XXL: Skincare SOS – Saving Our Skin

As we head to depths of December and the full force of the Winter weather really starts playing havoc with our skin; we put a “Saving Our Skin” SOS call out there to discover what are YOUR best skin protectors… So this wishlist of ‘can’t live withouts’ has been compiled with thanks to the .Cent team and YOU, our .Cent readers;

Eyes:

VERSO eye serum got the thumbs up from far too many people for us to not include. Recently launched in the UK, it hails from Sweden and is the first non-prescription brand to contain a safe high dose of Retinol 8 (A new Vitamin A derivative) which can be used safely during the day. We were lucky enough to try some out and noticed visible improvements around the eye area before a week had passed.

Lips:

Lanolips 101 Lip Ointment is a particular favourite because it works… Our delicate little lips are particularly vulnerable to the cold weather, quickly becoming dry and sensitive.  Just ask any skier or arctic explorer –   This thick and luxurious lip ointment contains Lanolips’ medical-grade Lanolin to provide the ultimate protection for lips combined with a sleek shine and pop of colour.

Face:

Chapped faces aren’t quite the nicest to deal with but they’re easily remedied with this Almond Moisturiser from Neals Yard. Vitamin rich almond and evening primrose oils are combined with geranium and lemon to prevent moisture loss and tone the skin. We’ve had a number of readers step forward with their approval of this. Even better is that it ticks the ‘yes’ list of those with sensitive skin.

Blemishes and unwanted “friends”:

I am personally a huge fan of Dermalogica’s Clear Start “Breakout clearing emergency spot fix” which has recently launched and it would seem, I am not alone in this sentiment. Having experienced some unwanted friends to my face, I bought some of this to try out after friends raved about it. Applying on clean skin regularly till those friends disappear, its ludicrously easy and quick! This is now my turn-to item when I need help fast.

Hands:

Kiehls Ultimate hand salve cream This is a firm favourite of intrepid explorers, hairdressers and anyone who uses their hands for work because it is one of the only hand creams which helps with cracked, sore hands. Super concentrated and fragrance free, the boys are firm fans too.

Body:

Lots of love was given to Burts Bees Ultimate Care body lotion.  This non greasy, quick absorbing body lotion combines Baobab oil with nutrient-rich Pumpkin Seed Oil and the delicate aroma of Green Tea Extract to moisturise even the driest skin. 

Feet:

This award winning (its actually been a beauty industry award winner for the past 3 years) this Shea Butter Foot Cream by L’Occitane has been curing unhappy feet all over the British Isles. It’s jam-packed full of great ingredients such as nourishing shea butter, antiseptic A.O.C. lavender essential oil (to purify), and even has some of wonder ingredient (and an anti-inflammatory godsend) arnica to help reduce redness and irritation. You’ll wonder what you did without it.

One of THE originals and still one of the best skin saviours ever to grace us with its presence is the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream.

This soothes, restores, calms and helps relieve chapped, cracked, dry skin, nails and hair from dry knuckles to cracked heels, cuticles to elbows and even removes waterproof mascara. ‘Tis indeed a wondrous thing..

So there you have it, go forth and XXL up your skin saving regime.