Hello beautiful,
We’ve all heard the “summer bodies are made in winter” mantra, yes? Well, while I have all sorts of problems with anyone who uses that phrase to guilt you into going for a run on New Year’s Day (and wtf is a ‘summer body’ anyway?), I’m going to steal the concept a little.
Only my version is this: winter skin is created in the autumn.
We have a tendency to neglect our skin — just a smidge — at this time of year. It’s a sort of limbo period between our hyper-awareness of SPFs during the warmer months and worrying about protecting our skin from the trials of winter weather and wanting to look our best for party season.
But here’s the thing: the cells of your epidermis, the upper layer of your skin, renew themselves every 28 days.
Which means if you feed your skin the right nutrients, hydrate it properly, protect it from the elements, and treat it to the right products now (and over the next couple of months) you’re giving those new cells the best chance of being plump, healthy-looking, radiant beauties come Halloween and beyond.
And this is doubly true if you’re over 40.
As you move into your 40s and beyond, this cell regeneration slows and can take between 45-60 days, or 60-90 days for those 60 and above. This can lead to an accumulation of dead cells and make your skin look a little duller, and feel a little dryer. And as the winter pressures ramp up (think: howling winds, chapped lips, the drying effects of central heating, and a tendency to swap nutrient-rich salads for pumpkin lattes), this means it’s even more important for over-40 beauties to pay just as much attention to your skin as you did at the height of summer.
So what should that attention look like?
If you do just one thing…make it this: focus on cellular hydration — whatever your age.
By focusing on cellular hydration, you can help combat dullness, that dry, tight feeling so many of us experience in winter, and the appearance of fine lines.
Of course, the usual advice stands: drink plenty of water (remember that herbal teas count, if you find you’re drinking at bit less than you were during the heatwaves), and swap your hydrating salads for equally hydrating soups and seasonal fruit.
But, above all, remember that there are a wealth of cosmeceuticals — beauty products that use active ingredients such as botanicals, vitamins, and marine extracts — that really come into their own here. And for cellular hydration, skin plumping, and preparing your cells for the onslaught of winter, the hero ingredient to look out for is hyalauronic acid, a water molecule that’s naturally found in the skin.
My personal favourite:
Want to start plumping your cells with hyalauronic acid in time for winter? I’d recommend Medik8’s Hydr8 B5 Hydrating Serum, which improves your skin’s water retention and regeneration, leaving it feeling and looking noticeably hydrated and supple.
And if you’re (almost) as big a geek as I am when it comes to all things related to skin science, I’d love for you to join me in the Mimosa Online Sanctuary where I go into all of this — and more — in greater depth. The science behind the skincare is incredibly complex and confusing and I love breaking it down so you feel empowered about the products you use and the rituals you follow in your quest for glowing, healthy skin. Find out more about The Sanctuary here.
See you in there!
Jennie x