Say Hello To Skincare’s Ultimate Power Couples

Let’s stop your skin from going into cold weather meltdown before it’s too late, shall we?

While winter might be fun for the kids and your wardrobe, when it comes to the state of your skin, it’s no walk in the park. Colder temperatures, biting winds, snow and a serious lack of humidity all combine to throw your skin completely off-kilter, making it tight, red and anything from a tad dry to seriously flaky and dehydrated.

And we’re not just talking about the skin on your face, either. Because, while facial skincare understandably takes precedence over the rest of your body (it is the part you look at the most), skin covers every part of your body – from head-to-toe. And during the wintertime, your body, just like your face, will suffer if it gets neglected.

The answer, of course, is never to leave your skin to its own devices. Because skincare doesn’t work like that. Ever. But especially during winter when it has a tendency to freak out thanks to harsh conditions and extreme temperature changes.

Want to keep breakouts, dryness, flaky skin and unnecessary redness at bay this winter? Then here are eight of the best ways to winter-proof your skin…

1. First Things First: Don’t Overhaul Your Entire Skincare Routine

Healthy skin likes consistency, so while it might be tempting to switch up your whole routine when the seasons change, a few minor tweaks are going to be way more beneficial than a complete overhaul.

Listen to your skin as winter sets in and make changes accordingly. Yes, the weather has turned chilly and sure, your skin may start to feel drier and more dehydrated than normal, but don’t change your entire cleansing, toning, treating and moisturizing routine. This is so not what your skin needs. Small tweaks? Good. Complete overhaul? Not so much.

2. Treat Your Barrier Function Like Royalty

Winter can play hell with your skin’s barrier function so if there’s one thing to be aware of as the weather turns, it’s treating this uppermost layer of your skin with love and respect.

If your skin starts showing signs of sensitivities, this is an indication your barrier function has become compromised thanks to a dastardly combination of a cold, dry outdoors and hot, dry indoors which literally sucks all the moisture out of your skin.

Be kind to your skin by cutting back on exfoliation and choosing super gentle cleansers that are free of skin-drying sulfates which strip your barrier of essential oils and hydration. Try Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser morning and night.

You could also cut back on your treatment serums if you think they might be over-stimulating your barrier function. There’s no shame in using something like our Vitamin C Super Serum + just two or three times a week rather than every day. In fact, we highly recommend it!

3. Buy A Humidifier

Cranking up your indoor heating makes the air inside extremely dry so, while they might not be the most attractive things in the world, a bedroom humidifier is an awesome idea for replenishing dry skin during wintertime.

Humidifiers work by replacing lost moisture in the air. This not only clears your sinuses and helps you breathe better, but extra hydration in the air means extra hydration for your skin. This is super important overnight when your skin goes into regeneration mode and needs all the help it can get. In fact, humidifiers are so great for replenishing your skin’s moisture levels, many skin specialists recommend them for people suffering with chronic dry skin or conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

Just remember to apply night cream before bed to help seal all that moisture into your skin. And specifically look out for those containing high levels of humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid. Why? Because humectants work hard to draw all that extra water from the air into your skin. Bonus! Try Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which is a big winner for winter skin.

4. Moisturize, Moisturize & Moisturize Some More

Speaking of moisture, one product that might be worth levelling up in winter is your moisturizer. It’s no secret that cold, dry weather and artificially heated homes make your skin more dehydrated than normal so most skin types will benefit from some extra help as fall slips away and winter sets in.

If you love your moisturizer and don’t want to try something richer or heavier just because the weather has turned, we totally respect that. In fact, we celebrate it because there’s an ideal alternative – simply add a hydrating treatment serum into the mix. Our Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is an incredible way to boost the moisture levels in your skin. Apply it to damp skin after cleansing, then apply moisturizer over the top.

5. Try An Oatmeal Bath

Itchy skin on your body is a total bummer, but very common in winter when it’s cold outside, warm inside and your skin is often wrapped in layers of clothing.

