I don’t need the clocks changing to tell me it’s winter – my skin lets me know as soon as the annual chill arrives.
Like many others, cold weather makes my skin dry, flaky and sensitive. The low temperatures, low humidity and sudden switch between biting winds and sauna-like Tube carriages create chaos with my complexion.
So, why does this happen? Consultant Dermatologist Dr Angela Tewari explains, “The top layer of your skin - aka the skin barrier - is your stratum corneum. In the winter, there is less moisture in the environment, and with the advent of indoor heating, we get more moisture loss from the skin hence the skin feeling dry and tight in the cold weather”.
This can also exacerbate conditions like eczema or psoriasis and, Dr Tewari adds, “Chilblains, Raynaud’s and certain birthmarks can look worse”. She advises to “take precautions with the harsher climate with more moisturising products and also don’t forget sunscreen”.
Always in the top three of skincare essentials (vying with cleanser and SPF for the top spot), moisturiser becomes all the more important in winter. While you may opt for lightweight, breathable formulas in summer, the colder weather calls for richer, thicker and velvety textures that will leave skin smooth, soft and conditioned. Dr Tewari agrees, highlighting her own practices, “I personally tend to go slightly heavier in the winter as I suffer from dry skin”.
Look out for formulas enriched with nourishing ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter and the ultimate hydrating hero, hyaluronic acid that will lock in the skin’s moisture for long-lasting complexion cocooning.
Shop the best moisturisers to combat winter skin dryness below
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Nourishing Moisturiser
The French pharmacy essential Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrate has made its way across the Continent to the UK and is now considered a cult purchase and a makeup bag essential. It has a cream-lotion texture that is hydrating but lightweight.
The versatile product has a priming effect, while also plumping and providing moisture with its fatty acid and vitamin-rich formulation. It is absorbed speedily into the skin and leaves a velvety look in its wake to give a more flawless finish to the likes of foundation.
Buy now £13.65, Boots
Skin Rocks by Caroline Hirons The Rich Moisturiser
With each new launch, Caroline Hirons breaks the internet. This was especially true for The Moisturiser, a hugely popular product. But now the skin expert has given the people what they wanted with an even more nourishing product to tackle dryness once and for all.
The Rich Moisturiser contains more ceramides than its counterpart to shield and enrich the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss. As the name suggests, it’s thicker and thus better suited for the evening and can be used by all skin types, especially those with dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin.
It joins the line-up that includes the fragrance-free moisturiser (£58).
Buy now £65.00, Space NK
Avene Cold Cream
Avene is known for its kind-to-skin formulations that can be applied by those with even the most sensitive of complexions. This is all without sacrificing nourishment as is perfectly embodied by the brand’s Cold Cream.
A thick moisturiser, it is one you may want to reserve for PM application and you’ll awake with smooth, plump skin without dryness and flakiness so often associated with the winter weather. It calls on the conditioning powers of white beeswax as well as the label’s signature thermal water to soothe and bring moisture.
Buy now £18.58, Amazon
Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
With immediate glow and plumping benefits, it is no wonder that Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream has become a cult buy. The Japanese label has infused its day cream with botanical extracts and its signature Okinawa algae ingredient which is renowned for its intense hydration.
There is also Japanese purple rice, an antioxidant to support the skin against external aggressors. The rich purple-hued cream is thick so a little goes a long way yet is soothing and non-comedogenic.
Buy now £67.00, Space NK
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser
Don’t let the modest price tag fool you, you get a lot of moisturiser for a modest outlay with this option from Neutrogena. The water gel texture is immediately cooling, soothing and hydrating, harnessing hyaluronic acid to act as a sponge to lock in water and leave the complexion plump, moisture-rich and supple. It absorbs quickly and easily into the skin, feeling lightweight and without leaving a stinky residue in its wake.
Buy now £8.40, Amazon
Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Cream Moisturiser
Soon after landing on UK soil, Bubble became one of the most popular skincare labels at Boots. That has as much to do with the affordable price tag as it has with the efficacious formulations. A case in point? The Slam Dunk Hydrating Cream Moisturiser, which leaves a steady stream of five-star reviews in its wake.
