Use a sheet mask for extra moisture.
Central heating and cold weather can play havoc with our skin. Using a weekly face or sheet mask can add moisture and hydrating leaving you with a fresh and dewy complexion.
Moisturise day and night
As well as a weekly face mask it’s important to moisturise the skin day and night, using a lighter cream for daytime and a thicker one overnight.
Don't forget sun cream
It might be winter and less sunny, but your skin is still exposed to harmful rays in the winter so slap on the sun cream daily to prevent damage.
Apply an antioxidant serum
Antioxidant serums can help protect you skin from environmental damage and signs of ageing.
Hydrate the scalp with a hair mask
Just like skin, our hair can get dry and brittle during the winter so be sure to hydrate it with a weekly nourishing hair mask.
Always carry a lip balm
Lips get dry in winter, so like your face and hair, hydrate with some moisturising lip balm.
What is the perfect hair care routine?
Does your hair need some TLC? Try this simple haircare routine for healthy hair…
Step 1: Cleanse
Just like you cleanse your skin, your hair needs the same care. You don’t have to do this daily - how often you wash your hair depends on its dryness and if you have product build up. Washing your hair will leave it and your scalp feeling clean, removing any products, grease, dirt and dead skin cells which might have built up.
Step 2: Condition and nourish
Conditioning your hair helps to detangle, seal the cuticles and provide moisture. It replenishes the moisture that your shampoo may have removed, and it will help remove any knots or tangles that were caused by massaging your shampoo onto your hair and scalp.
Step 3: Protect
Never use heated styling tools like curlers or straightener on wet or damp hair. After applying a heat protectant, let your hair air dry for a couple of minutes before applying heat.
Step 4: Moisturise
After styling your hair or letting it air dry, add back in a little moisture. Also on days where you’re not washing your hair, your hair may benefit from a moisture boost. This is where hair oil comes in, our favorite multitasker! Hair oils are also great for controlling frizz and preventing dryness.
Step 5: Treatment
Try a weekly mask, oil or a scalp treatment. This can help tackle damage, dryness and an oily, flaky or dry scalp, and improve the overall appearance and health of your hair.
How can I protect my hair in winter?
Want to know how to look after your hair in winter? We’ve got the answers so don’t panic!
We all know that the cold, dry air and harsh winds can strip our hair of moisture and leaving it looking dull and lifeless. Static can be a big problem in winter too particularly after wearing a woolly hat, or if you spend a lot of time in rooms with the central heating on.
This is basically because the hair starts to pick up a static charge whenever it dries out - under normal circumstances this static charge would be absorbed by water molecules in the air, but dry winter air means there is nowhere for this moisture to go. And that means FRIZZ!
So if you want to know how do I look after my hair in winter, here are our top three tips to try today:
Hydrate with a hair mask
Give your hair a lovely hydrating shampoo, use a hair oil treatment or deep conditioning mask to lock in that moisture and stop hair becoming brittle.
Don’t forget scalp care
As well as the hair follicles the scalp is covered in a ton of microscopic sebaceous glands (responsible for producing the healthy hair sebum oils that keep the hair nourished).
When the scalp gets dry or irritated, these glands stop working properly and your body’s supply of sebum dries up - so the hair is stripped of its natural protective coating, and exposed to the cold winter air - this is what makes it brittle or dry in the colder months.
To counteract this, look out for specialist shampoos and treatments designed to nourish the scalp. Most of these products have a combo of peptides, proteins and plant extracts to maintain the balance of natural oil needed for a healthy scalp.
Book a haircut
Regular trims mean that the split ends, and any damaged dry or old hairs are left on the salon floor. We recommend getting a trim every 4-6 weeks, more if you have a shorter style you want to keep in check. Click here or the button below to book your next haircut.
In between washes? Try our pick of the best dry shampoos
Five budget face serums that really work
If you’re looking for a product to give your skin a real hydration boost, serums are a great place to start.
