'Winter skin'

It was actually winter skin that inspired me to develop skincare products specifically for those who love spending time outdoors.

I am from Manchester originally and had the opportunity back in 2016 to move to the Lake District (which I jumped at). When I arrived in Ambleside, I felt like I’d won the lottery (and still do, most of the time). I went out trail running every night after work and every weekend and embraced a culture which evolves around meeting up with people for a walk, run, cycle or swim and then stopping off for a coffee afterwards – it was great!

The only thing that put a bit of a downer on the bliss that I had moved to, was that my skin had become quite frankly; really s**t.

I’d never known anything like it, my face and hands just felt really dry and itchy all of the time, to the point I’d be sat back at home in the evening, chilling out, watching TV and I’d actively be thinking about the skin on my face and hands because it was so dry and itchy.

Not only this, I began to experience an outbreak of acne for the first time in years. It wasn’t good and affected my confidence a little.

Because of this, I decided to do some research and actually found out that ‘winter skin’ was a thing. I found there’s absolutely tonnes of research out there about the effects of winter for people who like to spend their time outdoors, who were experiencing similar conditions I was experiencing, in climates like the UK.

So what's happening to your skin in the winter?

Well, there are a few things. As the temperature drops, the humidity drops, too. So if the air is drier than your skin it can suck out your precious fluids, so that’s the first problem. Meanwhile, harsh winds (especially the ones you face on the back of your bike) can help strip away the natural oil that usually protects your skin from losing too much water which can contribute to dry skin and in some cases, even acne.

How do you avoid dry skin in the winter?

1) Moisturise like there is no tomorrow

Countless hours went into formulating our purpose-built daily Moisturising Facial Balm with each natural ingredient being chosen specifically to nourish the skin whilst creating a long-lasting invisible barrier against driving winds and cold temperatures.

What's more is that our plant based hemisqualane ingredient is Microbiome Friendly Certified, meaning that this can help to balance the skin and strengthen the skin's natural barrier.

...For those who suffer with dry hands our Intensive Hand Cream has been specifically formulated for hard working hands and is non-greasy and fast absorbing (meaning you can actually use your hands after you've applied it).

2) Soap isn’t always your friend

'Shockingly' soap is designed to get you clean. But sometimes as it’s doing its job by stripping away the dirt, it’s also stripping away your skins natural oils, which protect your skin from losing too much water.

This is why we formulated our Cleanse and Hydrate Balm which is a soap free cleanser which works by binding to surface impurities (pulling out dirt without clogging pores) and allows them to be comfortably rinsed away and leaving the skin clean. Our Roman Chamomile, Apricot Kernel Oil and Shea Butter ingredients also help to hydrate the skin.

3) Use less hot water

To the bill payers delight, using hot soapy water can make dry skin worse… which is cruel considering how we crave a hot bath after we’ve been out all day in the cold! Try using warm instead of hot water and keep your showers and baths under 10 minutes (…sorry).

So there you have it, 3 of our top tips to help you protect your skin this winter. To view more from Helm Wind - you can head to our website by clicking here.