Caring for your Skin in the Winter

Ideally your face should be professionally cleaned twice a year – a good spring clean after winter and again in autumn after excessive exposure to the sun during the summer months. Each time should be a thorough cleansing experience.

To find a good qualified practitioner in your area, contact BABTAC, British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology. When you speak to the practitioner in your area for the first time, ask the following three questions to check if they offer the service you require:

Do you accept men?
Do you remove blockages from pores?
Do I receive my treatment in a private consulting room?

To book an appointment the answers to all three questions must be yes. After the treatment your face may well be slightly red and even a little blotchy. Never mind, patience works wonders and within a few days, or a week at the outside, your skin will be at its clearest ever which means that you will be looking younger too. If you simply can’t bear the thought or don’t have s clever answer to the question “what happened to you?”, buy a cover up stick from Clinique or skin tinted Clearasil. No need to visit the feminine perfume halls just visit Clinique or Boots.

Now you need to implement a good basic skincare regime to keep the skin in good condition until your next spring clean. Here a few simple tips:

Each morning kick start the skin’s circulation by washing with a clean flannel soaked in hot water followed by dousing the face in cold water with or without the flannel. If you are shaving, then shave after the hot water treatment. The hot water flannel exfoliates and relaxes the skin. The cold water flannel activates the skin’s internal cleansing mechanisms and closes the pores. It also feels great; cold water on warm skin is really refreshing as all cowboys know.
Use moisturiser every day to support the skin’s natural barrier function and reduce any tightness after washing
Steer clear of moisturisers at night, this is a time for the skin to breathe and rebuild. Also, keep your pillowcase clean! A week’s worth of dead skin and hair is not face friendly.
Take some days off drinking alcohol. Booze free days are easy, good for you and quite simply makes your chosen tipple or pint taste better the next day!