Skin Care in Winter - top tips from Margaret

Margaret is the founder of Essential Care


In winter the circulation to the skin slows and becomes a little sluggish. This means we perspire less and produce less sebum to cleanse, lubricate and moisturise our skin and cell turnover decreases. Combined with low levels of sunlight and the extremes of cold, harsh weather outdoors and the warm, drying artificial heat indoors, this is a recipe for dry, dull, rough and flaky skin.

So winter skin care is important, but don’t despair – it’s easy and besides, a little extra care and pampering pays dividends and has the feel-good factor, something we can all appreciate in the depths of winter.

The first step is daily cleansing, to stimulate the skin’s cell turnover and gently remove dirt and dead skin cells. For dry and mature skin, I recommend our Creamy Coconut Cleanser, or if you have normal to oily or combination skin, use our Lemon & Tea Tree Facial Wash.

For dry and mature skin, follow cleansing with 2 in 1 Purifying Mint Mask mixed with plain water - or customise with a spritz of Rose Tonic, a dash of honey, organic live yogurt, milk or coconut milk – all are wonderful compliments to the cocktail of vitamins and minerals in the mask. Used just every 3-4 weeks, or a week before a special occasion, this will deep cleanse and leave the skin smooth and revitalised. For normal to oily or combination skin follow cleansing with the Mask once or twice weekly - this time customised with a dash of Citrus Tonic, fresh fruit juice or low-fat live yogurt etc as the muse takes you. Alternatively, our Honey & Oat Cleansing Bar will also cleanse and exfoliate in one easy step and is well suited to facial care for all except dry skin. For every day hand and body cleansing / exfoliation the Honey & Oat Bar is great for all skin types.

For totally luxurious pampering, our Coconut Candy Scrub is worthy of a mention, having received rave reviews by every magazine that has tested it. Based on virgin coconut and cocoa butters it gently exfoliates leaving the skin smooth, super moisturised and lightly fragrant. Sheer indulgence although declared an essential by a customer with eczema!

Moisturising is especially important for drier skin and those prone to eczema which tends to worsen during the winter. Moisturise onto clean skin in the morning and again in the evening if your skin feels especially dry. Use a moisturiser naturally rich in antioxidant plant vitamins such as our Rose Moisturiser or Avocado Replenishing Cream (for the face) and avoid any products containing petroleum oils as these provide no beneficial nutrients to the skin.

Our secret weapon for instant radiance is Superfruit Concentrate – a wonderful facial serum packed full of 100% organic vitamins that provides a fabulous nourishing boost and a touch of colour from its glorious antioxidant fruits of rosehips, pomegranate, sea buckthorn and avocado. Just a couple of drops is all that’s needed, either alone or on top of your moisturiser to have you feeling and looking like summer’s just around the corner!

For both face and hands, if you’re outside in extreme windy or cold weather – be it working, walking or winter sporting, rich balms based on beeswax, raw shea butter and cold-pressed virgin plant oils like avocado and olive provide a breathable shield for extra protection. Herbs like calendula, chamomile and hypericum soothe inflammation and promote healing and skin regeneration. These can be found in our Ultra Rich, (a best-seller in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries!), Calendula Balm and Lip Silk. Apply Ultra Rich or Calendula Balm sparingly to the face to block out icy winds!

safe cosmetics please!

If you'd like to know more about safe cosmetics and the precautionary principle, have a look at our new online article on our why organic page which also contains a great guide about which additives to watch out for in skin care. We've also just found this video on YouTube which is a bit more relevant to American cosmetics, but still very informative! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq000AF1i8