If you’re 50 plus, you’ll already know that your skin can take a beating in winter, so we’re sharing our expert advice on looking and feeling your best, no matter what the weather

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Even when you’re very young and your skin is resilient, winter is hard going on the skin. As we reach our 50s, and our skin is working much harder to stay healthy, the extra pressure can take a real toll.

Even if you’re not bothered about fine lines and wrinkles (and we certainly don’t think you need to be), issues like dryness, flaking, sensitivity and redness can all be exacerbated and uncomfortable to deal with.

Here’s why winter is so tough on 50+ skin and what you can do to tackle it:

1. Start with a slough to bring back your glow

Cell turnover and blood flow both decrease post 40, leading to skin that looks less radiant, and loses colour more easily. In winter, pollutants also hang around in the air for longer, so our skin is prone to carrying more environmental aggressors than in summer.

Cleansing and encouraging cell turnover is vital to tackle this, but we’re not fans of harsh exfoliants for the face (manual exfoliation with ingredients like apricot kernels lead to microtears in the skin that increase the signs of ageing and makes the skin very sensitive).

Instead, we advise starting your routine by cleansing with a rich, gentle hydrating cleanser, which is removed with a warm, damp organic muslin or cotton flannel.

You can follow this by a fine particle exfoliator like our 3-in-1 Maca Mask, which polishes gently and includes nutrients to boost the skin.

2. Hydrate from the inside out AND the outside in

Cold weather outside and central heating inside both strip the air of humidity. Your skin draws on humidity in the environment to keep hydrated.

According to research of women in Japan, a 30% reduction in humidity can change our skin properties in just 30 minutes.

As we get older, our skin’s ability to conduct and retain moisture reduces, so when we’re in very low humidity winter weather, our skin shows visible signs of aging and dryness faster.

To tackle this, firstly make sure you’re drinking enough water to support your system. You can also use humidifiers inside to keep the air moist.

In terms of skincare, you need humectants. These are ingredients that work by pulling moisture from the air into the skin.

To get the most out of these ingredients in skincare, they’re best used in products in the shower, steam room or a long soak in the tub for optimal take up of moisture.

Humectants are hyaluronic acid, honey (as found in our beautiful handmade soap), and glycerine (as found in our natural body washes and naturally occurring in our hand made soaps).

3. Feed your skin to soften and repair

As we age, we produce less collagen, the building block of skin elasticity and plumpness.

In winter, the additional pressures on our skin (biting winds for example) put the skin under further pressure, so it can become more prone to uneven tone and soreness, not to mention environmentally created signs of ageing.

At this time, it’s especially important to include an emollient. Emollients are another category of moisturizer, providing hydration and softening benefits.

Products like shea butter, coconut oil, and avocado, certified organic jojoba oil, olive oil, and unrefined beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter, are organic alternatives to chemical emollients and are excellent examples of skin feeding ingredients which help hydrate, and add moisture. They’ll also restore the skin’s ability to stretch a little without breaking and protect itself from stressors like frost.

4. Protect with a Pamper

In winter, with little daylight, we all become paler much more quickly and the slower turnover of skin leads to flaking and poor texture.

Certain hormone changes as we approach peri and post menopause also increase dryness and damage so the skin needs real attention to stay well and happy, with a healthy colour.

At night, before bed, a good facial massage that works from the centre of the face out, using your facial oil - Superfruit Concentrate is excellent for this - brings blood to the surface, feeding the skin but also returning natural colour.

Using Occlusives both day and night is vital. Occlusives are ingredients that lock moisture into skin, including plant butters, and waxes.

Rich moisturisers stop moisture leaving the skin and provide a barrier against external aggressors.

5. Don’t forget your lips

As we age our lips lose volume and fullness anyway, and winter dryness can leave them sore. A natural, rich lip balm applied a couple of times a day can do wonders to soothe cracked lips, soreness around the mouth and flaky patches.

We’ve been solving skin challenges for over 30 years and are here to help. - Contact our skin experts now to ask for advice on the best organic skincare options for you.