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If your usual face cream suddenly isn’t quite cutting it, these richer formulas will see your skin comfortably through the colder months.
There are certain beauty rules we’ve been taught to follow with every change of season: swap your gel cleanser for a balm. Put away the lightweight serums. Add a face oil. Essentially, as soon as the temperature drops below 10°C, we’re supposed to give our entire bathroom cabinet an autumn overhaul.
In reality, your skin might not necessarily need a completely new routine just because you’ve dug out your winter coat. If the products you use year-round are still working for you, there’s no reason to change them. But colder weather, wind and the return of central heating can leave skin feeling drier and less comfortable than it did during summer, and this is where switching to a slightly richer moisturiser can make a noticeable difference.
That doesn’t have to mean coating your face in the thickest cream you can find. The latest generation of moisturisers pair nourishing textures with ingredients such as ceramides, peptides and humectants to help keep moisture in and support the skin barrier, without necessarily feeling heavy or greasy. From the new launch designed to take the guesswork out of skincare to a Korean formula made for compromised skin, these are five we really rate…
Nip+Fab The Fix Cream
If complicated skincare routines leave you cold, Nip+Fab’s new The Fix range takes a pleasingly straightforward approach. The Cream is the richer moisturising step in the three-product system and combines a ceramide complex with peptides and the brand’s CycloRetin – a botanical cyclic peptide derived from prince ginseng that has retinol-like activity, rather than being retinol itself. The texture feels substantial enough to satisfy skin that’s craving more moisture, without leaving behind a heavy film. It’s a particularly good option if you want your winter moisturiser to do more than simply hydrate, but don’t fancy layering several different serums underneath it.
Lancôme Rénergie Collagen Lift-Xtend Cream
There’s something satisfying about a properly sumptuous face cream when it’s cold outside, and this Lancôme formula delivers on texture. It has an unusual rich, almost thread-like consistency that melts beautifully into the skin, leaving it feeling soft, plump and thoroughly moisturised rather than coated in product. The formula contains collagen peptides and copper tripeptides alongside niacinamide, but it’s the immediate hit of hydration that makes us reach for it when skin is looking a little lacklustre.
Anua Barrier Reboot Intensive Cream
When skin feels dry, tight or generally fed up with the weather, looking after the barrier is a sensible place to start. Anua’s Barrier Reboot Intensive Cream is designed with exactly that in mind, combining moisturising and barrier-supporting ingredients in a comforting cream that helps seal in hydration. It’s the sort of formula we’d reach for when skin needs fewer bells and whistles and more straightforward nourishment. Use it as the final step of your evening routine and let it do its thing overnight.
Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Intensive Moisturiser
Peptides are everywhere in skincare right now, and Paula’s Choice has packed several into this cushiony moisturiser alongside hydrating and conditioning ingredients. The result is a cream designed to leave skin feeling softer, smoother and noticeably more supple, which is particularly welcomed when cold weather and central heating have left your complexion feeling a little depleted. It has the comforting slip you want from a rich moisturiser without tipping over into greasy territory and works particularly well as a final layer over your usual hydrating serum.
Shiseido Hydrating Day Cream
A sumptuous winter moisturiser doesn’t necessarily have to feel rich in texture. Shiseido’s Hydrating Day Cream is a good choice if your skin needs more hydration as the temperature drops but you still prefer something that sits neatly underneath SPF and make-up. The silky cream helps replenish moisture and keep skin feeling comfortable throughout the day, with a smooth finish that never feels overly heavy. If thick creams have a habit of making you want to wash your face again approximately five minutes after applying them, start here.
Images: Getty; courtesy of brands
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