Use a few drops before your moisturiser for fresh-faced, happy skin. Which is your favourite budget brand that really works?
Five products to fix static hair
We’ve all had those moments.
You’ve just finished blow drying your hair and then those annoying bits that always stick up automatically ping sky-high as if to say: “we’re still here, guys!”
The good news is, you’re not alone. Everyone gets fuzzy hair, whether it’s from over-styling, excessive hairbrush yanking, too tight ponytails, menopausal hair thinning or even fragile post-baby hair.
The even better news is, you can fix it with these five anti-frizz products…
How to use less plastic in your beauty routine
You may have nailed the BYOB (bring your own bag) to the supermarket and you’ve invested in a Keep Cup for your coffee, but what about the plastic in your skincare and beauty regime?
A quick look in most people’s bathroom cupboards, wash and make up bags would reveal a whole heap of plastics. But all is not lost. Here are our top tips for reducing your plastic use.
Ditch the glitter
With festival season fast approaching, it’s tempting to stockpile the face paints and glitter transfers. But glitter is made from tiny pieces of plastic and foil, which are non-recyclable and can take several YEARS to decompose. So invest in some bio-degradable glitter instead. Simples.
Go package-free
We buy over 1.4 BILLION plastic bottles across the world. And while LUSH Cosmetics is a great champion for so-called ‘naked’ cosmetics, opting for products that are packaging-free is the best way to make an impact. Solid shampoos, soaps and deodorants are great choices.
Shop in store or buddy up to combine orders
Online shopping is wonderfully convenient but often comes with excessive packaging. The cardboard used for shipment in America alone equated to 1 billion trees in 2018. So what’s the answer? Mindfully shop online and steer away from outlets that are renowned to use copious amounts of packaging. Alternatively, ‘buddy up’ with a friend and combine your orders to ensure that only one shipment is made. Of course, shopping in store is a great alternative as you can use your own bag.
Ditch wipes
Wet wipes, baby wipes and make up wipes are all plastic-based, meaning they won’t break down and stay in landfill blocking water systems. Worryingly wipes are responsible for 93% of the make up in blockages found in our water systems and the fastest cause of pollution on our beaches. So ditch the wipes and use biodegradable products, cleansers in glass bottles or good old fashioned soap and a flannel!
Recycle make up
Include a recycling bin in your bathroom. Many people only have one waste bin for recycling, usually in the kitchen. This often means that every mixed rubbish ends up in the generic bin.
How to have a good hair day - every day
We all know the feeling… our hair won’t behave and, silly as it seems, we can’t help feeling that it’s ruined the rest of the day.
But help is at hand. Just follow our four tips and you’ll never have another bad hair day again. We promise!
Use protection
The easiest way to ensure that you have a good hair day is to use a heat protectant spray after you wash your hair, and before you use any styling tools like straighteners, curlers or hairdryers. Not only will this protect your hair from any heat damage, but it will also create the perfect base for you to create the perfect look.
Shiny happy hair
We all know that shiny hair equals healthy hair - just look at Meghan Markle! So if you want to make every day a Good Hair Day, simply invest in a good hair mask and make it a regular ritual to deeply condition your locks.
Add volume
Gentle backcombing (think a little tussle rather than full on 80s style) can help your hair look full of life. To do this, start at the roots and tease the hair over your brush and then give it a blast with your favourite hairspray.
Fake it
Even when you’re having an off day you can still bring it back with some handy handbag essentials like dry shampoo and hair serum.
Actress Naomi Watts' skincare routine for menopausal skin
The best hair masks for dry, damaged hair
If you have dry and damaged hair then you need to get your hands on a hair mask!
The beauty of a hair mask is that they get deep into hair strands and the cuticle to repair breakage and strengthen from root to tip. If you have dyed hair they are also a must.
“The key with hair treatments is to keep them up and ensure they are used weekly to keep hair condition at its best,” recommends Sam McKnight, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Hair by Sam McKnight.
Read on for our list of the best hair masks for dry, damaged hair.
