While bright frosty days are beautiful, the winter weather can wreak havoc with our skin. I’ve just been through a period of uncomfortable and noticeably sensitised, dry skin made worse by the skin stripping icy temperatures we’ve all been enduring recently. No skincare seemed to offer much beyond momentary relief. My skin was no longer tolerating my once fail-safe cleanser I’d been using for years and my moisturisers just couldn’t cut it. It was also at the very furthest back corner of my mind that this increased sensitivity was potentially being amplified by declining estrogen levels at this stage in life. Nooooo! A perfect storm of skin aggressors to dry and irritate my skin. All I can say is, it was bad. If this sounds familiar, worry not! A few small changes pretty much instantly fixed the problem and offered my skin significant protection from the crisp winter temperatures. In case it’s helpful to know, my skin is dry and reasonably sensitive to start.

The first thing I changed in my desperate scramble to get my skin back on track was my beloved cleanser. Cleansers are considered to be the most important step in our skincare routines, so I figured this was a good place to start. I had been using Kate Somerville’s Exfolikate Daily Foaming Wash which had, for so long, suited my skin so well. But my newly sensitised skin needed something gentler. So, I gave Kate’s Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser a shot.

Kate Somerville is trusted by some of Hollywood’s most famous faces, for a reason. She knows great skincare and makes it accessible to all through her products. The Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser is formulated for dry, stressed out, sensitive skin like I was experiencing. It deeply cleanses, but doesn’t tighten or irritate the skin as it’s loaded with soothing ingredients such as goat milk, manuka honey and jojoba and avocado oils. It’s non-foaming and gently removes dirt, oil and makeup without stripping the skin, thereby relieving tightness and dryness, which the cold weather had caused in abundance. A little goes a long way and as it’s so gentle, it can easily be used both morning and night. At night, I use it as a second cleanse after quickly sweeping my face with a cotton pad splashed with micellar water.

From first use, my angry, parched skin was taken down a notch. I breathed a huge sigh of relief that my skin finally felt clean, calmed and unquestionably moisturised by the Goat Milk Cleanser. Better than it had felt in weeks. Slightly plumped, hydrated and cooled. It seemed to replace everything the cold weather had stripped out and left a protective moisture barrier on my skin. Exactly what I had hoped for and more. However, I was having to remove the cleanser by splashing water on my face with my hands, as my skin was absolutely enraged by just the sight of a face cloth. The problem is, you always feel like your skin is fresher after using one. As an alternative, I found myself reaching for a new facial cleansing brush.

The PMD Clean Pro is a sonic skin cleansing brush. Its SonicGlow Technology uses 7000 vibrations per minute to dissolve impurities, deep cleanse pores and so reduce congestion. It has two cleansing and two antiaging settings, that range from gentle vibration to intense pulsation and can be used depending on your personal preferences. It’s also made from silicone so it’s antibacterial and hypoallergenic, and as it’s 100% waterproof you can use it in the shower too. Once charged, the battery has a great life and comfortably lasts long over a week. It also has a unique ActiveWarmth setting which gently heats the metal surface on the reverse of the device and can be massaged across the face in circular motions to improve the absorption of your skincare.

It really couldn’t be easier to use the PMD Clean Pro. You simply apply cleanser to your face as you would normally, with a little water, then move the PMD brush head, on your desired setting, in circular motions across your face. Finally, rinse the brush head and leave to dry. It’s also free standing which is surprisingly helpful.