It calls on natural ingredients; aloe leaf juice and hoya lacosuna flower extract, to be specific, that are brimming with skin-loving nutrients to soothe, hydrate and protect the complexion. There is also antioxidant-rich vitamin E to shield against external aggressors and avocado oil to calm redness. Use one pump of the satisfying push-down dispenser each morning, even on sensitive skin.
Buy now £14.00, Boots
The Outset Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturiser
If you’re opting for a minimal routine, this may be the last of the three steps. Even when you’re adding other more specific ingredients to the mix, moisturiser will be the second last part (only followed by SPF, of course).
The Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturiser is great. It’s rich, thick, nourishing and long-lasting - a winning combination for a moisturiser in our book. That being said, ahead of summer and for the sweat-prone among us, it may not be the one you’ll reach for in humid temperatures for the reasons just mentioned. It can also be laborious to rub in.
The product combines a powerhouse concoction of moisturisation, from the Hyaluroset Complex, to olive-derived squalane to support the skin’s protective barrier and hops extract. There’s also edelweiss extract, a more antioxidant-rich alternative to vitamin C and red rise extract to shield against free radical damage.
Buy now £44.00, Cult Beauty
Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Moisturiser
Harley Street dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting has formulated the Flawless Moisturiser from her eponymous collection with two of the most buzzed-about skincare ingredients included. Niacinamide has brightening, pore de-clogging properties without causing inflammation, while shea butter boasts antioxidants and fatty acids for a healthy complexion.
Buy now £29.00, Dr Sam Bunting
Weleda Skin Food
The Weleda Skin Food is a certified hero product. It’s the bestselling product in the brand’s offering - and for good reason.
The organic formula means it can be used by all skin types, providing a nourishing and protective layer whether you use it as a moisturiser or as an all-purpose balm. You can put it on any dry skin you’ve got, from your face to your hands. It also doubles up as a primer that will hold makeup in place for longer.
This is especially true for those with dry skin as the nourishing treatment will encourage your base to sit better (but it’s not great for oily skin and may have the opposite effect). It is made up of organic sunflower seed oil and extracts of wild pansy, chamomile, calendula and rosemary extract for a combination that is soothing and shielding.
Buy now £14.95, lookfantastic
La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream
Not content with resting on its laurels, La Mer has reformulated its beloved Moisturizing Soft Cream with an even more advanced formula and delivery system. The product now includes additional multi-sized moisture spheres that leave a smooth texture in their wake and encourage the skin to more effectively hydrate for long-lasting moisturisation. This is all while remaining lightweight when applied to the complexion. In tests, 86 per cent of people said their skin looked more youthful in just one month of use.
Buy now £78.00, John Lewis
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
The definition of a cult product, if you want pillowy plump and soft skin, incorporating Elemis’ cream into your routine should be your first order of business. This is one of Elemis’ bestselling products and has been so since the brand’s inception over 20 years ago - a testament both to its efficacy as well as its luxury feel.
The rich gel-cream texture expertly balances two opposing qualities, providing science-led formulations, while pampering your skin. It combines the likes of padina pavonica, chlorella and ginkgo biloba to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as well as intensely hydrating ingredients that are a treat to thirsty complexions.
Buy now £90.19, Amazon
Pyunkang Yul ATO Cream Blue Label
Korean skincare label Pyunkang Yul developed the ATO Cream Blue Label to support the skin’s oil and moisture balance. It uses only natural ingredients and the minimal amount possible to ensure it can be applied on all skin types, even and especially those prone to sensitivities. It is free from artificial fragrance and colour and has been certified by the Korean Dermatology Research Institute. The formula is so gentle that it was created to be used on babies where the ceramides included support the skin’s barrier, while the honeysuckle extract soothes and calms.
Buy now £18.99, Amazon
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Moisturiser
Long-lasting hydration is the mission of First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Moisturiser and it achieves that in spades. The rich creamy texture is adored by parched complexions and gets to work instantly restoring hydration while protecting with barrier-supporting ingredients. There is soothing colloidal oatmeal in the formula that is renowned for its nourishment and is fortified with shea butter which has the same ultra-moisturising reputation. To round off the trio, allantoin is on hand to soothe and combat irritation. The product is made up of clean ingredients, is free from articifical fragrance and safe for sensitive skin.
Buy now £25.92, Amazon
