A soft day

IT feels like spring is on the way — at last. But my skin is a long way off from feeling the effects of the marginally warmer weather. It has never been as dry. And this is no surprise.

Despite the fact that this winter was surprisingly mild, it’s still winter, and skin that has been exposed to the dehydrating effects of central heating and cold winds for the last six months starts to really show it. My hands are rough — they look old. And the skin on my face? Well, don’t even get me started. The solution for now is a balm.

You only have to say the word balm and your skin feels soothed. And it feels just as good when you put it on. Balms have come a long way recently. They used to be oily, greasy and not terribly pleasant to use. Delivering little benefit to the skin, their main function was to act as a barrier. These days, a lot of so-called balms feel more like a really rich moisturiser, so you don’t get that oily afterglow. And the hydrating benefits have been dialled up to 10.