A great way to soothe dry, itchy skin is to have a warm, oatmeal bath. Oatmeal helps reduce inflammation while protecting, calming, moisturizing and soothing dry, flaky skin. Simply grind a cup of plain oats into a fine powder, add it to your bath and relax. Just don't stay in there for too long...

6. Resist Hot, Hour-Long Soaks

Bathing your skin in hot water is tempting when it’s freezing outside, but it can be pretty detrimental to your skin. You know how your fingers and toes sometimes look all crinkly after too long in a hot bath or shower? This is all thanks to dehydration. Hot water basically strips away the protective lipid layer from your skin’s barrier which means all those lovely fats, proteins and moisture are able to readily escape.

Bathing and showering is great, for sure, but only if you use lukewarm, rather than scorching hot water (with some added oatmeal for extra moisturizing effects!) and limit your time to 10-15 minutes. Also, make sure you apply plenty of moisturizer afterwards, from head-to-toe, to seal water into your skin and help strengthen your barrier function.

7. Stick With The Sunscreen

Sunscreen often gets packed away as soon as temperatures drop below 70. But this is a silly mistake you do not want to make. Of course, you won’t need full body SPF every day when most of your skin is concealed by clothing, but any areas not covered up are going to be exposed to UVA radiation – come rain, shine, snow, whatever.

Apply SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen to your face and neck as the last step in your morning skincare routine to ensure your delicate skin stays shielded from UV damage every day of the year.

8. Finally, Pay Extra Attention To Your Hands

One of the areas to suffer the most during winter? Your hands. Again, this is all thanks to the cold, dry air – combined with constant hand washing, of course.

Our advice? Don’t stop washing your hands for starters! Instead, use gentle cleansing, sulfate-free products and always apply hand cream afterwards. Wear gloves when you’re doing the dishes, and apply a rich cream to clean hands every night before bed. You could even pop a pair of cotton gloves over the top to really amp up your overnight moisturizing game while helping to heal and calm dry, itchy skin.
 

No matter your skin type or concerns a consistent routine is the only way to maintain the fabulous skin you deserve.

We may live in a world of filtered, unrealistic Instagram photos but, here at TruSkin, we’re all about enhancing your REAL skin. Sure you might hate your greasy t-zone, dark spots, crow’s feet or frown lines but the truth is, these small (and we stress ‘small’) imperfections do not define you and don’t need to be hidden behind. You are so much more than the odd wrinkle or chin pimple. You are awesome, and that’s something to be celebrated.

Now don’t start rolling your eyes in a ‘that’s easier said than done’ fashion – hear us out because we have our own skin woes to bear, too. The thing is, we’ve learned over the years that you may not have the skin you had 10 years ago and this understanding is the first and most important step to being happy in your skin. Instead of reminiscing about your plump teenage skin, it’s all about working with what you have right now.

But how do you successfully do that? Well, we truly believe that looking after your skin with a consistent skincare routine is the absolute foundation for an awesome complexion. What does a consistent routine mean? Thankfully it doesn’t mean standing over your vanity for hours on end applying an infinite cocktail of products day and night.

In fact, a solid, effective skincare routine requires just six products...

1. Cleanser

Cleansing your skin is often thought of as kind of a must, but not really that important in the grand scheme of things. Big mistake. If you don’t get rid of all that debris, you might as well throw the rest of your products away because they won’t work to the best of their abilities if they have all those surface nasties to get through.

We believe there are three important things to remember when cleansing your skin. 1. Choose formulations that aren’t loaded with chemicals and are free of irritating ingredients like sulfates, parabens, silicones and PEGs because these can upset your skin’s important barrier function and exacerbate dryness, dehydration, redness and breakouts. No matter your skin type, gentle is always the way to go. Try Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser which is perfect for daily cleansing.

