While many of us spend our winter dreaming of a white Christmas we often forget the impact the harsh weather can have on our skin is overlooked! The main culprits to blame for this are cold, dry air, low humidity and central heating, which, although it keeps us cosy and warm, wreak havoc with our delicate skin and hair. But cold weather also hits you harder as you get older, as the production of the skin’s natural moisturisers already dips with age alone. The result: your soft, glowing summer skin becomes dry, rough and flaking, while your hair feels parched and loses its shine.

But, never fear, we are here to help! These simple cold weather beauty tricks and tips will help keep you looking and feeling your best, no matter the type of weather you have to deal with in the coming months.

Get sipping!

Just because you’re not feeling as warm, doesn’t mean you should be easing up on the amount of water you should drink per day. Consuming enough water is important all year round, including in the winter. When your internal system is operating well, it’s going to show on the outside with glowing skin. Keep up with your daily quota by drinking a glass of water with every meal and keeping a reusable bottle on your desk at work, to ensure that your skin stays clear and moisturised.

Love your lips!

Dry, sore and cracked lips are no-ones favourite winter affliction. They can leave you dreading eating or even yawning, and they look pretty unattractive too! Keep your lips moisturised regularly throughout the day by looking for a formula containing shea butter. If you’re wearing colour on your lips, moisturise your lips overnight and wear a formulation that has a built-in moisturiser.

Time to clean up!

Your usual shower gel and shampoo aren’t going to cut it in the winter, we’re afraid. In the winter, our skin and hair generally need more protection, largely in the form of hydration. Choose moisturising shower gel and a hydrating shampoo to suit your individual skin and hair type. This goes for facial cleanser and moisturiser too! You may find that a creamy, hydrating cleanser with alpha hydroxy acids, which are gentle enough to remove dead skin cells on your face without causing skin irritation, is the way forward. Your regular light moisturiser may need to be switched up for a heavier formula too; your skin will be extra thirsty. Look for preparations including beeswax, petrolatum, or squalene, and warm them up in the heat of the shower as you wash for an extra moisturising treat!

Double up on hydration

Moisturising twice a day might sound like overkill, but may be necessary in the winter! Ideally, you should moisturise in the morning and before bed for the best results. The reason: there’s a slight elevation in the temperature of your body while you sleep, so products seep in better! Why not ask for some free samples at your local beauty counter to find the perfect body moisturiser for you?

Indulge those digits!

Don’t forget about your feet and hands – they do most of the work after all, but often we find ourselves washing our hands over and over again without ever replacing that lost moisture. And our feet? Well, for many of us they don’t get a look-in when we moisturise our legs! How about dampening your hands and feet, slathering on a luxurious cream, and then putting on a pair of comfy and light gloves and socks to wear overnight? Your feet and hands will look and feel great the following morning!

 

Dr Seth Rankin is Founder of London Doctor Clinic

  

Dr. Seth Rankin

Dr Seth Rankin, has worked for the NHS since 2004 and is a former Clinical Commissioner. He launched London Doctors Clinic (LDC) in 2014 and is now treating over 3,000 patients per month. The company has practices across nine major commuter hotspots in London including Liverpool Street, Waterloo, Oxford Circus, London Bridge, Victoria, Kings Cross, Paddington, Canary Wharf and Fleet Street. LDC offers tourists, residents and commuters affordable and convenient access to GPs, when patients are finding it difficult getting an appointment with their local doctor. Dr Rankin says “I’m a huge fan of the NHS and there is no doubt it is a world class service. However, thousands of Londoners avoid going to the GP because they are time poor and don’t like to ask for time off work. Our aim is to provide a professional service, similar to those available in many other countries, that is easy to use and is far less potentially time consuming and stressful than a drop-in centre.” Originally from New Zealand, Dr Rankin grew up in Papua New Guinea (his parents were missionaries) and later worked in Australia for a few years before coming to the UK. He says “when I came to London I was struck by how difficult it was to get an appointment with a GP. While the Australian & New Zealand systems are far from perfect, it felt as if there was a doctor on every corner and it was always easy to get an appointment, but in the UK private doctors seemed intrinsically linked to the very wealthy. I felt there was a gap in the market for a new type of affordable GP service that could help Londoners and people visiting the capital, and also ease the burden on the NHS”. Before launching LDC, Dr Rankin already had a reputation as a successful doctorpreneur, representing 23 clinics as an NHS Clinical Commissioner and growing the Wandsworth Medical Centre to over 16,500 patients. He is the also co-founder of London Travel Clinic, which has eight centres in London providing travel vaccines, medications and advice to Londoners.

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