Top Products for Dry Winter Skin

Collaborative Post

It might be a massive cliché but January really is a pretty gloomy month isn't it? Christmas is over and done with, payday feels like it's years away and it usually starts to get really, really cold.

With the cold comes dry skin that needs a little extra love and I have a few favourite products I use to keep the skin on my body happy and hydrated.  A scrub with cult status, some lovely Aromatherapy body oils, pampering lotions and an OG bath bomb all feature. Read on to find out more about the bits I use on my body for a little less gloom and a lot more glow!

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish is my ultimate body scrub. Thinking back to a few years ago, I remember seeing this on US beauty blogs and feeling extremely left out! Fresh wasn't available in the UK at the time and I thought I'd never get to try the scrub for myself. Fast forward to present day and we have Fresh at our fingertips and their original product does not disappoint. Made with brown sugar crystals (a natural humectant), the body scrub smoothes and softens with a blend of evening primrose, sweet almond, apricot kernel and jojoba oil. Citrus oils are in the mix too and give the scrub that signature Fresh scent. Blissful.

Speaking of exfoliating, I have to mention Italy Towels. If you're not familiar, an Italy Towel (not pictured) is basically a textured, reusable mitt that you slip over your hand and scrub your body with. You can use an Italy Towel either with or without soap or shower gel and they're most effective after you've soaked in the bath for a while or when used towards the end of your shower. I really like mine and have found that a very light touch is enough (in other words, don't scrub too hard!) because these things are quite abrasive. Italy Towels are a Korean Beauty staple and are named as such because they're made from viscose rayon, which was originally imported from Italy. That's what the internet has told me anyway. They are truly excellent at smoothing the skin and getting rid of flaky bits so I imagine they'd be brilliant for pre-fake tanning sessions and equally as good at removing old tan. I found mine on Amazon where a pack of 4 is under a fiver.

Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum has been a favourite of mine for years. It's a bit of a spendy body lotion but a bottle lasts me a good while as I only use it on the upper part of my body. This stuff is fanstastic for keeping dry, flakey skin at bay because it contains gentle exfoliating ingredients including a pre-retinol and Wintergreen extract. It also has a sort of gel/lotion texture that means it sinks in quickly so you can get dressed pretty much straight after applying without feeling tacky or sticky. You can read my post dedicated to Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum here 

I'd settle for any of the Aromathery Associates body oils to be honest but the De-Stress Body Oil is one of the standouts for me. With arnica, rosemary and ginger, it feels incredibly soothing on aching or tense muscles and the coconut, peach kernel and jojoba oil base is neeply nourishing. I really rate the De-Stress Muscle Gel too. Heaven when massaged into an aching lower back. 

I came across Dove Purely Pampering Nourishing Lotion with Pistachio Cream and Magnolia in Boots quite recently. I'm borderline obsessed with pistachio scented things ever since I fell in love with the Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Body Souffle without knowing it was limited edition! I've been looking for something similar ever since, and while this doesn't quite have the same luxury gourmand scent, I'd say it's a pretty good dupe. The fact that it's incredibly affordable is a bonus too. Aesop Geranium Leaf Hydrating Body Treatment was given to me last Mother's Day and it's still going strong so it's safe to say a little goes a long way. Geranium is my favourite Aesop collection (the body cleanser in particular is gloriously refreshing) with geranium leaf, mandarin and bergamot rind. The Hydrating Body Treatment blends skin-softening macadamia and sweet almond oils with antioxidant Vitamin E to leave skin glowing and subtly scented. 

Is there anything more comforting than a Lush Butterball Bath Bomb? One of the originals and one of the best, this little fizzer brings me so much joy. I'm not really a 'bath person' to be honest (give me a steamy shower please) but when I do soak in the tub, I always wish I had one of these in there with me! Packed with cocoa butter and featuring a comforting musk and ylang ylang scent, the Butterball Bath Bomb satisfyingly fizzes away to leave buttery, chocolate scented bathwater that leaves my skin smelling sweet and feeling moisturised enough to skip and after-bath lotions.

In keeping with the cocoa butter theme, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula will forever be a reliable treat for my skin when it's feeling a bit dry. It's affordable, effective and deliciously scented, though there are unscented variations of Palmer's products available. When a product is this iconic and so universally adored, it must be decent right? 