2. Use only room temperature water. Anything too hot will also compromise your barrier function and have the same disastrous results. And 3. Take your time as you cleanse. Splashing your face, throwing a bit of cleanser at your skin and immediately rinsing it away is not going to do a great job. Instead, use your fingers and hands to massage your skin for a good couple of minutes to stimulate blood flow (hello radiant skin) and encourage lymphatic drainage (ditto!).

2. Toner

Hate the thought of drying out your skin with toner? Well, get that entire idea out of your head right now, because these days facial toners are so much more than alcohol-fueled lotions designed to suck all the life out of your skin. They’re actually an important step in your routine and, depending on your skin type, the benefits of a facial toner are endless. They can be saviors if you’re looking to balance, hydrate, calm or soothe your skin. And then some…

Our Ocean Mineral Super Toner, for example, floods your skin with skin-boosting treats like glycolic acid, vitamin C, MSM and botanical extracts. Even better news: simply spritz it on your skin after cleansing and this entire step is done and dusted in a matter of seconds.

3. Serum

Straight after toning comes your treatment serum. Serum should always be applied before eye cream and moisturizer because it’s lighter in consistency so needs cleaner, bare skin in order to do its job properly. Apply moisturizer first and it literally stands no chance of penetrating your skin.

Another fact for you: serum is a vital part of anyone’s skincare routine. How so? Because its small, molecular structure means it can deliver active ingredients to your skin way quicker and deeper than regular moisturizer.

If you’re not sure where to start with serum, don’t sweat it: we have an incredible collections of facial serums to suit every skin type. Looking for a gentle, antioxidant serum that won’t irritate your sensitive skin? Then our Niacinamide Facial Serum is right up your alley. Searching for an awesome all-round anti-ager to boost your flailing collagen supplies? Then look no further than our new Peptide Facial Serum. Whatever your needs, we’ve totally got your back. Just remember to only apply a couple of drops to your face and neck, and gently smooth or press it into your skin for the best results. Oh, and don’t forget to patch test first – serums are pretty potent so you should always make sure any new one is compatible with your skin before using it on the reg.

4. Eye Treatment

After allowing your serum to settle for a minute or so, apply an eye treatment. The skin around your eyes is notoriously dry and fragile making it very susceptible to the slings and arrows of everyday life – ie: sun damage, environmental pollution, stress and lack of sleep. Face moisturizer, however, can be a little heavy for this area, so stick with an eye treatment that’s been specifically created to treat the delicate skin around your eyes.

The golden rule when applying eye cream is that less is more – just a pea-sized amount will take care of both eyes easily. And don’t be too heavy-handed as you apply it. A great trick is to use your ring fingers to dab it around your eyes. This automatically forces you to use a lighter touch.

We have two equally awesome eye treatments: Peptide Eye Gel and Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream, so take your pick. You can't go wrong with either!

5. Moisturizer

Water makes up around 64 percent of healthy skin so it’s vital you help your skin stay hydrated 24/7. And moisturizer is the best/only way to do this. Serums are fabulous, for sure, but they don’t contain the slightly richer emollient ingredients that seal hydration into your skin and help reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Look for kind-to-skin formulations that contain a combination of ingredients to both hydrate your skin (aloe vera, glycerin and hyaluronic acid) and lock in moisture (shea butter, jojoba oil and friends). Try Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer for the morning and Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream before bed.

At night, moisturizer should be the final step in your routine, but in the morning there’s one final step to come. And it’s a VERY IMPORTANT one…

6. Sun Protection

Last, but by no means least, is sunscreen. Yes, applying SPF can seem like a chore but rain, shine, blue skies or gray, sunscreen is non-negotiable every day of the year. The facts are, it’s the most important (and effective) anti-aging product you could ever use and it can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer by up to 50 percent.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you should choose a broad-spectrum formulation that offers a protection of at least SPF 15 (preferably 30), and you must apply around a nickel-sized amount to your face every morning. Sounds like a bore? Then try our brand new SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen which is lightweight, easy to apply and bursting with skin goodies like vitamin C, aloe vera, vegan marine collagen and the king of sun protection, zinc oxide.

