Essential Products for Intensive Winter Hydration
As we begin the new year, we are faced with the effects of the cold and drier winter air. Whether you are someone who loves the cooler weather or not, one thing we all have in common is the impact of this seasonal weather on our skin.
As the temperatures continue to drop, the harsh cold winds and icy temperatures can cause normal skin to experience some characteristics of dryness and mild sensitivity, and those who already have dry to sensitive skin are now experiencing an amplification of those concerns. Cold air lacks humidity stripping our skin of important lipids and moisture that keep our skin hydrated, while the indoor heat of our offices, homes, or cars will also then contribute to the concern of flaking skin, potential dull appearance, and sensitivity.
Discover some of our favourite
Eve Taylor products for winter skincare
Cleanse
Cleansers rich in ingredients such as humectants to boost hydration, combined with cold-pressed oils to boost barrier function have increased benefits for skin suffering from winter weather. Oils such as avocado, soya, argan, and many others contain high amounts of fatty acids, two key ones being Linolenic and Linoleic, which will contribute to the overall moisture and functionality of the skin and reduce water loss. They also will contain amounts of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants to restore skin health back to optimal function.
For the driest or most sensitive skin, Ultra Soothing Cleanser is a great option. This rich, creamy cleanser with soothing Oatmeal and conditioning Camellia Oil gently cleanses, calms, and nourishes ultra-dry, sensitive, or irritated skin all while boosting barrier function. Deeply nourishing Oatmeal leaves the skin feeling soft, supple, and hydrated. This anti-inflammatory formulation helps to reduce redness, itching, and irritation. Also highly recommended for those going through chemotherapy and beyond to restore skin function. In addition to this being an excellent winter skin cleanser, it is also perfectly suited for mature and aging skin that is starting to lose its lipid barrier from the hormonal shifts during the aging process, leaving the skin drier and more prone to irritation and inflammation.
Another great cleanser to choose this time of year is our Soothing Cleanser. Unlike the Ultra Soothing Cleanser, our Soothing Cleanser uses key essential oils to help nourish the skin and protect against irritation. The cleanser uses essential oils such as lavender to help calm irritation, sandalwood to hydrate the skin and reduce irritation and itching, and eucalyptus to cool the skin. In addition to the essential oil blend in this product, there are also key botanicals like cucumber, lettuce, and soya to help boost the skin’s water-binding capabilities and soothe inflammation.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating Scrub is a creamy mechanical exfoliator that uses spherical bamboo beads to provide a buffing action on the skin to dislodge stuck-on dead corneocyte cells from the skin’s surface, without causing any minor tears on the skin that lead to inflammation. The physical exfoliating actions of these products allow for easier absorption of serums, masques, and moisturizers. It is a quick and easy-to-use exfoliant that instantly leaves the skin feeling smooth, fresh, and soft.
For our more sensitive skin during the wintertime, we need to take a gentler approach to exfoliation to not cause further irritation to the skin via stimulation. Our Micro-Fine Daily Exfoliant is a fine-textured powder that can be mixed with water to activate the pineapple and papaya enzymes for a highly effective yet ultra-gentle approach to exfoliation. The enzymes will help remove the top dead cells on our skin’s outermost surface for a smoother, even texture while botanicals will help illuminate the skin leaving your overall complexion healthy and glowing.
Serums: The Holy Grail of Skin Care: Hyaluronic acid and lipids)
The skin’s natural lipid layer provides the skin not only with moisture but also creates a seal on the skin to help prevent water evaporation. During times where we are exposed to drier climates, our lipid barrier is negatively impacted leading to dehydration.
Our no.1 global bestseller #1 Soothing Serum is an aromatic treatment serum to cool and reduce redness in the skin. The unique essential oil synergy helps to soothe sensitive sinuses and decongest with oxygenating effects. Skin softening and nourishing Avocado and Hazelnut Oils improve skin texture and create a lipid barrier to protect against harsh weather.
Other options available for lipid serums perfect for this time of year are the #2 Calming and #5 Revitalizing. The #2 Calming is ideal for extreme inflamed, red skin as it uses key essential oils like niaouli that will help strengthen the capillaries in our skin, helping to reduce the flushed look that comes with capillary dilation, sandalwood which greatly reduces irritation and itching sensations on the skin, and basil that tones the skin and is a great oil to use for stress which negatively affects the skin causing furthering inflammation.
The #5 Revitalizing serum can be used for those with more mature skin to help boost oxygenation, elasticity, and strength to the skin, ideal for aging or prematurely aging skin conditions. Marjoram helps boost circulation to the skin, while rosewood stimulates cellular renewal and sweet orange boosts skin illumination and collagen production while providing an uplifting aroma. All in a base of hazelnut, avocado, wheatgerm, and soya cold-pressed oils for boosted moisturization for the skin’s barrier.