The PMD Clean Pro is the perfect partner to the Goat Milk Cleanser as it really doesn’t aggravate your skin at all. It does, however, leave your face feeling supremely fresh, clean and infinitely more toned than simply rinsing with your hands or a facecloth. It is a bit of an investment, but for me it has been worth it as it has helped in the transformation of my highly sensitised skin. I like using the different settings which are gentle or vigorous enough to satisfy all preferences. I’ve previously used the Foreo Luna Facial Brush and this feels significantly more invigorating! Your skin feels tightened (in a good way) and glowy after use. I have to be honest and say the ActiveWarmth setting is nice to have as an option, and at first it was a novelty to use, but it’s a bit of an added extra for when time allows. That aside, while I realise facial brushes can divide opinion, especially if you read Caroline Hirons’ Skin Bible, I absolutely love my PMD Cleansing Brush and doubt I’ll ever go back to using a face cloth! With that box ticked, the only problem left to solve was how to really moisturise my skin throughout the day. Enter dream hydration from Biossance!

I was drawn to Biossance as I’d heard so much about the incredible moisturising properties of squalane, which is the closest thing to our skin’s own moisturising oils.  Biossance are the pioneers of vegan squalane, derived from sustainable fermented sugarcane. Prior to their innovation, squalane was extracted from shark livers. Yuck! Thank goodness for Biossance’s vegan alternative, because the remarkable hydrating properties of squalane are exactly what dehydrated winter skin needs. It supports a healthy skin barrier (the outermost layer of your skin) and microbiome and penetrates deeper than other moisturising oils.

The Biossance Rose oil is a potent combination of hydrating, firming and brightening ingredients wrapped up in a beautiful, fragrance-free oil. Vitamin C brightens and boots elasticity, chios crystal oil firms and gives your skin a youthful bounce, while squalane locks in moisture. A couple of drops is enough to moisturise your whole face and I’ve been using the rose oil as part of both my morning and night skincare routines.

My skin thanked me from first use! This is properly highly functioning skincare. I was a little concerned that an oil would be greasy and cause congestion, but this really is a supremely lightweight, quick absorbing, moisture packing oil. It’s absolutely non comedogenic. I’ve been using the Biossance Squalane and rose oil for over a month and my skin hasn’t broken out as a result. Quite the opposite. It’s as hydrated, plumped, glowy, clear and calm as I’ve ever known it. Not even a hint of redness in sight. The Rose Oil has proven to be the perfect antidote to skin stressed by the cold and other environmental factors. All the sensitivity I was experiencing from both the weather, and possibly my hormone levels, has absolutely gone.  I’ve been so completely amazed by effects of the Biossance Rose Oil in conjunction with the Goat Milk Cleanser, that I knew a squalane based moisturiser from Biossance would be a great addition to my new winter skincare routine.

I opted for the Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturiser as it’s a lightweight gel moisturiser packed full of super hydrating squalane and potent, active pro-biotics, to restore the skin’s microbiome. Perfect for sensitised, dehydrated skin. The probiotics replenish healthy bacteria on the face which in turn helps to calm the skin, reduce redness and avoids excess oil. The moisturiser isn’t scented, which tends to be best for sensitive skin.

The gel is applied to cleansed skin morning and night. In cooler temperatures, when the skin requires more oil to maintain peak condition, you can layer the Probiotic Gel Moisturiser with the Rose Oil for an extra hydrating and protective boost. I’ve been doing this twice daily.

For a lightweight mosituriser, this really packs a hydrating punch. So beautifully smooth and silky on the skin, and quickly absorbed. It causes absolutely no tackiness. The Sqaulane + Probiotic Gel Mosituriser doesn’t offer temporary relief to parched winter skin, it offers ongoing hydration, comfort and protection all day long that defies its super lightweight formulation. I’d go as far as to say this is unlike any moisturiser I’ve used before as it’s so light on the skin, but offers even more hydration and nourishment than you’d expect from the richest of creams. This is amplified when used in conjunction with the Rose Oil. A dream come true for your skin in cooler winter temperatures, and due to its lightweight formulation, this could easily be used all year round. I have no redness, no sensitivity, no breakouts, no congestion, no skin problems actually! Just skin that it feels great to be in! Get ready to enjoy the most hydrated, contented skin you’ve ever experienced, even in deepest darkest winter!