($14.95) is paraben-free and can be sprayed and massaged into skin to provide an intense moisturising treatment, without the thickness of a moisturising cream. The Pure Coconut Nourishing Lip Balm ($7.95) is also worth a mention for its deep moisturising capabilities. Because we all know how chapped our lips can get in wintertime!
Another completely natural product to land on our radar of late is the Synthesis 345 Earth Rising Certified Organic Lotion (from $17.50), which utilises bio-active nutrients derived from super fruits, flowers, marine extracts and herbs. It also contains organic plant, nut and seed oils to provide hydration and restore suppleness and skin elasticity.
Cosmetics
Once you’re skin is perfectly moisturised and devoid of any flaky bits, you can start thinking about the best make-up for sensitive winter skin. Products containing nourishing ingredients such as aloe vera are especially effective in the cooler weather because the ingredient is capable of penetrating the water-retaining second layer of skin, Once example is ($86) features aloe vera . Iredale’s bases are formulated with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which make them especially calming on acne- and rosacea-prone skin. While your ears may prick up at the sound of controversy surrounding those two ingredients, Jane Iredale minerals aren’t milled down to nano-particle size, which is from where debate stems. Titanium dioxide is micronized to ensure crystals aren’t too large, nor to the point they’re so small they may enter the blood stream.
Hair and scalp
While the symptoms of winter are hard to ignore on our skin, it can be easy to neglect the needs of your hair and scalp in the mid-year months. La Biosthetique Paris is bringing more attention to the importance of scalp care with their Methodes range. The products are based on the development of plant-based lipoamino acids, which stems from the physiological connection between hair and skin and the idea that the scalp is a continuation of the facial skin and therefore needs to be treated appropriately. The uses a unique Scalp Analysis test to treat clients’ scalps correctly in the salon. The test uses small indicators pressed to the scalp to analyse the acidity level and the oil product level of the scalp, as well as the existence, if any, of skin flakes on the scalp. Upon conclusion of the test, the stylist will determine which product from the Methodes range is most appropriate for the client.
To protect skin and hair from top to toe in winter may require a little more effort than it does in the summer months, but the latest technology is making it easier than ever to banish dehydration for good.