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It’s winter. Festivals are being celebrated across the world, the party season has kicked off and you’ve bought something to wear that you know will bankrupt you financially, but boost your credit immeasurably in the style stakes. The problem? Well, to put it plainly it’s probably your face. It’s the time of year when you are more Ready-Brek glow than sun-kissed and the more foundation and concealer you use the flakier and drier your skin looks. Harsh winter weather, central heating and the apparent need to use more cover-up all contribute to a greyer, duller, drier complexion. This is not to say that you need to accessorize your razzle-dazzle outfit with a brown paper bag however. Whether you are living in Northern Europe and are waiting with impatient hope for the eventual thaw in March (OK so I’m an optimist and it’ll be more like May if we’re lucky) or you are from sunnier climes, but need to prepare for a fortnight in the snow, there are steps you can take. There are a number of simple precautions and reasonably priced products which will restore you to your former smooth-faced splendor.

A good beauty regime, consisting of cleansing, toning, moisturizing and protecting, will benefit the skin on your face and neck. It sounds old-fashioned but no amount of short cuts and quick fix products will compensate for a bad daily routine. In the morning a cleansing bar, foamed up and splashed away with fresh water, will refresh and brighten your skin. A sweep of toner across your T-zone will control your sebaceous glands, and moisturizer will protect your dry bits. Finally, particularly for those of us living in urban areas, a skin protector would probably be of benefit. Look for something with anti-oxidants to combat pollution and SPF to block the sun, which still effects your skin even on the coldest of days. Something like DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF15 by Estee Lauder, is good for most skin types. If you are unsure of your skin type and want to know more about the products that are best for you, visit your favourite cosmetics counter at your local department store. I have always found Clarins particularly helpful – they will assess your skin type and recommend the best products from their range (you may even get a freebie!). They are more expensive than the more ‘high street’ brands, but they offer value sizes and if you use their bar cleanser you will find you use less. Skincare for your face needn’t cost a month’s salary but it’s worth investing a little bit of time and money in so sensitive an area. Following this procedure in the morning and repeating it in the evening after removing your make-up should ensure that your skin is as problem-free as possible in the harsh weather.

Most of us have Combination skin and one of the most common effects on combination or ‘normal’ skin is the tendency to become very dry. You will probably find that the main areas affected are your cheeks, the tip of your nose, your lips and the backs of your hands (everything else is usually tucked firmly away and your t-zone, across your forehead and down your nose and chin, will generally remain quite shiny as these tend to be the oiliest areas of the face). If you use an anti-ageing formulation during the summer it’s probably worth remembering that some of these are quite astringent - your skin probably feels quite tight and smooth after using them. This is great for making you look like a teenager again but you might find you need to switch to something richer and more greasy to counteract the drying effect of the cold weather. My favourite wintertime moisturizer is Olay Classic Beauty Fluid. It doesn’t cause an oil-slick down the centre of my face but is rich enough to keep the flakiness at bay on my cheeks and lower chin. It is useful to think about how you apply cream to your face and neck too. Don’t just rub it across your face and run out of the door. Apply it all over you face and neck with your fingertips using a tapping motion, taking your time to ensure that it soaks in.

Our hands suffer in this weather too. It’s important to keep them moisturized to avoid cracks, wrinkles and brittle nails. As well as looking horrible, dry, cracked hands are downright painful! You needn’t spend a fortune on hand cream, the important thing is to use it regularly. Rub cream into your hands before you go outside and after washing them. The easiest thing to do is leave tubes of it everywhere! I carry one in my bag, leave one on my desk, by the sink at work, in my bathroom and by the kitchen sink, and at £1.59 a tube for Boots Intensive Hand Cream you can buy as many as you like. If it’s there in front of you when you need it you are more likely to stick to using it as much as you should. If you find that you have drier, more brittle nails than usual try an intensive nail treatment such as Sally Hansen’s Natural Nail Growth Activator. It will strengthen your nails and make them look healthier in a week – ideal for the run-up to Christmas.

Last but certainly not least at this time of year (well what else is mistletoe for?) your lips need special care and attention. As you can buy lip salve sticks so cheaply the same rules apply as for hand cream – keep one in your bag, desk, bathroom, coat etc. The more reminders you have the easier it is to get into a routine. You can’t beat a basic Lipsyl. It's cheap and you can find it in most chemists, for value and results. For a little extra help I have never come across a richer formula than Avon’s Beyond Colour lipstick. It looks like a peach coloured lipstick but goes on colourless with an instant shining and smoothing effect. It even appears to make lips look plumper and stops lipstick bleeding into the fine lines around the mouth. If you suffer particularly with dry lips then it’s probably a good idea to avoid lipsticks and glosses, which can be quite drying, and stick to coloured balms or mix your lipstick with a soft lip balm such as The Body Shop’s Lip Butter for a bit of seasonal shine.

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