Your Winter Skincare Routine
We’ve all noticed a change in our skin during winter. From dryness, dehydration and a dull complexion, to more uncomfortable issues like redness, increased skin sensitivity, and flaky skin, winter isn’t exactly skin’s best friend. And skincare that works like a dream in the summer is not going to work as well in the winter. This is why you need a winter skincare routine, with products that work beautifully together, and even boost each other’s efficacy. If you haven’t adapted your skincare routine to the season, read on to find out why, and how, you should.
Why should my skincare change in winter?
There are many reasons why you should change your skincare routine in winter. Cold, heat, wind and the dryer weather of winter aggravate skin by increasing its water loss. This means skin is dehydrated and can be flaky, dull, rough and more vulnerable to fine lines and wrinkles. Harsh weather strips the skin of natural oils too, breaking down the lipid barrier and compromising hydration. Winter does have its moments of wonder, but it’s no wonderland for your skin! That’s why it’s so important to establish a skincare routine that can reinforce the skin barrier, and hydrate and soothe irritated skin in the face of winter’s aggressions! Read on for a winter skincare routine for all types of skin.
Build your winter skincare routine
Whether you want a winter skincare routine that can soothe irritated skin, moisturize dry skin or just adapt to winter conditions, read on. Keep in mind that whatever your skin type, products designed for sensitive skin or dry skin are great in the winter months. Why? Because their formulations are both gentle – important when skin is already under attack from harsh winter conditions – and hydrating. Let’s zoom in on a versatile winter skincare routine.
1. After cleansing, the first step in your winter skincare routine should be a serum.
Applying a serum like Biotherm’s Life Plankton Elixir before your moisturizer can really boost your moisturizer’s hydrating effects – ideal for winter’s dehydrated skin. It can also help reinforce your skin’s barrier function, helping it protect itself from winter’s worst. Life Plankton Elixir, contains the most concentrated amount of Life PlanktonTM, as well as plumping Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin Cg to even out skin tone. Plus, this fast-absorbing serum has a high bio-affinity with skin, and promotes 59% faster repair in just 2 hours.1 This makes it ideal for the drier, sensitive skin of winter.
2. Now comes a deeply hydrating face cream.
Biotherm’s Aquasource range of moisturizers for dry skin contains ingredients that provide deep hydration and support overall skin health. These moisturizers are real skin soothers – releasing moisture over time for sustained hydration.
For example, Aquasource Cica Nutri Cream is one of your best allies for dehydrated skin. A lightweight moisturizing cream infused with Centella Asiatica and Life PlanktonTM, it soothes and hydrates to leave your skin with a healthy glow. Cica Nutri Cream, while light enough to go under makeup, is rich and creamy and provides lasting hydration – it represents 500 hours of hydration in a jar! Ideal for your winter skin routine, particularly for dry skin or irritated skin.
3. If you’re asking yourself how to soothe irritated skin around the eyes, or just want to moisturize the delicate eye area, it’s time for an eye cream.
Because it lacks oil glands, the skin around the eyes is thinner and more vulnerable than the rest of the face. Biotherm’s eye cream, Aquasource Total Eye Revitalizer is well suited to dry or sensitive skin. Aquasource Total Eye Revitalizer is a gel which drenches your eyes with all the hydration of Aquasource while simultaneously de-puffing and reducing dark circles. And its pleasantly cooling, fresh feeling embraces the sensations of winter to give your eyes an awakening boost.
4. While you may think you can do away with your sun care during the winter months, think again!
A sunscreen with a high protection factor is a must, even during the darker days of the season. Even when there’s no visible sunshine, UVA, UVB and long UVA rays are there – and contribute to premature aging by breaking down collagen and elastin fibers in the skin. Urban UV Defense is a lightweight, invisible sunscreen that helps protect skin’s elasticity, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time. It also helps you avoid pigmentation issues, and maintain an even skin tone. And did we mention it makes skin feel smoother, hydrated and strengthened?2
5. Don’t forget your lips!
A lip balm to maintain soft, hydrated lips can be easily incorporated into your winter skincare routine. A skin soother designed just for lips will protect them from the elements, and prevent dry, cracked lips in even the worst conditions.
The smooth buttery texture of Beurre de Lèvres lip balm glides onto your lips, making them look fuller, plumper, and intensely moisturized. Powered by regenerating Life Plankton and nourishing shea butter, it deeply moisturizes and replumps the delicate skin on your lips, protecting them from winter conditions.
Ingredients for soothed winter skin.
Because of Biotherm’s years of scientific research into ingredients of natural origin, we are expert in products that are gentle on sensitive skin, irritated skin and dry skin. Here’s how Biotherm can help keep your skin soothed in winter.
Since the beginning, Biotherm has been sourcing sustainable ingredients and products that are more natural, more effective, and safe. Life Plankton™ – a micro-organism originally found in thermal springs in the French Pyrénées – has been central to Biotherm products since Biotherm started its journey. Life Plankton has a unique skin affinity, which gives it optimal skin tolerance – perfect for soothing sensitive skin.
Confirmed by a 2016 study in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Centella asiatica improves skin hydration, and promotes anti-aging – probably why it’s been used in traditional skincare for centuries all over the world.3 As a result, it’s an ideal ingredient in moisturizers for dry and sensitive skin, like Aquasource Nutri Cream, which contains both Life PlanktonTM and Centella asiatica.
As we’ve seen, the drying, colder temperatures of winter can really be hard on your skin. Which is why it’s a good idea to adapt your skincare routine to the winter season. When creating your winter skincare routine, choose gentle skincare products with ingredients that promote barrier function and deeply nourish and hydrate skin. Clearly, even those who don’t usually suffer from dry or sensitive skin can benefit from a dry skin routine or a skincare routine for sensitive skin in winter.
1 Instrumental test, Life Plankton Elixir versus bare skin 2h after aggression, 24 women.
2 Consumer test on 69 Caucasian subjects, results after 28 days application.
3 Moisturizing and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Cosmetic Formulations Containing Centella asiatica Extract. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4852572/
