Six tips for keeping your skin hydrated in colder months

There are lots of price-friendly products in Simone Gannon's winter round-up

Our skin is more sensitive and easily irritated in the winter months, so we need to give it some extra TLC. Picture: iStock

1. EMBRACE GENTLE, NOURISHING CLEANSERS

Nunaia Superfood Cleansing Balm. €59 from nunaia.com

Our skin is more sensitive and easily irritated in the winter months, so we need to give it some extra TLC with gentle, non-stripping cleansers that feel like a hug. 

Think milk-based and creamy like Kate Somerville’s excellent Goat Milk Cleanser, or oil and balm-to-oil cleansers like Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, Nunaia Superfood Cleansing Balm and Medik8 Lipid-Balance Cleansing Oil.

2. EXFOLIATE LESS

The Inkey List PHA Toner. €13.95 from cloud10beauty.com

Getting rid of dead skin cells and resurfacing our skin is great, but we need to dial it back this time of year. Our skin is more prone to dryness, redness and irritation, so it needs more nourishment than exfoliation. 

Try and exfoliate no more than once a week and consider using one of the gentlest exfoliating acids around; Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) — it’s super effective, but there’s very little chance of it annoying your skin. Why? It’s a much larger molecule, which means it works much slower than its cohorts. 

I love The Inkey List’s PHA Toner this time of year and Medik8’s Press and Glow Toner, too.

3. USE A RICHER MOISTURISER

CeraVe Moisturising Cream. €17 for 454g tub from millies.ie

Put a lid on your lighter moisturisers and think about introducing something slightly thicker for the winter months. 

We need barrier-maintaining creams and moisturisers that will hydrate, lock in moisture and help strengthen, calm and soothe our skin. 

Look for skin-boosting, skin-repairing ingredients like ceramides, glycerin and hyaluronic acid. A great affordable all-rounder is CeraVe Moisturising Cream, a creamy, intensely hydrating miracle worker that can be used on the face and body (it’s suitable for kids, too).

4. INTRODUCE A FACE OIL

Codex BIA Nourishing Facial Oil. €85 from millies.ie

If your skin is prone to dryness, dehydration or inflammation, or if you feel like your regular moisturiser just isn’t cutting it, think about introducing a face oil to your routine. 

Not only will it help to lock in moisture and leave your skin looking and feeling more comfortable and hydrated, it will also help to soothe, balance and reduce redness. 

Use at night either after your regular moisturiser or in place of it, or during the day after your regular moisturiser. If you’re applying makeup, make sure to wait a few minutes so the oil can fully sink in.

5. TAKE SHORTER, COOLER SHOWERS

Codladh Sleep Body Oil. €33 from groundwellbeing.com.

Long, hot showers can strip essential moisture from your skin and leave it feeling dry and tight and sometimes quite irritated. 

During the winter months, try to have a shorter shower and use warm or lukewarm water instead of hot. Your skin will be significantly happier, more comfortable, and less dehydrated as a result. 

Also, here’s an easy hydration hack for winter: when you have a shower or bath, a great way to instantly trap moisture in your skin afterwards is to apply body oil or thick body cream to damp skin. Your skin will thank you for it (and you’ll feel amazing, too). 

One of my current favourites is Codladh Sleep Body Oil from Irish wellness brand GROUND Wellbeing.

8. START SLUGGING

Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm. €12 from McCauley Pharmacy

A brilliant way to heal and repair dry, dehydrated or stressed skin is to ‘slug’. An odd term, I know, but stick with me. 

Slugging is an age-old method (our mothers and grandmothers were doing it decades ago: hello Pond’s Cold Cream) of applying an occlusive barrier on top of your skincare at nighttime — as the very last step after moisturiser.

By occlusive, I mean something that nothing can get through; think Vaseline or Eucerin Aquaphor Skin Soothing Balm. 

Cleanse your skin, as usual, dampen your skin with a non-irritating face mist or just plain water, apply your hydrating serum, and then your regular moisturiser. 

Immediately after this, apply your occlusive balm. A small amount will work for your whole face. And that’s it. You can also ‘spot-slug’ —apply your occlusive product to only the areas that need it; sides of the nose, forehead, etc.

• Prices are subject to change and may differ across retailers.