With the season’s social circuit, gift-shopping and not-so-festive workloads, skin care likely isn’t the top priority on your holiday list. But neglecting your dermis in winter can result in parched skin, a nose redder than Rudolph’s and an appearance that’s more haggard than handsome. Luckily, there are simple measures to keep your skin happy when the north wind blows. Limit showers to 15 minutes, tuck a lip balm in a pocket of every coat and use a humidifier to combat moisture-sapping indoor heat. And consider the following moisturizers for your winter skincare regimen:
1. POWER UP Hopefully, you already apply moisturizer at least once a day. But with winter’s frosty air, you may need to add some bigger guns to your hydrating arsenal. Consider the Power Serum from CW Beggs and Sons, a new Canadian men’s skincare line. This light, paraben-free anti-aging serum contains hyaluronic acid to counteract the drying effects of cold weather, along with colloidal platinum to help improve the skin’s firmness and elasticity. ($48, at cwbeggs.com)
2. BEHIND THE MASK As the place where BB cream and seemingly a thousand other beauty and grooming innovations were born, South Korea is the current hotbed of skin care. So it’s a no-brainer that the country would be a rich source of smart solutions for winter-worn faces. Erborian, a French-Korean brand recently launched in Canada, offers Bamboo Waterlock, which can be used as a hydrating rinse-off mask or as an overnight treatment for thirsty skin. The sulfate- and paraben-free mask is enriched with both bamboo sap and fibres, together offering skin-hydrating amino acids as well as proteins and lipids to help retain moisture. ($48, at sephora.ca, The Shopping Channel, Hudson’s Bay and thebay.com)
3. ADD SOME COLOUR To camouflage pastiness, forgo the skin-damaging fake ’n’ bake for a healthy glow. Oil-free CW Beggs and Sons Tinted Moisturizer uses light-reflective pigments to help even skin tone and brighten under-eye circles. Hypoallergenic and made without parabens or gluten. ($28, at cwbeggs.com)
4. HELPING HANDS Frequent handwashing is a must during cold-and-flu season, but it also can be murder on the mitts. To counteract damage, apply hand cream after every wash. In addition to your bathroom supply, stock a bottle of lotion at the office and in your gym bag. Paraben-free Jack Black Intense Therapy Hand Cream offers a rich formula with vitamins A and E to help heal dry, cracked and calloused hands. ($17.50, at getjackblack.ca)
Tracy Howard is a writer and editor specializing in lifestyle topics. She’s the creator of beautyinthemiddle.com, a blog that takes an inside-out approach to looking good and feeling good at any age.
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