Winter Skin Care Guide: Dealing With Flaky, Dry Skin

Hydration - something associated with summer but is just as important in winter. Whether you have the central heating turned up at home or you're outside in the elements. The winter air tends to be much drier - this can strip your skin of essential moisture.

Drinking enough water and keeping hydrated is probably one of the best things you can do for this. While you might not feel as thirsty as you would in the warmer seasons, it's still important to keep your hydration levels topped up. In addition to this, incorporating effective hydrating products into your winter skin care routine will be beneficial

The flaky skin in cold weather is something most of us have experienced - using a gentle exfoliating scrub (read our how to exfoliate guide for tips) can be great for removing everyday debris and dead skin cells from your face.

Exfoliators also allow the ingredients in your other skin care products, such as serums and moisturisers, to penetrate the skin more effectively. This is ideal if you experience dehydrated and dry skin in the winter months. Don't be too aggressive when you exfoliate as this can damage your skin's natural protective layer and cause further issues.

Using a night cream can help your skin recover from the harsh cold weather. A night cream such as NIVEA Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream presents a great opportunity to regenerate your skin and replace the moisture lost during the cold seasons. This night cream contains vitamin E and antioxidants which will leave your skin with a long-lasting smooth feeling. It intensely nourishes and helps skin retains moisture longer, which should help you avoid dry skin in winter.

The main function of the skin is to act as a protective barrier for the body, and it can only do this properly if it has enough moisture content. For this reason, moisture is an imperative requirement for healthy, hydrated skin. Consider applying a rich nourishing body lotion following a bath, and immediately after you've dried yourself off. It will help keep your skin soft and supple and lock in moisture. The new improved formula of our 48hr rich nourishing body lotion leaves you with noticeably smoother skin for 48 hours and is suitable for dry to very dry skin and perfect if you have a winter itch.

Don't let the lack of sunshine deceive you, regardless of your age or complexion, sunscreen is a winter skin care essential. Even during the winter months, the sun's UV rays are still hard at work. In fact, they’re present all year round. UVA rays, in particular, are thought to cause the most damage when it comes to premature ageing. Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion protects from both UVA/UVB rays, but also offers long-lasting and intensive moisturisation – perfect for the drying, winter weather.