Beauty: From make-up-free days to primer, face the future

Winter, as many of us by now understand, is not the skin’s best friend.

Bitter chills and ill winds, combined with cranked-up central heating (and heat blasting in the car), can suck all the moisture out, leaving it dry, rough and flaky.

Lisa de-la-Plain, professional beauty therapist and co-founder of online beauty retailer Beauty Flash, has come up with a winter beauty survival guide to help deal with skin matters before they get out of hand.

Allow yourself at least one day each week of wearing no make-up, she says, adding: “This will help declog pores, reduce breakouts and even skin tone. It’s important to consider the ingredients in your products, too. “Consensus is forming it’s best to avoid make-up containing formaldehyde-related preservatives and benzene.”

Always drink your recommended six to eight glasses of water a day. Lisa says: “This will combat dry skin, flush out toxins and give you a healthier and more youthful glow.”

Sleep is vital. “Your body boosts blood flow to the skin during sleep, which means you wake to a healthy glow,” says Lisa. “Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, ashen, or lifeless. The key is to get enough shut-eye – seven to nine quality hours each night. If you want to give your skin an extra boost, use Dermalogica’s Age Smart Overnight Retinol Repair night cream (£64 at BeautyFlash.co.uk). It accelerates skin renewal and reduces the appearance of ageing overnight.”

Counteract dryness by applying a primer before your make-up base. “Whether you wear a full face every day or you prefer to keep it simple, we promise it’s a godsend for creating a smooth base and can even have anti-ageing properties,” Lisa says.

She recommends Amazing Cosmetics Anti-Ageing Face Primer (£19.40 at BeautyFlash.co.uk) for blurring fine lines, hydrating and brightening.

Finally, try swapping to a silk pillowcase to reduce friction on your hair and your skin.

Email: [email protected]