With low humidity and cooler temperatures, not to mention hot showers and indoor heating, now is the time to be layering up your self-care routines with nourishing skin, hands (+nails) and lip care products. We spoke to Mavala skincare expert Edna La Frenais from Beauty by Edna to share her wisdom on adapting to the winter chill.
Mavala’s Skincare Expert Edna La Frenais from Beauty By Edna
Skin
You may feel like your skin is dry, uncomfortable, tight and dull-looking. A lack of moisture and oil weakens your skin’s natural protective barrier, making it susceptible to irritation and discomfort. At the peak of winter it is important to be feeding and nourishing your skin by layering products. A facial mist is ideal after cleansing and during the day to relieve parched, thirsty skin. Follow this with a targeted serum to deliver hydration to the deeper layers of the skin. A rich, heavy moisturiser is ideal to lock in hydration and comfort the skin, forming a literal barrier to the elements. Overnight balms are perfect for the winter months, cocooning and nurturing the skin as it repairs itself overnight. Look for products that contain hyaluronic acid, refined oils and antioxidants to counteract impaired skin barriers and infuse the skin with nourishment.
Pic by Lux Nomade Magazine
Hydrates and energizes skin.
Lack of sleep, stress, pollution, UV or smoking exhaust your skin metabolism. Dead cells accumulate, your complexion loses its radiance and turns greyish. Those imperfections caused by exhaustion give the impression that your skin is in poor health, that it looks, older than it really is.
SKIN VITALITY Alpine Micro-Mist diffuses a particularly fine mist on the skin, vitalizing and decongesting it.
Intensely moisturizes, replenishes and comforts.
Dehydrated skin lacks moisture. It feels tight and wrinkles appear prematurely. Less protected by a thinner cutaneous barrier, it is more reactive and more likely to redden.
AQUA PLUS Intensive Serum is a true concentrate of multi-moisturizing effectiveness. Highly concentrated in pure Hyaluronic acid, which is naturally present in the skin and is capable of attracting up to 1000 times its weight in water, its formula penetrates the layers of the epidermis to intensely and lastingly re-infuse the skin with moisture.
Provides silkiness, glow and elasticity to the skin.
Dry or mature skin does not produce enough lipids. Its barrier function is impaired, leading to a moisture loss and greater vulnerability to harmful environmental factors. The skin becomes fragile, thinner and ages prematurely.
NUTRI-ELIXIR Anti-Age Nutrition Ultimate Cream is a lipid replenishing and fortifying skin fusion oil-cream which provides silkiness, glow and elasticity to dry skin losing density. It helps the skin regain comfort, youth and vitality.
Provides bounce, comfort and elasticity to the skin.
Winner of the beautyheaven.com.au 2021 Glosscar Award - Best New Natural Skincare Product.
Dry or mature skin does not produce enough lipids. Its barrier function is impaired, leading to a moisture loss and greater vulnerability to harmful environmental factors. The skin becomes fragile, thinner and ages prematurely.
NUTRI-ELIXIR Anti-Age Nutrition Absolute Night Balm leaves a silky-soft finish which replenishes the skin with lipids and re-densifies it intensely during the night. From the first mornings, dry skin losing density regains bounce, absolute comfort and elasticity.
Hands (+ nails)
Not only are we fighting the elements but also washing our hands continuously and using hand sanitiser at every opportunity. It’s not enough to apply hand cream once a day at nighttime, rather it should be constantly replenished after every wash. Keep a tube available at home, your work desk, handbag and car. If your hands a particularly red and chapped, look for products that cater to this uncomfortable concern by providing a film-forming shield to the hands. During winter use cotton gloves over a rich, hydrating overnight hand care treatment to intensify the treatment. Keep nails and cuticles soft and moisturised with oils and serums.
Pic by Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson
Pic by Stefani Zupanoska
Extreme hand care for very dry, very stressed hands.
For active hands, busy with gardening, manual or artistic tasks, outside sports and other activities. MAVA-PLUS Hand Cream protects and relieves reddened, irritated, dry hands or damaged by external factors (cold, sun, harsh climatic changes, wind, use of solvents and detergents).
Immediate and long-lasting benefits: calms, softens and soothes. Suitable for sensitive skin.
Intensive 30-day cure for damaged hands.
The skin of our hands is very fragile due to the poor quality of the network of sebaceous glands making them dry out more easily. Furthermore, we often expose them to detergents, other cleaning products as well as weather variations and harmful sunrays, without adequate protection. These factors accelerate the dehydration of our hands, and the premature aging of the skin.
Concentrated in natural substances and ingredients usually reserved for face creams, the repairing night cream for hands has a revitalizing effect for cell renewal and moisture retention.
Softens and beautifies cuticles.
Cuticles tend to harden and split when they do not receive daily care. In addition, damaged cuticles give a neglected appearance to nails and make nice hands look dull.
MAVALA CUTICLE OIL maintains the cuticles’ suppleness. Softens the skin around the nail enabling it to be rolled gently back. Provides a well-groomed contour to the nails. Does not spoil the manicure.
Lips
Lips, unlike the face and body skin, are deprived of sebaceous glands, which maintain the functioning of the skin's natural barrier. They are, therefore, prone to dryness and cracks and should be better protected during winter. A lack of care combined with a dry and cold environment can quickly dry out lips. Regular application (multiple times through the day) of a nourishing lipstick or balm to the lips is essential.
Pic by Stephanie Cubeddu
Protecting and repairing.
Lips are deprived of sebaceous glands. They are therefore more vulnerable and cannot protect themselves against dehydration and aggressive factors such as pollution, cold, sun, very dry environment. This weakening results in losing firmness, developing lines and wrinkles, lip contour becoming undefined and sore and lipstick smudging.
Mavala Lip Balm protects and takes care of your lips. It relieves damaged lips, wraps them with its fine, velvety texture and with its subtle vanilla fragrance. Real restoring product for dry and chapped lips, but also ideal for all the lips that wish to retain their suppleness, softness and youth.
General winter care tips:
Buff and exfoliate your skin – dryness will build up as excess debris on the surface of the skin and needs to be buffed off with a gentle exfoliant to ensure all the additional layers can penetrate the skin and get to work. Once or twice a week is sufficient. At the same time, buff your lips.
Work at it – through winter our skin, hands, nails and lips require extra care and attention. Take the time to nourish these areas with specific solutions.
Drinking water goes without saying to hydrate the body internally resulting in a noticeable change in the skin.
Cleanse correctly – avoid harsh cleaners that will strip the skin and seek advice from a professional skincare expert on the ideal product to maintain a balance in your particular skin.
Book your professional Mavala Facial at Beauty by Edna