Hyaluronic Acid (48% high molecular & 1% low molecular)- is found naturally within the dermis of the skin and is classed as a GAG/Glycosaminoglycan – the jelly-like substance that supports collagen and elastin fibers is a key component in the support structure of the skin. They are able to hold anywhere between 600-1000x its own weight in water, making it a great tool to use to combat water evaporation from the skin common in drier climates leading to chronic dehydration this time of year.
This makes Eve Taylor’s Hydrating Serum a winter skin essential which rapidly absorbs into the skin to plump and hydrate the epidermis. Fine lines are eased as skin is rehydrated and skin texture is left soft and silky with no tacky after-feel. Using this in conjunction with the Ultra Soothing Toner is a power duo that you do not want to miss out on.
Brightening Serum hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid while delivering powerful antioxidants that guard against free radicals which can lead to lines and wrinkles. Packed with 15% Vitamin C this amazing serum helps to brighten the skin reducing dark patches caused by too much sun exposure, assists in building collagen leading to firmer, younger-looking skin.
Masques
No winter facial is complete without a beautiful masque to bring about optimal hydration and nourishment. Eve Taylor offers 3 mask options for home use to help maintain a healthy complexion during the winter.
For more red inflamed skin, we have the Soothing Gel Masque. This mask provides cooling and anti-inflammatory benefits to the skin via aloe vera and green tea and fights free radical damage through its antioxidant benefits. Glycerin will also help attract and hold water into the skin to promote a youthful plump hydrated appearance.
The Balancing Cream Masque is ideal for those with typically normal, combination or problematic skin that is experiencing a bit of dehydration due to the harsher weather this time of year. This mask contains lavender, aloe vera and comfrey to help promote balance, healing, and calm inflammation while smectite clay will help draw out excess oil and balance breakouts without over drying the skin.
On the other hand, you may have a client that has oily, acne-prone skin that needs to manage oil, breakouts, and maskne while keeping the skin nourished during the winter. The Purifying Masque is the perfect option. Using smectite clay to draw impurities out of the skin, henna, and honey to help purify and reduce breakouts with accompanying inflammation and carotenoids to promote cellular renewal and fight cellular damage through its abundance of vitamin A.
With the options available, you can even mix and match when applying masks to get a customized treatment on your skin for optimal results. A popular combination is using the Balancing Cream Masque on the t-zone area and the Soothing Gel Masque across the cheeks to calm and hydrate.
Moisturize
The last component to this Winter Facial is Moisturising Day Cream SPF30 packed with easily absorbed plant oils, Ceramides, and essential oils to strengthen the skin and maintain barrier function and moisture within the epidermis, helping to minimize the signs of aging. Enriched with Vitamins A, D, and E to protect the skin from free radicals our essential oil blend helps strengthen and regenerate the skin and defends against damaging UV with an SPF30.
It can be easy to forget SPF during the wintertime as we do not typically experience the high burn risk. Protecting our skin from UV rays is just as crucially important now as it is any time of year. The sun’s rays reflect off the snow on the ground and bounce back up onto our skin, causing skin damage, increasing the risk for skin cancer, and causing an acceleration of the aging process. Even on darker cloudy days, the rays will still affect your skin.
The Eve Taylor Moisturizing Solar Shield SPF 25 is a great solution for those needing UV protection when out enjoying winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding, while also providing nourishment to the skin to combat the cold air. The sunscreen uses chemical UV blockers along with hyaluronic acid, cocoa butter, and sunflower seed oil to deeply nourish and hydrate the skin while protecting from free radical damage. It makes a great 2 in 1 product as the added moisturizers allow this product to either be used on its own to hydrate and protect or be used overtop of an additional cream or lotion. This adds versatility so you can build your routine the way you want.
Finish up your routine with the Seal & Protect Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF10. This lip balm is a physical sunscreen that nourishes lips with shea butter, beeswax, and jojoba oil to deliver moisture into the skin and then create a protective seal overtop for long-lasting hydration. The peppermint, spearmint, and orange give a fresh cooling sensation on the lips.
Written By Trish Green
DiHom(Pract) B.Ed Cidesco Diplomat ( Esthetician) Bach Flower Therapist.
Founder of Balnea Spa Products
Trish is a graduate of the Victoria University of Manchester, Trish is a teacher with 40 years of experience in the education field. For 30 of those years she has been an educator in the esthetics industry. She is an advocate for raising standards in education for Complementary Health Care Practitioners with special interest in Aromatherapy. Her career in the field of natural health and esthetics is wide and varied. From Doctor of Homeopathy to Cidesco diplomat, Trish is a dedicated professional, committed to ongoing education and the education of others.