Now For The Hard Bit…

Once you’ve got all this down, the important thing is to stick with your chosen routine – morning AND night. Too tired to wash your face before bed? Tough. Can't be bothered to apply sunscreen in the morning? Unlucky. The bottom line is that if you want to enjoy your best skin for as long as possible, you have to keep at it.

Because nourished skin = better skin and, we don’t know about you, but we are all in for that.

When you think of feeding your skin you might believe that it’s all about what you eat. And yes, a nutritious, balanced diet that’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids is vital for healthy, glowing skin. Similarly, a diet that’s packed with sugar, processed foods, refined carbs and booze can (and usually does) have the reverse effect, accelerating aging and harming your skin. Nobody’s arguing this. However, it’s worth remembering that what you put on your face is just as important as what goes into your body. In fact, topical nutrition provides your skin with even more targeted nourishment that works from the surface down to the deeper levels of your epidermis.

Not sure where to start when it comes to nourishing your skin with topical skincare? Well, if you’re a TruSkin fan (yeah you are!) you’re likely feeding your skin with some pretty kick-ass ingredients already – maybe without even knowing it. However, there’s always room for improvement, so here’s everything you need to know about amping up your skin nutrition from the outside in.

What Does Skin Nutrition Mean?

As with body nutrition, skin nutrition is about feeding your skin with certain ingredients in order for it to remain as healthy as possible. As you know, consuming your daily fill of fresh fruit and veggies, lean proteins, nuts and legumes is essential for your entire health and wellbeing (as well as your skin, of course!). Well, similarly, applying nutrients like vitamins and minerals to your skin helps it function at its best. For one thing, quality ingredients help your skin cells turn over and regenerate more efficiently. They also work hard to strengthen and fortify the skin’s protective barrier which is super important for keeping irritants out… and vital moisture in.

By feeding your skin with the nutrients it needs, it has no choice but to function like a well-oiled machine. Which is the ultimate goal for all of us, after all.

The Difference Between Hydrating, Moisturizing and Nourishing Your Skin

Often talked about in the same breath, products that hydrate, moisturize and nourish are quite different things. Yes, they sound fairly similar and some formulations manage to cleverly combine all three, but it’s worth having a quick recap about their vital functions.

An ingredient or product that hydrates is all about drawing water to your skin’s surface to add moisture and, well, hydrate it. Moisturizing, however, is the act of lubricating the skin and locking in water to prevent it from escaping from the surface. And then there’s nourishment which focuses on the nutrients required to help feed and drive your skin to function better.

Pretty simple when you think about it, right? 

Skin Nutrition: What To Look Out For In Your Skincare Products

So, which ingredients are best for nourishing your skin? Of course, the most obvious are nature’s finest offerings such as aloe vera, licorice, green tea and plant-based oils like chamomile, tea tree and ylang ylang. These all have their own unique super powers to help improve your skin by brightening tone, balancing sebum production, fending off free radicals and more.

Then you have minerals like MSM, a natural-occurring form of sulfur which reduces inflammation and accelerates collagen production; as well as magnesium, potassium and calcium which, among other benefits, are incredible for energizing your skin and helping it to retain water.

And of course, we mustn’t forget some of the most effective and clinically proven skin-feeding ingredients out there – vitamins. From A (aka retinol) through to K, topical vitamins offer so many awesome benefits, we’d need the best part of a day to go through them all. Instead, let’s have a look at three of our favorite TruSkin products for feeding your skin – and if you want to learn more about how different vitamins affect your skin, read about six of the best, right here.

