Winter has arrived. The season of mountain trips, soft and enveloping sweaters, marshmallows floating on the surface of a steaming cup of hot chocolate. But winter is also dry, cracked skin that looks like it's been rubbed with sandpaper and has never seen the light of day.

Well yes, because, this season we are more exposed to very low temperatures, wind, rain and also to the hot air conditioning of shopping centres, offices, cars and houses, which contribute to further irritate our skin.

That's why it's so important to change your daily beauty routine, so your skin can not only look brighter and smoother, but feel its best in the winter months too!

In this article we're going to see all the fundamental steps and the essential products in our beauty case at this time of year.

Read on to discover them all!

SWEET DETRSION

The first step in any beauty routine is cleansing your face. During the winter months it is recommended to replace soapy detergents with others that cleanse more delicately.

For a "velvety skin" effect, I recommend those rich in soothing extracts and antioxidants to bring the skin back to its natural balance.

The rose washing oil of Antos, to be precise, contains a mix of extracts which helps to enrich the skin with active ingredients necessary for nourishment and elasticity. Another peculiar feature of this product is the delicate cleansing action associated with the presence of olive and macadamia oils which have a strong moisturizing and antioxidant power on the epidermis. It is used as a normal shower gel or face cleanser, it leaves the skin soft and hydrated. 

BUSY WORD HYDRATE, HYDRATE AND HYDRATE

To show off beautiful skin during the winter, what you need is hydration and hydrate it a lot. Try to keep your skin from drying out further by showering. The water can be warm, but not hot, as the body's natural oils are depleted when the water gets too hot, making your skin drier.

When you get out of the shower (or the tub if you've had a bath) don't dry yourself completely, just pat your skin dry and then apply moisturizer immediately, this will “lock in” the moisture.

Even better if the cream we use is rich in moisturizing components, i.e. those that attract water to the skin, such as hyaluronic acid. PuraVida Bio Moisturizing Cream combines the properties of hyaluronic acid with wheat lysate to capture the humidity of the environment.

While as a specific face cream I recommend the Dr. Taffi Day-Night Face Cream which contains hyaluronic acid with three different molecular weights. A high weight molecule, therefore less penetrating, which gives immediate hydration during the day by forming a velvety film which prevents water evaporation; and two others in medium and low weight which, penetrating deeper, retain water molecules and plump wrinkles from within.

SUNSCREEN

Have you saved your sunscreen until next summer yet? I'm sorry to tell you but, you absolutely have to get it back.

We are mistakenly led to think that, since it's cold, we don't need to protect ourselves from the sun. Nothing more wrong, because the sun continues to hit us throughout the year; even more if you go to the mountains. And it is therefore important to continue to apply these protective creams during the winter months to try to insulate our skin from harmful rays, from the air and from the cold.

However, if you're short on time, you can always skip this step and resort to makeup that has some sunscreen included. For example, you could opt for a nourishing SPF BB cream. Zao Organic bb cream contains an SPF 20 to protect the skin from the sun.

LIP BALM: AN INSEPARABLE FRIEND

When we talk about skin we mustn't forget a very important part: the lips. Keep in mind that the skin of the lips is very sensitive and exposing it to external agents and cold tends to dry out and, sometimes, they dry out so much that they create lacerations.

In addition to being unsightly, all of this is also painful.  This is why lip balm will be your best winter friend. So make sure you always have one on hand, like the Couleur Caramel lip balm in a handy format, to always keep in your purse.

And if you have particularly dry lips it is strongly recommended to exfoliate them before applying the balm, so as to remove all the dead cells and allow the nutrients to penetrate deeply. Have you ever heard of PuroBio's exfoliating lip scrub? An ideal natural lip scrub to gently remove cell renewal. With exfoliating apricot granules and organic cocoa and shea butters with a nourishing and moisturizing action, for lips that are always soft and luminous.

FAIRY HANDS

The hands just as the lips are exposed areas of the body and that require specific care.

Raise your hand to those who, in the cold months, their hands don't become all chapped and seem to look at us invoking mercy. That's why it's important to keep them hydrated and protected. Don't forget to always use wool gloves and apply a layer of moisturizer several times a day.

A classic, which surely many of you already know, is the Eterea hand cream. A real panacea for hands battered by frost; formulated with numerous organic ingredients such as Argan oil, Castor oil, Olive oil and Shea Butter with regenerating, repairing and emollient properties, capable of fighting chapping and redness.

NIGHT MASKS

Finally, the best way to giving a boost of hydration this season is through night masks: a very effective way to give our skin intense hydration and obtain an extraordinarily smooth texture in the morning . Originally from South Korea, this practice is an effective method to combat nighttime dryness with ultra-hydrating properties. Sleeping masks are the last step in your nightly routine to reveal glowing, supple skin the next day.

In this regard, I can only mention the Supreme Sleeping Mask by Eterea with an intense moisturizing, soothing, anti-aging, antioxidant and repairing action. When you wake up, your skin rediscovers a healthier, more relaxed appearance and a pleasant sensation of softness.

Or, another very valid mask, recommended above all for those suffering from skin sensitivity, is the Senso Lift Anti-Aging Face Night Cream Mask by Domus Olea Toscana.

Stilosine and that's all for today too.

I look forward to the next article with lots of new tips and tricks.