So those are just a few of my favourite products for dry winter skin. All perfect for the beginning of the year when skin needs some extra attention. Any favourites of your own you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments.

*Paid collaborative post

Sesderma Abradermol Microdermabrasion Cream

(Gifted item) It's been a very long time since I've used a fine 'scrubby' product like this on my face and while I generally prefer to use exfoliating acids in my everyday routine, a bit of physical exfoliatian can be so satisfying. The Abradermol Microdermabrasion Cream from Spanish brand Sesderma got my attention because I've tried something similar in the past and I really enjoyed the results so wanted to see if my skin still appreciated a proper physical scrub.

Aluminium Oxide Crystals provide the exfoliation in the cream formula. These crystals are the same product used in many professional Microdermabrasion treatments in which they are 'sprayed' onto the skin to exfoliate and encourage cell renewal. In this case, the crystals are suspended in a cream with Shea Butter and Niacinamide and they do their thing via manual exfoliation. Shea Butter is included to moisturise, protect and regenerate the skin while Niacinamide moisturises, prevents water loss and improves the barrier function of the skin as well as working to prevent irritation; a great addition to a product containing Aluminium Oxide Crystals which are pretty harsh by their nature.

The fine, gritty cream is designed to be gently massaged over a clean, moist face in circular motions (avoiding the eye area and lips) before rinsing it away with water. The result is incredibly smooth skin with a noticeable glow, which is right up my street! The cream can also be used on the body, just go easy with this stuff on any 'delicate' areas.
I found that Abradermol also preps the skin beautifully to receive serums and moisturisers (I don't use active skincare products immediately after using this) and they seem to absorb into the skin more quickly. It really is quite similar to that smooth, gorgeous skin feeling you're left with after an excellent facial.
If you're keen to try Sesderma Abradermol Microdermabrasion Cream for yourself, it retails for £18.20 in the UK at Sesderma.

Merumaya Mineral Cleansing Paste

(AD/gifted item) I remember trying the Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm a few years ago when it launched (you can read the review here) so it's lovely to revisit the brand again and try another product.
The Mineral Cleansing Paste* at a glance is essentially an exfoliant and cleanser in one, but if you dig a little deeper you'll find that it's full of thoughtful ingredients which benefit the skin in some interesting ways.

Merumaya Mineral Cleansing Paste Review

With sweet almond oil and glycerin at its base, the cleansing paste is nourishing and hydrating while the exfoliating action is down to something called Corindon 100 which is a biodegradable fine white powder made from crystals.

Other ingredients include Zinc (in two forms) which provides some antioxidant protection and has antimicrobial properties to help prevent breakouts and Magnesium for its anti-stress and anti-fatigue effects as well as its ability to help maintain the skin's barrier.

The Mineral Cleansing Paste also contains Copper which helps the skin to form elastin (which gives skin that lovely bounce and suppleness). Copper also aids in the production of melanin and the absorption of iron.

Speaking of Iron, it's also included in the mineral cleansing paste as it gives skin a healthy glow and also has anti-inflammatory properties and stimulates collagen production.

Silicon is in the mix as it's a key player in collagen formation and also helps to improve elasticity and resilience.

Designed for all skin types, the cleansing paste can be used every day, but I'd say the frequency of use would be determined by just how sensitive your skin is and how often you feel like you want to use a physical exfoliating product (though this is very gentle).
I've been using it a few times a week (alternating between an acid exfoliant and this) and I'm pretty pleased with the results.
In the short term, immediately after use, it leaves skin beautifully smooth and sort of 'polished' and ready to receive serums and moisturiser.
In the long term (I'm talking two weeks here rather than months), skin is overall brighter and smoother and I'm certain that sebaceous filaments (little dark spots often mistaken for blackheads) are reduced and my overall tone is more even.

To use the Mineral Cleansing Paste, you just squeeze some out of the tube, massage it all over the face (obviously be careful around the eyes), add a bit of water and massage a little more and then rinse away.
It really is quite a lovely product and if you're a fan of gentle exfoliating products or you're looking to add one to your stash, you can find the Mineral Cleansing Paste at Merumaya.

Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar Reveal - Day #5

I love a powdered exfoliant so I was pretty happy to find Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant hiding away in the 5th drawer of the calendar.
Dermalogica are just a good, reliable brand aren't they? Not a lot of faff and nonsense going on, just great, trusted products that have been around and raved about for years.
I think I last tried the Microfoliant during a Dermalogica facial many, many years ago back in Australia, so I'm pleased to have my own little container of it now.
Free from any artificial colours or fragrances, the Microfoliant contains Salicylic Acid, Rice Enzymes and Papain (papaya enzyme) to exfoliate and brighten.
To use the exfoliator, you just dispense about half a teaspoonful into wet palms to make a creamy paste and then apply to a clean face with gentle circular motions before rinsing away.
It's marketed as being gentle enough to use every day but I think this would really depend on how sensitive your skin is.
The calendar contains generous travel sized bottle of Daily Microfoliant and the full sized 75ml bottle is £42 at Liberty.

Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm review

As much as I love acid exfoliating, I'm still an avid user of granular exfoliators for that super smooth, clean feeling. I especially love granular exfoliators when they smell good, look good and do what they say they will. Enter Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm.

This luxury exfoliator gets use about twice a week (sometimes more if I can't resist it) and is a product I can confidently say I will be repurchasing because it's simply too good.

The grainy bits in the Oskia exfoliating balm are MSM and Silica micro granules that buff and polish the skin and unclog pores. MSM (known as the beauty mineral) is a form of sulphur that is said to aid in stress relief and reduce inflammation. The addition of MSM as an exfoliatior is fantastic not only because of its stand alone beauty benefits but also because it dissolves in contact with water, adding an extra special element to the exfoliating balm.

The balm contains a nourishing combination of Sweet Almond, Sesame Seed and Kukui Nut oils as well as Oskia's special Zinc-Glycine complex to soothe, heal and reduce redness. 

The exfoliating balm is applied to dry skin and transforms into a milky consistency on contact with water, making it really simple to use and remove.

To me, the balm has quite a refreshing, almost minty scent that I'm rather fond of and the weighty glass packaging gives the balm a real luxury look and feel.

The real kicker with Oskia's Micro Exfoliating Balm is how it makes my skin feel, which is best described as like I've just had a very quick yet thorough facial. My skin is left smooth, clean yet nourished and poised for my serum and moisturiser. Despite the fact that this is such an effective exfoliating product, it's impressively gentle. Even though I don't have particularly sensitive skin myself, I have read numerous reviews from people who do who have been completely wowed by the fact that this didn't irritate in the slightest.

It really is a gorgeous product and I'd say it's earned its £49.50 price tag and then some. The only downside for me is that I now want to try everything from Oskia.
Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm is available at a range of retailers including Space NK and Look Fantastic.

Sk:n Exfoliating Cleanser

When it comes to my skincare routine, exfoliating is probably my favourite step. There's just nothing quite like the feeling of sloughing away dead skin and prepping it to be smooth and ready to really absorb whatever serum/oil/moisturiser I'm currently obsessing over.

Sk:n Clinics has cleverly combined cleansing and exfoliating to create one simple product to eliminate the need for two separate products.

The exfoliating cleanser is deceptively smooth and creamy - at first glance it just looks like an innocent rich cleanser. In reality though, the cleanser sneakily exfoliates as you cleanse, thanks to the addition of two of my fave skincare ingredients- Glycolic acid and glycerine. If you're familiar with acid toning and exfoliants, you'll already know that Glycolic acid is an extremely effective ingredient found in many anti aging lotions and potions these days. In essence, it melts away dead skin cells and eliminates the need for those granular exfoliating scrubs so many of us grew up with (and occasionally still reach for when feeling extra grimey). Glycerine moisturises the skin while the Glycolic acid does its thing, so skin is left feeling super soft and hydrated.

The Sk:n Clinics Exfoliating Cleanser does create a slight tingling sensation, which I rather enjoy because I like to 'feel' glycolic acid working away. The creamy consistency and hydrating ingredients make it perfect for this time of year, if like me your skin gets a bit dry and tight in the cooler months- I'm definitely reaching for the cleanser more now than I was during summer.

All in all, I think this is a fantastic two in one product, especially if you like your skincare to pack a bit of a punch and still be a bit of a pleasure to use.

If you don't know much about Sk:n Clinics, you can find out more about their products here and also check out the range of treatments they offer in their salons here.

