The shift in seasons is often when skin goes awry. Like a sap-filled leaf that’s suddenly shrivelled and died, my face actually hurts.
Friends’ complexions are also suffering: their skin tight, irritated and itchy; wrinkles they were perfectly content with suddenly looking stark.
‘What’s happening? It’s not even that cold,’ Instagram-messages a flaky-faced reader.
First, transitional temperatures are erratic – 25 degrees one day, 8 the next, with blasts of artificial heat – confusing our skin’s moisture barrier, and resulting in hydration loss, inflammation and redness.
Second, humidity levels plummet in autumn, leaving cells starved of hydration.
So here’s my five-point, face-saving plan.
The shift in seasons is often when skin goes awry. Beauty expert Hannah Betts shares her five-point, face-saving plan for the cooler months (stock image)
TRY INSIDE-OUT AID
Oil up, inside and out. Supplements are your friend. A balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids is vital for human health; the former combatting inflammation in the skin and supporting its lipid barrier. Flaxseed oil is an excellent source. Two Solgar Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil softgels (now £13.74 for 100, hollandandbarrett.com) should do the trick.
Great British brand Bare Biology Pure Omega-3 Liquid (£49.95, barebiology.com) has shown impressive results in addressing eczema, rosacea and acne. Made from sustainably sourced Norwegian fish oil, it contains 2,000mg of EPA and 1,000mg of DHA per teaspoon – the two most important types of omega 3.
CLEANSE AND CALM
Ditch exfoliants until matters have stabilised in favour of a good old-fashioned flannel. If your chemist’s are too rough, seek out a soft, microfibre Make-up Eraser (£7.98 on amazon.co.uk).
Hot water may feel soothing but will strip natural oils, making tautness and sensitivity worse. Keep temperatures tepid and moisturise when damp to lock in nourishment.
Celebrating its 15th birthday, Emma Hardie’s Moringa Cleansing Balm (now £37.50 rather than £75, shop.emmahardie.com) is a joy.
Or try The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm (now £9.60, sephora.co.uk) for a budget alternative.
MOISTURE LAYERS
Effective as they may be, now is not the time for spurs to cell-turnover such as retinols. Instead, think barrier-building and cushioning in the form of vitamins C and E. As with autumn style, layering is your friend.
As my base layer, Sisley’s Ecological Compound Advanced Formula (now £115.20 from £128, libertylondon.com) is the climate-control solution I buy if feeling flush. There’s a reason why this biome-bolstering classic has been a bestseller since 1980, a bottle selling every five seconds.
Otherwise, any decent face oil will do. I also rate Simple’s new 10% Ceramide Boosters & Omega Complex Serum (£7.95, superdrug.com).
As a topcoat, I have fallen in love with Kate Somerville’s new Goat Milk Moisturising Cream (now £58.50, libertylondon.com), a creamy, but in no way greasy milk, honey and vitamin E hydrator that is a salve to sensitive faces.
Hannah Betts (pictured) warns that transitional temperatures are erratic – 25 degrees one day, 8 the next, with blasts of artificial heat – confuse our skin’s moisture barrier, resulting in hydration loss, inflammation and redness
YOU STILL NEED SPF
Don’t expose an irritated complexion to yet more damage. It may be miserable outside, but you do still need a sunscreen.
Go for a light, but hydrating shield such as cold-weather godsend Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Cream SPF50 (£22, boots.com).
CRISIS CONTROL
A friend with rosacea is teary with gratitude over my gift of Rosalique 3-in-1 Anti Redness Miracle Formula SPF50 (£29.99, victoriahealth.com): a multitasking wonder that treats, conceals and protects.
Ingredients such as antioxidant Alpha-Bisabolol, shea butter and urea heal flare-ups, while ultra-fine colour pigments mask blotchiness.
RACE YOU TO IT!
Perfumer Christine Nagel has created her first chypre (citrus, then flowers, on a woody, mossy base) for Hermès: Hermès Barénia Eau De Parfum (from £70, boots.com).
The result is clean, elegant and youthful – fans find it captivating.
MY STYLE ICON OF THE WEEK
Alison Hammond
Alison Hammond (pictured) is a fan of Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Hot Chocolit
Bringing glamour to TV’s Great British Bake Off, judge Alison Hammond, 49, is a Fenty fan.
Reapplied between bites is Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Hot Chocolit (£19, boots.com).
Her complexion is augmented by Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer True Matte (£28, boots.com) and Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Concealer (£20.80, boots.com).
METALLIC EYE SHADES
(£25, libertylondon.com)
A blendable, brightening, suits-all taupe to add depth, shimmer or shine.
(£9.99, amazon.co.uk)
My all-time favourite eye palette, glinting with greys, navy, purple and gold.
COSMETIC CRAVING
Hair masking is the new conditioning going viral on TikTok, where exquisitely tressed young goddesses indulge in elaborate – and extortionate – deep-nourishing rituals.
I would love a daily home spa, but few of us have the time, or money, to devote to such luxuries.
Enter L’Oréal Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic Acid 8 Second Wonder Water (boots.com, £11.99).
This is skincare for your locks, and it promises plump, bouncy hair with 18 times more hydration and five times more shine in a glorious eight seconds.
In this ultra-lightweight, silicone-free formula, lamellar water is infused with hyaluronic acid to form a protective film around the hair shaft to lend lustre.
I buy it in bulk. Every midlife home should have some.
