The Winter Skin Care Routine

I love all things skincare, and quite frankly winter skincare routines are my favourite. And it's come that point in the year where I've needed to swap out some products for far more hydrating alternatives. But this year, opposed to previous, I've been really trying to keep my skincare fairly limited and focused on products that are multi-use or really work.

So let's go through what I've been enjoying.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm* has been in my routine since about 2014. I find myself wearing heavier makeup at this time of year so having a heavy duty cleansing balm on hand that removes every trace of party makeup from the skin! I also really like the Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil* as an everyday alternative.

Despite it being much colder, I try to keep most of my heavy duty moisturisers for the evening so use a lighter option such as the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo for the day. This is a bit of a cult favourite as it helps prevent imperfections, heal spots and reduce redness - it also leaves your skin looking fairly smooth & clean! This is a great all in one option and my skin always looks one hundred times better when I use it!

But a new and exciting element to my daily skincare has been the regular use of eye creams. I'm currently switching between two - the Embryolisse Smoothing Eye Contour Care* and the Indeed Labs Eysilix II*. The Embryolisse is great as a moisturising option whereas the Eysilix is best for days where I'm looking particularly tired. Because I'm fairly new to the eye cream game, I'm still finding my way - but both are great.

For days where I have any spots or imperfections, I've moved away from drying spot solutions and have been favouring the La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I. This is a cream based formula so sinks into the skin incredibly quickly but also helps heal spots incredibly quickly. I try not to use this too much to avoid my skin getting used to it but it's ideal for nasty spots.

A new mask favourite has been the Vichy Double Glow AHA Mask. The gel like texture means that it avoids stripping the skin, but leaves the complexion soft & glowy. A perfect exfoliating mask for winter as it avoids stripping the skin like other alternatives.

For night, I've always loved the Antipodes Divine Face Oil. I've been using this regularly for about three years and it is perfect for not only an intense moisture pack but also for improving any scaring. It's packed full of avocado & rosehip oil so leaves the skin oh so soft. However, it has quite a heavy texture so is definitely far more suited to the nighttime and following a decent exfoliation. 

But a new introduction has been the Cloud9 Good Night Deep Nourishing Sleep Mask*. I was slightly dubious about this at first because it's scented so I was concerned my skin would react with it - but I was wrong. Despite a surprisingly light texture, it's incredibly nourishing and perfect for leaving my skin nourished & moisturised by morning. I use this as a less oily alternative to the Antipodes but I've been enjoying having this in my routine.

And there you have it - my very no frills attached winter skin care routine.

What are some of your favourite skincare products? Anything I seriously need to try?