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LUSH's winter skin care expert Helen Ambrosen has some beauty advice on maintaining a flawless complexion throughout the winter.

Helen says, “One of the most important things to do is to keep your skin gently stimulated and maintain a healthy circulation.  The face has millions of tiny nerve endings, which react to extremes in temperature.  By keeping skin stimulated you’ll encourage the elimination of toxins, ensure a healthy turnover of cells and stimulate muscle tone. This will combat the drying effects of cold and central heating. You’ll also find that skin tone improves and you’re less likely to look blue with the cold!”

Keeping your skin in prime condition can be a challenge, especially in winter when not only are conditions more extreme, but your skin will be facing sudden changes in temperature.  While most of us are aware that we should cleanse, tone and moisturise, Helen Ambrosen has a few additional tips that will give extra benefits to the skin.

EXFOLIATE: 
Helen says, “Exfoliation is the most important step in a beauty routine to keep skin stimulated and working at its peak.” Problem skins and those with overactive sebaceous glands can exfoliate daily, while sensitive skin needs to be treated once a week.   Don’t use anything too aggressive and make sure that you treat the skin gently.   Using an exfoliator on damp or lubricated skin is gentler and will help avoid any dragging. You also don’t need to grind products into the skin. Helen says, “Make sure your chosen product is a blend of exfoliators but also just as importantly a blend of skin softeners. When you get those two things together that’s when you get the best effect.”

Helen recommends:  Ocean Salt - a stimulating foaming facial wash with a vigorous polishing action.  Formulated with fresh lime and fresh grapefruit infusion, seaweed and granules of sea salt, which as well as stimulating the skin and removing dead surface cells, also contain minerals that are beneficial to the skin.  The finely balanced formulation also contains shea butter and cocoa butter to moisturise and combat the more astringent properties of the citrus ingredients.  Sweet Japanese Girl - an exceptionally emollient  and exfoliator made with cocoa butter, shea butter, palm kernel oil and a blend of antiseptic oils; Excellent for very congested skins.  

CLEANSE & TONE:
It’s a cardinal beauty sin not to clean your face, particularly taking care to remove all traces of makeup.   Constant changes in temperature can cause the skin to over-compensate, making an imbalance in the production of sebum.   According to Helen, “Keeping the skin stimulated is a delicate balancing act.  Too much can be as bad as too little.  Never use anything that leaves your skin thirsty.  If it feels sore or taught after using a product, stop using it.   What the skin misses in winter is emolliency to help stop it losing moisture and keep it soft.  LUSH’s Ultrabland is excellent for all skin types and is a wonderfully gentle deep cleanser that softens and helps keep moisture in.”

Helen recommends: “LUSH’s Baby Face cleanser revolutionises deep cleansing.  It’s made from a blend of light oils similar in nature to the skin’s own so it literally lifts off excess sebum and, when wiped off gently with cotton wool, leaves the skin soft and plumped up. It is really good at removing makeup.  The blend of essential oils of narcissus and tangerine help balance sebum production and promote the health of the skin" 

“Toners are effective and have a function, but it is important to choose the right one. You can make toners perform different functions by adding different ingredients.  Eau Roma Water has balancing lavender, or Breeze on Sea Air with aloe vera and sea water remineralises.” 

MOISTURISE:
“Too important ever to skip.“ according to Helen.   “LUSH’s moisturisers have been deliberately formulated to not only put much needed moisture into skin, but also have humectant properties to help the skin maintain its water balance.  They also make the skin feel comfortable.  Emolliency is really important in winter.  It helps stop skin losing moisture.  The moisturisers contain organic cold pressed vegetable oils as well vegetable butters. ”

Helen recommends: “Afterlife, as it is fantastic in winter.  Honey is extremely calming and helps reduce redness and soreness, but the fresh organic mangoes are rich in skin friendly vitamins and antioxidants.  There is also Skin’s Shangri La, which is a rich but light texture that has excellent rejuvenating and remineralising properties that leave the skin plumped up and soft.”