WINTER SKINCARE FOR LESS

 

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Affordable Beauty Month has arrived! And we're kicking things off with products that will get your skin through the cold snap without breaking the bank...

During the colder months, I recommend moving away from the sorts of cleansers that can really cut through sweat and sunscreen and towards gentler options. One such cleanser (at a great price-point, of course) is the Ordinary's Squalane Cleanser* | £8.30 | full review. This is a gentle non-foaming cleanser that can remove light everyday makeup, but also works really well as a gentle but effective morning cleanser. It has this really interesting texture that's somehow creamy and lotion-like but also has a water-based feel. It melts down as you massage it into the skin so you get a very lightweight oil texture which then turns into a milky emulsion on contact with water. Don't be scared off by the oil-based phase; it doesn't leave any residue on my skin and the simple INCI list will be great for sensitive winter skin. Squalane is a skin-similar plant oil that helps to soften, moisturise and replenish the skin. This is also formulated with glycerin; a simple but effective ingredient that gives this product its water-based feel. It's a humectant that pulls hydration into the skin so you're taking care of its moisture levels on both fronts.

Toner isn't necessary for a skincare routine but if you find your skin is craving that level of hydration, the Aveeno Calm & Restore Soothing Oat Toning Lotion* | £8.49 | full review. This is a low-cost way of boosting your skin's hydration but also helping to calm it if its reacting poorly to the cold weather. It's a kind of weighty milky toner with oat to soothe redness and irritation, glycerin to draw in hydration and antioxidant plant extracts to help protect the skin from free radical damage. It's not sticky or tacky, it absorbs easily into the skin and it softens, soothes and hydrates my winter skin. 

As a night cream, I personally really enjoy the Byoma Barrier+ Repair Treatment* | £16.99 | full review. This is a kind of creamy balm moisturiser that's not heavy, rich or overly oil-based but has a wonderful healing and restorative quality. It's formulated with ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids to help improve skin barrier function, avocado oil to replenish the skin with fatty acids, squalane and ectoin, which is an exciting new ingredient that can help lock in hydration and protect the skin. It's wonderful if your skin is sensitised but also if you're just using a stronger active ingredient and you don't want to compromise your skin barrier. It's a really wonderful winter night cream at a great price-point.

Finally, for when my skin is just freaking out, it has to be the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Baume* | £18.90 | full review. This is a French pharmacy classic with very good reason! It's a healing, protecting balm that can be spot-applied to problem areas (I recommend using this overnight since the texture is a little thick and it could give a slight cast on some). Zinc calms irritation, B5 helps the skin to retain moisture, the occlusives in here trap the moisture and the cica extract soothes and hydrates the skin. Plus, this formula now contains a prebiotic to support a healthy skin barrier. When my skin can't tolerate much, it can handle this, and Cicaplast helps to resolve a compromised barrier as quickly as possible.

What are your favourite low-cost products this winter?

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