The ingredients to prioritise in your winter skin routine.

Ah, the season of winter is my favourite.    

Oversized coats, warm matcha lattes, crisp air, makeup that doesn’t melt off and fuzzy socks – there’s so much to love about it. 

However, even though I am somebody who romanticises the colder seasons, I’ll still be first to admit that unfortunately, dry winter skin comes with the territory. But, all is not lost. 

As long as you have the right skin care products in your arsenal, maintaining the hydrated glow of summer skin is easy-peasy. 

Picture this: it’s a random day in June, you wake up in the morning bundled up, warm and cosy. You grab your phone and check the weather, it says 4°C. 

You internally sob at the idea of getting out of your very comfortable bed. Resigning to the fact that you need to get up and shower, you quickly make your way to the cold tiles of your bathroom. Right, shower time. Mental preparation that you'll be temporarily freezing before the water hits you. 

You turn the hot water tap all the way and turn the cold tap just a smidgen (emphasis on a smidgen). The water is the warm hug you needed in the morning. You jump out steaming and feeling refreshed. As you head back to your bedroom, you flick the switch of your indoor heater to stay toasty warm. 

Sounds like most of our winter mornings right? Right. Well, I’ve got some news. 

Three things in this very regular morning routine may be making your skin drier in winter.

1. The fact that it’s 4°C. As the temperatures cool, humidity levels also drop because cold air holds less moisture than warm air. 

2. The scalding hot shower: While hot showers feel amazing, they often do more harm than good. This, combined with the low humidity can strip your skin of that much needed moisture.

3. The indoor heating: It’s looking like a recipe for major skin dryness right now, hey? As we turn up the heat to compensate for how freezing cold it is, we pretty much suck up the last bit of vapour that was in the air. 

I would never say that you can’t have a hot shower or turn on the indoor heating. They're the support we need for this cold season! But, doing so with care will be best for your skin in the long run.

Hydrated and moisturised skin for me is a top priority in the colder months, so in addition to keeping your temperature self-regulating in check, supporting your skin barrier with winter-friendly products is a must.  

As we look to overhaul our skin care regimes to better match the weather, reach for products that hydrate and moisturise your skin. 

I'm loving CeraVe’s range personally. I first saw it when it went viral on TikTok last year. Everyone seemed to be talking about it at the same time on my social feeds, and from what I've gathered, a skincare specialist named Hyram (@skincarebyhyram) with more than 6 million followers had been recommending this product to his fans.

So I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. This range comes so highly recommended because CeraVe products are developed with dermatologists to provide highly effective yet gentle skin care that isn’t complicated to use or expensive to buy. A major plus for me is that I could just pick mine up locally from Chemist Warehouse.

Image: Supplied. 

My favourite part of their range is the fact that every single CeraVe product is formulated with a unique combination of three essential, skin-identical ceramides. 

What are ceramides you ask? I had so many questions when I picked up my first haul.

Basically, ceramides are an essential component of your skin and make up 50% of its composition. They’re super important when it comes to supporting the function of the protective skin barrier and locking in moisture. 

When your ceramide levels are low, your skin barrier function becomes compromised, allowing moisture to escape from the skin and external aggressors to penetrate, leading to dry, irritated skin. 

The unique combination of three essential Ceramides featured in CeraVe's range help to strengthen and maintain the protective skin barrier, locking in moisture and hydration. Exactly what my thirsty skin needs this winter.

Things get even better though, stick with me. The entire CeraVe range is formulated with patented MVE Technology, which releases key moisturising ingredients into the skin slowly and continually over time, keeping the skin nourished and hydrated for up to 24 hours.

Heck, I thought that was impressive. Kind of wish all skincare used MVE Technology, now I can't unlearn this. 

For both my AM and PM winter body skincare regime I start by massaging CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser onto my skin when in the shower, in circular motions. Gotta be circular motions.

The milky gel texture is divine and so silky smooth. 

After using it, my skin feels clean, refreshed and hydrated, without that yucky feeling of tightness that cleansers I've used in the past have left behind. 

Following this, I slather my body with CeraVe’s Moisturising Cream (a godsend of a product, might I add). It has a rich and thick texture which is so luxurious, but it's also fast-absorbing and oil-free, which is a massive score. Great that it's perfect for eczema prone skin too.

Image: Supplied. 

If my skin isn’t feeling too dry compared to other days, I opt for their Daily Moisturising Lotion which is more lightweight, also fast absorbing and oil-free.

I (for most of the year) have combination and oily skin, so one ingredient I absolutely need my skin care products to contain all year round is Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid assists in trapping and retaining moisture and hydration in the skin which in turn keeps your skin hydrated and balanced, and it stops it from overproducing oil. 

Image: Supplied. 

To my luck, all products in the CeraVe range contain Hyaluronic Acid. Such a complete win.

I don’t rant and rave about many skin care products but, but I’m proud CeraVe convert, and my skin is better for it. I'll take one guess what's at the top of your list on your next Chemist Warehouse visit?

What do you swear by in your winter skincare routine? Tell us in the comments below.

Cold weather and our love for heaters can make it difficult to maintain nourished, hydrated skin in winter. CeraVe makes combatting dry winter skin, simple. Grab yours at Chemist Warehouse.

Feature image: Supplied/Getty.