3 MVPs (that’ll be the Most Valuable Products, BTW) For Awesome Skin Nutrition

1. Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum

If you’re looking for an all-round nourishing treatment that works like an oral multi-vitamin for your skin, our new facial serum is exactly the product for you. Infused with a complex blend of seven plant-derived vitamins (yes SEVEN!) including B3 (niacinamide), C, E, F and K, it’s the cat’s whiskers for feeding your skin and improving its overall health. Vitamin B3 helps clarify your skin and strengthen its barrier function, while C brightens and protects, E deeply hydrates, F aids repair and K calms inflammation. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum also contains a whole bunch of minerals and electrolytes that work hard to drive water into the skin and regulate pH, therefore improving hydration to ensure your skin retains as much moisture as possible.

Packed with super nutrients, this is skin nourishment in a nutshell.

2. Vitamin C Super Serum+

If you know anything about vitamin C, you’ll know that countless science-backed studies prove that it offers almost unbeatable, skin-changing results to dull or discolored skin. It’s also one of the most effective antioxidants available which makes it a shoo-in for any and almost every skin type.

Our Vitamin C Super Serum+ harnesses the powers of vitamin C and blends it with another big favorite among dermatologists and skin experts the world over – retinol (aka vitamin A). Like vitamin C, retinol has undergone decades of clinical research to study its effects on the skin. And the results don’t lie… it’s good stuff. Like really good stuff. By communicating with your skin at a cellular level, retinol boosts the production of collagen and elastin and improves cell turnover to strengthen your skin while improving elasticity and reducing the visible signs of aging.

This powerful serum also enjoys an added zing of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, MSM and essential oils making it a beautifully balanced treatment for ageless, gorgeous skin.

3. Ocean Minerals Super Toner

Finally, may we present to you our Ocean Minerals Super Toner which offers a fantastic, all-round hit of skin nutrition that’s often hard to come by in a toner? Toners are often swept aside in terms of their importance in your skincare routine. Big mistake in this instance.

Turbo charged with goodies like MSM, peptides, vitamin C and glycolic acid for that extra boost of exfoliation, this revitalizing spritz contains no less than 90 deep ocean minerals to stimulate your skin into action and help accelerate cell regeneration for brighter, fresher-looking skin. The addition of essential oils, plant extracts, aloe vera and witch hazel offer a further boost of hydration, protection, clarity and strength which is almost unheard of in a toner. Just saying!

Because nourished skin = better skin and, we don’t know about you, but we are all in for that.

When you think of feeding your skin you might believe that it’s all about what you eat. And yes, a nutritious, balanced diet that’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids is vital for healthy, glowing skin. Similarly, a diet that’s packed with sugar, processed foods, refined carbs and booze can (and usually does) have the reverse effect, accelerating aging and harming your skin. Nobody’s arguing this. However, it’s worth remembering that what you put on your face is just as important as what goes into your body. In fact, topical nutrition provides your skin with even more targeted nourishment that works from the surface down to the deeper levels of your epidermis.

Not sure where to start when it comes to nourishing your skin with topical skincare? Well, if you’re a TruSkin fan (yeah you are!) you’re likely feeding your skin with some pretty kick-ass ingredients already – maybe without even knowing it. However, there’s always room for improvement, so here’s everything you need to know about amping up your skin nutrition from the outside in.

What Does Skin Nutrition Mean?

As with body nutrition, skin nutrition is about feeding your skin with certain ingredients in order for it to remain as healthy as possible. As you know, consuming your daily fill of fresh fruit and veggies, lean proteins, nuts and legumes is essential for your entire health and wellbeing (as well as your skin, of course!). Well, similarly, applying nutrients like vitamins and minerals to your skin helps it function at its best. For one thing, quality ingredients help your skin cells turn over and regenerate more efficiently. They also work hard to strengthen and fortify the skin’s protective barrier which is super important for keeping irritants out… and vital moisture in.

By feeding your skin with the nutrients it needs, it has no choice but to function like a well-oiled machine. Which is the ultimate goal for all of us, after all.

