“Is winter depleting your skin’s hydration levels? Here are 5 heavy-duty moisturisers I reach for when I need instant hydration”
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Seeing flaky skin? It could be time to invest in a thick moisturiser to help combat seasonal dryness. These are the Stylist beauty team’s favourites.
Thanks to the recent snow flurries and icy pavements, I’ve been receiving more messages than ever from friends who are unsure about what to do about their skin. Whether it’s sensitivity, blotchy redness, flaky patches or skin feeling like sandpaper, winter takes its toll in a big way.
When you see dry patches, it can be tempting to reach for an exfoliator to solve the problem. However, over-exfoliating, mixed with cold weather and an excessive amount of central heating, is a recipe for disaster for your skin barrier. There is one change that can make all the difference, though. You just need to rethink your moisturiser.
As someone who’s endured all of the above symptoms, I can confirm that the best defence is investing in a heavy-duty moisturiser. While a gel-like consistency will suffice in the summer, this step of your routine needs a serious upgrade when temperatures start to take a chilly turn.
Whether you prefer them lightweight and silky or heavy and ultra-nourishing, there’s an intensive moisturiser that will help soften any rough texture and restore skin to its former hydrated glory.
Here’s my selection of the best intense moisturisers that my skin soaks up and are my go-tos for as soon as the winter months start to set in. They’re skin saviours in a jar (or tube).
Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream
If redness plagues you throughout winter, this will help restore your skin’s barrier to reduce sensitivity over time and soothe in an instant. It includes a ceramide-building complex, as well as hydrating glycerin, shea butter and squalane to replenish hydration levels.
Revive Rescue Balm Overnight Balm
Revive’s Rescue Balm Overnight Balm is a firm staple in my routine. In the summer, I use it as a weekly treatment, but in the winter, I use it almost daily whenever my skin feels like it’s turning scaly. Packed with everything from peptides to shea butter to adaptogenic mushrooms (known for their soothing properties), this works to reduce the signs of stress on the skin, relieve the symptoms of dryness and leave skin more even and dewy by morning.
Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream
I’ve been using this moisturiser since I was 13 and starting to first struggle with my skin, and it’s been a firm staple in my routine ever since. The rich blend of oils means this isn’t one for those that struggle with oiliness, but is a hero for dry skin that doesn’t seem to glow, no matter how much moisturiser you apply. It acts like a cocoon for the skin, leaving it softer and more glossy by morning.
Rhode Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm
A great option for those with combination skin, this buttery balm coats skin in intense hydration, without leaving a greasy finish behind. It seals in moisture for up to 24 hours, thanks to a hyaluronic acid complex, ceramides, murumuru butter and polyglutamic acid – it has a top-notch ingredients list for those with thirsty skin. I’m currently on my third tube…
Shop Rhode Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm at Sephora UK, £36
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm
Nothing beats La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Balm if your skin is freaking out. It can be used from head to toe to relieve the symptoms of stressed-out skin, to calm, repair and comfort dry skin. The hydrating cocktail includes vitamin B5, glycerin, cicaplast (rich in amino acids), as well as thermal spring water. For the affordable price tag, you’ll struggle to find a better solution to dry skin.
Shop La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm at LookFantastic, £11
Image: Charlotte Bitmead; courtesy of brands
