How to change up your skincare routine for winter, according to a leading skin doctor

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We’ve ditched colourful salads for comfort food, sandals for boots and strappy dresses for cosy coats right now, because winter is definitely here. The change in seasons is also a good time to tweak your skincare routine, with dry skin, chapped lips and redness all becoming more common in the colder months.

We spoke to skincare expert Dr. Sophie Shotter to find out her top tips for changing up your skincare routine in the winter. Here’s what she had to say…

Top tips for your winter skincare routine

Don’t skip the sunscreen

You might think that grey, cloudy skies make sun protection unnecessary, but think again. ‘The UVA levels over winter as pretty much as high as over the summer months’ says Dr Shotter. You may want to switch to a nourishing sunscreen formula if your skin needs extra moisture in the winter – try Heliocare Fluid Cream£24.99.

Increase active ingredients

Active ingredients are the ones that do the hard work in our skincare; think retinol, hyaluronic acid, AHAs and vitamin C. ‘Over summer we are often a little cautious to use them, as actives can make us more sun sensitive’ says Dr Shotter. ‘But to maintain a summer glow in winter, you need to exfoliate the dead skin cells from the surface, which can accumulate over the winter. Use an acid-based product – this could be a gentle PHA based product like Medik8’s Press & Glow, £32, or AHA based like SkinCeuticals Glycolic Overnight Renew£88.’

Max out on moisture

During sweaty summers, you may feel like the last thing your skin needs is more moisture. ‘Over the summer months, our skin barrier seems to be more nourished and supple’ says Dr Shotter. In winter, however, ‘we often need more lipids to help lock in the moisture and decrease trans-epidermal water loss. I’m a big fan of adding slightly richer ingredients to our winter regimes – ceramides and lipids are key here. I also like to supplement with omega 3s over the winter months, as this will again help membranes to stay supple and to help lock moisture in.’

Tackle redness

Is your nose giving Rudolph a run for his money? Then like many people, you might be prone to extra redness over the winter months. Dr Shotter recommends adding a product like SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer£94, into your regime. This ‘will help to decrease the skin’s vascularity and take away that winter flush’ she says.

Treat your lips

While barrier products are often used for the lips, this won’t actually treat the underlying problem. Instead, Dr Shotter recommends using ‘a nourishing formulation containing squalene like the Medik8 Lip Mutiny£20, which is excellent for rehydrating. You can also add in a lip mask overnight – my favourites are by Tatcha and Laneige’ she adds.

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