Post contains sample

The Glow Getters - Top 5 Skincare Edit

It's no secret that I have a (slightly excessive) fascination with Skincare.
Call it an obsession if you will, but moisturisers, lotions, oils, cleansers, serums, exfoliators and other potions have a special place in my heart/desk/ shower/ floor. Personally, I like to think of looking after my skin as an investment - after all I'm stuck with it for the rest of my life and now that I'm standing at the door of the big 3-0 I'm more inclined than ever to keep it looking healthy and feeling good!
To share some of my favourites, I've put together a little edit of my top 5 skincare picks for glowing, delicious (?), happy skin. These products actually work for me and they've made it onto this post because I saw results! No BS here, just a little run down of old faithfuls and a few new bits I'm loving lately.

Indeed Labs Facial Powdered Exfoliator
A recent purchase, this exfoliating powder hooked me in from all the great reviews on the Boots website and seems to actually deliver. Containing pineapple enzymes, the powder is mixed with water in your palm and foams up to create a slightly clinical scented concoction that fizzes away and leaves skin feeling super squeaky clean and smooth. £18.99 at Boots.

Pixi Glow Tonic

I've had this bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic for a good few months now and go through stages of using it religiously and sporadically. It gives my complexion a super smooth peachy glow directly after use and keeps try bits at bay with long term use. £18 at Cult Beauty.

Soap and Glory Beauty Sleep Accelerator Night & Flight Moisture Miracle
This one is a recent discovery and a bit of a revelation! While I can't comment on long term effects at this point, I can say that I wake up with healthy looking, bright skin after applying this the night before. It feels really, really moisturising and smells gorgeous- kind of like a tropical fruit salad. Love the minimalist packaging too. £13 at Boots.

Clinique Turnaround Daytime Moisturiser
The Clinique Turnaround Daytime Revitalising Moisturiser is a rather new release and delivers lightweight, oil free hydration with a tiny hint of luminous shimmer. I've found it to be a great quick fix on a tired face and leaves the skin lovely and soft. I have Turnaround Daytime in 'Rosy Glow' but it's also available in 'Golden Glow' which would be great for summer. £32 at Boots.

Nourish Rejuvenating Peptide Serum
I had the Nourish Rejuvenating Peptide Serum* very kindly sent to me about 6 weeks ago and have been using it almost every second day. It claims to 'enhance skin's natural luminosity' via light responsive bio-actives and seems to do just that! The peptide serum feels like water on the skin and has a beautiful natural rose scent that I just love - I imagine I will be reaching for this a lot this Spring. £20

So there you have my top 5 glow-inducing skincare bits. What are your go-to glow getters?

Supracor - A New Way To Scrub Up For Spring

We all know how important a good scrub in the shower is - removing yucky dead skin cells is key to lovely, healthy skin and a vital first step when you plan to fake tan!

I've been trying out a couple of products from Supracor - a Californian brand that uses recyclable materials to produce a huge range of lifestyle and bath and body goodies.

Lately I've been using the SpaCells Facial Sponge and Stimulite Bath Mitt to rid myself of any flaky bits and get the circulation going.

SpaCells Facial Sponge

This nifty little sponge fits onto your fingers like a mitten and removes makeup, cleanses, exfoliates and massages all at once thanks to the 'honeycomb cells' that it's made up of.

The SpaCells sponge features two sides for two different jobs:

The clear side is soft and flexible, perfect for pairing with your cleanser to give your skin care regime added oomph.

The black side is a little more heavy duty and isn't designed for use on facial skin - use this side to buff away at elbows, forearms and the back of your hands.

The SpaCells sponge even includes some easy instructions to give yourself a facial massage, which is a rather nice touch!

Stimulite Bath Mitt

I'm not going to lie, this bath mitt is pretty hardcore. You can use this one for dry body brushing before you jump in the shower, or use it with shower gel or soap for lathered up scrubby goodness.

The biggest selling point of these products for me is that they are naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. I like to scrub my skin with exfoliating gloves and puffs but let's face it, they can get rather manky after a while and nobody likes a mouldy shower puff!
These two products are well worth a look if you're in the market for some seriously effective exfoliation - the SpaCells mitt in particular is a great option for fans of the Clarisonic or other exfoliating devices as you still use your regular cleanser with it, it's just turbo-charged!

For more information about Supracor products, visit beautyworkswest.com and have a gander at the range.

Have you tried anything from Supracor or a similar product?

Thanks for reading.

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