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The secret to flawless winter skin from Perth skincare experts

Headshot of Raquel de Brito
Raquel de BritoThe West Australian
Achieving a luminous glow in winter requires a few tweaks to your regular skincare regime.
Camera IconAchieving a luminous glow in winter requires a few tweaks to your regular skincare regime. Credit: Getty Images

If your SPF gathers dust in the back corner of your bathroom cabinet at this time of year, you’re committing the most common winter skincare mistake people make.

And it’s understandable why protecting your skin from harmful UV rays would slip to the bottom of your skincare priority list when the sun refuses to shine for days on end.

Despite what the dreary weather forecast suggests, skincare clinic La Belle Peau founder Kim Tran says you need sunscreen every day of the year.

“Even though UVB which burns the skin isn’t as strong in winter, UVA which ages the skin remains the same,” she explains.

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MECCAversity category strategy manager Lucy Shaw agrees, saying regardless of the weather conditions, it’s important to continue to be diligent with SPF application throughout the cooler months.

“If your skin is feeling particularly dry, opt for a formulation that includes skincare,” she suggests.

In addition to SPF, the skincare experts have dished their top tips to get that glowy, bright complexion that seems to evade many during winter.

Give your lips some love

When the temperature drops and shower get hotter, naturally our skin gets dry and flakey.

Shaw says this is particularly the case on delicate areas like the cuticles and lips.

“To help strengthen your delicate skin barrier, find a thick, emollient balm that will put a protective seal or ‘second skin’ to prevent further moisture loss,” she recommends.

Tran often sees a rise in lip licker’s dermatitis every year when winter comes.

“It is a condition directly caused by excessive licking of the area surrounding the mouth. It’s often a symptom of dry lips and a sign of dehydration as we often forget to drink water when the weather is cold,” she explains.

She suggests using a high-quality lip balm like Jane Iredale Lip Drink which also protects your lip from UV damage.

“If you feel like pampering your lips, I highly recommend PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster. It’s the most pricey lip balm I’ve ever used but worth every cent — it literally restores your lip health within minutes plus give you a gorgeous pout without any fillers,” she adds.

Stay hydrated

With dry skin the most common complaint during winter, it becomes even more important to boost the skin’s moisture levels.

Shaw recommends a hydrating serum as it will absorb more deeply and replenish this moisture reservoir, such as the Glow Recipe Plum Plump serum, which contains five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid for water-binding and Australian native ingredient Kakadu plum to provide antioxidant protection.

For Tran, she believes using a skin mist throughout the day is a great way to help your skin recover from all the harshness the winter weather brings.

“Our top pick is Ultraceuticals Hydrating Mist. It contains highly active ingredients to hydrate, soothe, and lock moisture within the skin, improving your skin health over time. Not to mention the beautiful plant-derived natural aroma it has,” she shares.

Switch it up

They say summer bodies are made in winter, and well, the same can be said for our skin, too.

Winter is a great time to switch up your regular skincare routine, particularly when it comes to using more advanced treatments and more actives that Tran says aren’t suitable during summer because of higher UV radiation and downtime during party season.

“If you want great looking skin for the party season, winter is the time to work on it,” she reveals.

And with cold weather playing havoc on the skin barrier, Tran recommends adding probiotics skincare to your regime.

“Probiotic skincare restores balance to your skin and reduces inflammation. Our top pick is Aspect Probiotic Mask which also boosts your skin with hydration and antioxidants,” she says.

For those on the fence about incorporating a facial oil into their routine, Shaw says now is the perfect time to try it.

“If your skin is dry, a facial oil will supplement this, and if your skin is oily or combination, a facial oil will balance this out,” she explains.

“In winter, it’s important to make sure your skin is being nourished with oils, as they will slow down water-loss and give your skin a healthy glow,” she adds.

She recommends applying it as your last step, before SPF or mix a couple of drops in with your moisturiser and apply at once.

Additionally, she believes it’s also a good time to swap out foam and gel cleansers for a balm, milk or oil variety.

“Not only can you massage into dry skin (who wants to splash their face over the basin when it’s freezing cold) but you can also remove with a damp muslin cloth or flannel for an at-home spa like treatment,” she says.

“A cleanser rich in oils will remove makeup, pollution, and SPF adequately but without stripping precious and important oils from your skin, leaving your barrier compromised.”

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