Five easy ways to re-energise your skin in winter
By Zoe Cripps
Winter doesn’t have to mean dull, dry skin, but for many of us it’s a sad reality of the changing season. This year, why not take steps to brighten your skin so that you stay looking glowing and radiant all year long?
If it sounds like hard work, it actually isn’t. With just a few product swaps and some simple steps, you can wake up each morning with skin that looks awake and energised. From upping your vitamin C to giving a “moisture sandwich” a go, here are five ways to boost the brightness and tone of your skin in winter…
- Vitamin C is your best friend
Many of us swap to heavier moisturisers when the cold weather approaches, but lighter, vitamin C-based gels and cream can do wonders for drab winter skin. The ingredient can help even out your skin tone and brighten your complexion, and even fade some of the dark spots you may have noticed pop up after summer.
There are plenty of serums, creams and treatments on shelves, but we recommend Dr.Eve_ryouth Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Night Moisturiser, worth £69.99 but available to shop from just £9.95 in this month’s OK! Party Pieces Beauty Box. The overnight brightener contains hyaluronic acid to instantly hydrate and plump the skin, as well as vitamin C to even out your skin tone.
- Try moisture sandwiching
This social media-born trend is actually something you might want to try at home if you’re struggling with dry and flaky skin. Its name kind of gives the game away, but a moisture sandwich is all about layering up your skincare products to lock in hydration.
The golden rule is to apply your products to damp skin to help draw moisture in, so says skincare influencer Charlotte Parlermino. In her TikTok, she describes the three-step process as "dampen skin, moisturiser, then a balm", which she says works wonders for dry skin.
- Prime, prime, prime!
One of the quickest ways to brighten your base is with a make-up primer. It’s a step many of us forget, but wearing a layer of primer can make such a difference to how your make-up applies and looks on the skin – especially if you have any texture, dryness or pores.
To blur out imperfections, brighten skin and smooth over any dry patches, we love Figs & Rouge Blurring Primer & Finishing Fix, usually £38 but also in this month’s OK! Beauty Box – which contains six party-perfect beauty products totalling a whopping £160.
- Pick the right SPF
You’ve probably heard this before but it’s worth mentioning again because this step is so important: don’t forget to apply an SPF in winter. We all know that our skin needs protecting while we’re out in the summer sun, but the colder months still bring damaging UV exposure.
Plus these days some SPFs are formulated to brighten skin and give it a dewy effect. We recommend picking up a sheer, tinted formula which can also double up as a light foundation.
- Go green
We’ve all heard the saying “beauty starts from within”, and it certainly is true. Yes, we need to be drinking enough water to hydrate ourselves, but for truly glowing skin we need a little bit more than that. Many nutritionists and skin experts recommend supplementing with specific glow-boosting ingredients, taken either in tablet or powder form.
Personally, we’re going to be taking pointers from the likes of Elle MacPherson, who swears by vitamin and mineral-packed green superfood powders. Simply mix into your morning smoothie and reap the full-body benefits in the long run.