Dull, dry winter skin is a truly unfortunate offshoot from the season of cosiness, frothy lattes and rainy evenings by the fire. It’s even worse when dry air saps moisture from eczema-prone skin, making things more sensitive. But come warmer months, there’s a frantic rush to exfoliate and slather your bod in body butter so everything looks good in your summer dress. Here, we dive into the steps and products to look for when banishing dull, dry winter skin.
How does dull, dry winter skin form?
After several months of battling low temperatures, low humidity, cold winds and rain, your skin gets drained of moisture, especially if you haven’t been deeply moisturising each day. But when you keep moisturising without cleaning dead skin cells, you run into another issue: dullness.
Dull skin – which lacks glow, looks tired and appears grey – can be rough and bumpy. It’s caused by any number of factors: a lack of sleep, a not-so-great diet, unhealthy stress and unhealthy habits like smoking. But external factors like UV rays and pollution also play a role. Ultimately, one of the main causes of dull skin is a build-up of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin.
Per Karen Bester, medical trainer at Lamelle Research Laboratories, “Our skin cells are constantly renewing: old, redundant skin cells are replaced by new skin cells as often as every 27 days. As we age, this process slows down.”
The dead skin cells, when they’re not removed, build up on the outermost layer of the skin, which creates clogged pores, uneven texture and dullness. With the right tools, it’s possible to bring your skin out from the cold and into dewy freshness. From Bester, here’s how.
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#1 – Exfoliate
Dull skin needs to be dislodged and removed. The best way to do this these days is with clever chemicals that dissolve gunk and allow it to be easily wiped away. “When gently removing these cells, the skin appears brighter, smoother and more even,” says Bester. “Plus, exfoliation also helps prevent the formation of breakouts and blackheads.” A big bonus? Exfoliation allows your active serums to penetrate deeper and work more effectively. Ultimately, this means more benefits from your products.
Designed for sensitive skin, this enzymatic serum sloughs dead skin cells and improves brightness while encouraging better cell turnover.
This gentle exfoliating toner swipes on post-cleanse and gets to work, unclogging pores to create smoother skin.
Just add water to create a cleansing paste. Salicylic acid unclogs pores, phytic acid brightens skin and colloidal oatmeal calms.
#2 – Hydrate
Lacklustre skin and flaky skin often go hand-in-hand. To help cast away dull, dry skin, prioritise a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid – a plumping wonder that binds to your skin’s water content to boost moisture. Remember to pair your serums with a rich moisturiser to lock in water and prevent moisture loss.
Smoothing and plumping hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5 support hydration while also evening wrinkles and texture.
For sensitive skin, this nourishing serum boosts moisture to revitalise sensitive skin by sealing it in for up to 48 hours.
For dry and sensitive skin, this water gel provides hydration while also plumping your skin, brightening, smoothing and fortifying the skin barrier.
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#3 – Inject Glow
A good quality vitamin C serum (applied either in the morning, or twice daily), is a must-have for a brighter, more radiant complexion. It’s a multitasking wonder: it reduces scarring, prevents rapid ageing, protects from sun damage and boosts collagen production. And finally, it brightens the complexion, giving you a healthy I-Eat-My-Veg glow.
This serum, with vitamin C, jojoba for hydration and ginger for renewal is a powerful antioxidant that creates smoother skin and a dewy glow.
Vitamin C, turmeric and plumping hyaluronic acid create a potent, natural concoction to refresh dull winter skin.
This active blend of vitamin C, squalane to hydrate and rosehip oil to protect brightens, soothes and nourishes skin.
#4 – Nourish
After applying your serum(s), follow with a nourishing moisturiser. Depending on your skin type and weather, you might either need a rich cream or a lightweight non-oily formula. Either way, look for soothing ingredients like oatmeal, hemp or vitamin E.
This intensive cream restores skin while you sleep, with firming moringa, hyaluronic to hydrate and prickly pear extract to boost the skin barrier.
Nourishing hemp repairs super dry skin and locks in that moisture. It also brings immediate relief to dry, flaky patches.
This soothing cream for dry, sensitive skin has vitamin E to protect and restore environmental damage.
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