We all know the importance of exfoliating, cleansing and moisturising, but it is so easy to get out of the habit when winter hits. Less of our skin is exposed during the winter months, and as a result dry, rough patches on knees, ankles and elbows seem to set in quickly, and even the skin our our faces looks a little worse for wear. It is only when the weather picks up and we start to think about wearing dresses and shorts again that we realise how badly our skin needs some attention. However, you have to go about kicking your skin back into shape carefully. Over zealous exfoliating can actually cause tiny tears in the skin, that will make tired winter skin look and feel a lot worse. Use very gentle exfoliating scrubs, or even better a cream or face mask or peel that contains Glycolic Acid and/or AHA’s. These will work to regenerate the surface of your skin without an abrasive effect, so there is no danger of causing damage to your skin. These kinds of masks should be treated with caution, and it is best to test them on a small area of skin first as they aren’t suitable for all skins. You really only need to exfoliate or use a face peel once a week, any more and you are risking overdoing it and doing more harm than good for your skin.

Cleanse your skin everyday – preferably twice a day, especially if you wear make up regularly. Cleansing unblocks your pores and removes the day’s grime from the surface of your skin, leaving it free to breathe and regenerate. It may sound obvious, but many of us fail to cleanse our skin properly and then wonder why it looks dull and unhappy. There are so many different ways you can cleanse your skin, and it is a case of finding which method suits you best. Face wipes, face washes, cold cream or even soap and water, whichever you prefer, and whichever leaves your skin looking and feeling clean. You shouldn’t be left with tight feling skin after cleansing though, this means you have stripped all the oils out which can lead to dry skin.

Moisturising is next, and this is where the skin care cream range gets a bit crazy. There are so many different types of moisturiser, all offering different benefits. The main thing you need to take into consideration is your skin type, as this will determine how heavy or light the cream you are going to use will be. There is no good using a cream for oily skin on dry skin as it won’t be able to deliver enough nourishment to your skin. It may take a few different tries, but you will eventually find a skin care cream that is the perfect one to take your skin from winter to spring with glowing radiance.

Dry skin and dehydrated skin are actually two very different things. Dry skin results from external factors such as sun exposure, pollution or wind chaffing. Dehydrated skin is a result of an internal factor, and that is dehydration. It is so important to make sure you are consuming enough fluids throughout the day, not only to keep your body functioning well, but also to make sure your skin stays soft, supple and youthful looking. No amount of cream will be able to remedy skin that is actually being dehydrated from the outside, it will simply improve the surface appearance of your skin for a while as it is unable to give your skin cells the water they so desperately need on the inside.

Dry skin however, can really benefit from a lovely rich moisturiser, preferably one that will soothe your skin as it moisturises. Depending on just how dry your skin is there are varying levels of cream that will be able to help bring your skin back to it’s full glory. If you are experiencing dry skin as a result in the change of seasons, when summer ends and central heating comes on, leaving your skin feeling dry and sore, then you want to start using a slightly richer moisturiser on a daily basis in order to restore your skins moisture and protect it from the elements. It is best not to switch straight from a summer moisturiser to a winter one as it may well be too heavy for your skin and block pore, resulting in spots which isn’t the idea! Instead opt for a mid-level moisturiser, if in doubt opt for something that states it is suitable for normal to dry skin, so you can give your skin an extra boost without overloading it.

Another great skin care cream to help you get dry skin re-moisturised is night cream. Night creams are traditionally much heavier than day creams as they are designed to be applied after cleansing and left on overnight, when no make-up need to be applied over them. Night creams are very rich, but can work wonders on dry skin, giving you noticeably softer skin the first morning after use.

If you feel your skin needs more than just a moisturiser, then there are some wonderful blended skin oils designed for facial skincare. Many people believe that oils are far too rich to be used on their faces, but in fact there are many oils that are perfect to rehydrate and condition tired, dry facial skin without causing oily looking skin or blocked pores. You may have to use a little bit of trial and error when finding the right skin care cream for your winter skin care regime, but remember that it can take around 4-6 weeks for your skin to adjust to a new product so don’t be too quick to dismiss something you feel isn’t working.