Dry and dull skin? Not this year. Your holiday tan may have faded, and summer digs relegated to the back of the wardrobe, but that doesn’t mean your glow days are over just yet. From skincare, to diet, to treatments, here’s our cheat sheet for preparing your skin for the cold months ahead.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @ROSIEHW

GET EXFOLIATING

Liquid exfoliants in the form of acids help slough off dead skin cells, making dull winter skin glowing and gorgeous. That said, acids do make skin more sun-sensitive, so we recommend you use them less often during the sunny summer months. So if you dialled back your exfoliation during the warmer months, good news – you can now bring your acids back out to play (FYI: make sure you still always apply an SPF after exfoliating – just because the weather is cooler, doesn’t mean you’re immune to sun damage). We’re big fans of Pixi’s Glow Tonic – it does exactly what it says on the tin, plus it’s gentle and super effective.

GLOW FROM THE INSIDE OUT

If the lack of sun has left your skin a little lacklustre, a few tweaks to your diet might be exactly what you need to get glowing. In the cooler months, you’ll find a plethora of dark leafy greens like kale, silverbeet and spinach in season – so stock up your fridge to get your antioxidant and phytochemical fix. Stir them through hearty stews and soups to supercharge your wintery comfort foods.

A good gut-supportive supplement is also key to glowing skin, as a radiant complexion largely begins in the gut. That’s the philosophy behind The Beauty Chef’s Glow Advanced Inner Beauty Powder, brimming with glow-giving probiotics that stimulate collagen production – giving you gorgeous, luminous skin. Check out our writer’s quest for clean and glowing skin on the ‘beauty diet’.

MASSAGE, MASSAGE, MASSAGE

Cosy winter nights in make for perfect pamper sessions. Pop a nourishing hair mask through your locks, put on some comfy clothes and get to work on nourishing your complexion. Here’s our two-step fail-safe recipe for glowing skin: take a hydrating sheet mask and massage it into the skin with a jade roller. This allows the mask to more deeply moisturise the skin, while the jade roller boosts blood flow, leaving skin positively radiant. We’re fans of the Vital Hydrating Solution mask from cult Korean skincare line, Dr. Jart+. Our jade roller pick is the Yu Ling Double Jade Facial Roller – use the larger end for sweeping movements on the cheeks, jawline and neck, while the smaller roller fits perfectly into the eye socket to de-puff undereye bags.

SERUMS FOR A RADIANT COMPLEXION

There are two essential skincare ingredients that you need to know about for getting that coveted glow: niacinamide and vitamin C. You may not be familiar with niacinamide – also known as vitamin B3 – but it truly is the unsung hero of the skincare world. It helps remove pigmentation, clears blemishes, fights free radicals and brightens your complexion – yes, it basically does it all. Our pick? The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum is effective and inexpensive, while the inclusion of zinc is great for those with acne-prone skins.

Vitamin C is a perennially useful ingredient – a potent antioxidant, it protects skin against free radicals from sunlight in the summer, while helping to brighten the complexion all year round. We recommend Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate – it packs a powerful punch of vitamin C at 12.5%, while also providing a high dose of hyaluronic acid for plump, glowing skin.

One super important tip, though – make sure you alternate the use of these serums (use the vitamin C for mornings and apply your niacinamide before bed, for example), as they don’t play together well.

Story by Tess Schlink

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