The Difference Between Hydrating, Moisturizing and Nourishing Your Skin

Often talked about in the same breath, products that hydrate, moisturize and nourish are quite different things. Yes, they sound fairly similar and some formulations manage to cleverly combine all three, but it’s worth having a quick recap about their vital functions.

An ingredient or product that hydrates is all about drawing water to your skin’s surface to add moisture and, well, hydrate it. Moisturizing, however, is the act of lubricating the skin and locking in water to prevent it from escaping from the surface. And then there’s nourishment which focuses on the nutrients required to help feed and drive your skin to function better.

Pretty simple when you think about it, right? 

Skin Nutrition: What To Look Out For In Your Skincare Products

So, which ingredients are best for nourishing your skin? Of course, the most obvious are nature’s finest offerings such as aloe vera, licorice, green tea and plant-based oils like chamomile, tea tree and ylang ylang. These all have their own unique super powers to help improve your skin by brightening tone, balancing sebum production, fending off free radicals and more.

Then you have minerals like MSM, a natural-occurring form of sulfur which reduces inflammation and accelerates collagen production; as well as magnesium, potassium and calcium which, among other benefits, are incredible for energizing your skin and helping it to retain water.

And of course, we mustn’t forget some of the most effective and clinically proven skin-feeding ingredients out there – vitamins. From A (aka retinol) through to K, topical vitamins offer so many awesome benefits, we’d need the best part of a day to go through them all. Instead, let’s have a look at three of our favorite TruSkin products for feeding your skin – and if you want to learn more about how different vitamins affect your skin, read about six of the best, right here.

3 MVPs (that’ll be the Most Valuable Products, BTW) For Awesome Skin Nutrition

1. Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum

If you’re looking for an all-round nourishing treatment that works like an oral multi-vitamin for your skin, our new facial serum is exactly the product for you. Infused with a complex blend of seven plant-derived vitamins (yes SEVEN!) including B3 (niacinamide), C, E, F and K, it’s the cat’s whiskers for feeding your skin and improving its overall health. Vitamin B3 helps clarify your skin and strengthen its barrier function, while C brightens and protects, E deeply hydrates, F aids repair and K calms inflammation. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum also contains a whole bunch of minerals and electrolytes that work hard to drive water into the skin and regulate pH, therefore improving hydration to ensure your skin retains as much moisture as possible.

Packed with super nutrients, this is skin nourishment in a nutshell.

2. Vitamin C Super Serum+

If you know anything about vitamin C, you’ll know that countless science-backed studies prove that it offers almost unbeatable, skin-changing results to dull or discolored skin. It’s also one of the most effective antioxidants available which makes it a shoo-in for any and almost every skin type.

Our Vitamin C Super Serum+ harnesses the powers of vitamin C and blends it with another big favorite among dermatologists and skin experts the world over – retinol (aka vitamin A). Like vitamin C, retinol has undergone decades of clinical research to study its effects on the skin. And the results don’t lie… it’s good stuff. Like really good stuff. By communicating with your skin at a cellular level, retinol boosts the production of collagen and elastin and improves cell turnover to strengthen your skin while improving elasticity and reducing the visible signs of aging.

This powerful serum also enjoys an added zing of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, MSM and essential oils making it a beautifully balanced treatment for ageless, gorgeous skin.

3. Ocean Minerals Super Toner

Finally, may we present to you our Ocean Minerals Super Toner which offers a fantastic, all-round hit of skin nutrition that’s often hard to come by in a toner? Toners are often swept aside in terms of their importance in your skincare routine. Big mistake in this instance.

Turbo charged with goodies like MSM, peptides, vitamin C and glycolic acid for that extra boost of exfoliation, this revitalizing spritz contains no less than 90 deep ocean minerals to stimulate your skin into action and help accelerate cell regeneration for brighter, fresher-looking skin. The addition of essential oils, plant extracts, aloe vera and witch hazel offer a further boost of hydration, protection, clarity and strength which is almost unheard of in a toner. Just saying!