If you’ve ever slogged your way to work in cold weather in order to sit in an air-conditioned office and feel the moisture simply disappearing from your complexion (and sometimes soul) for the 9-5 you’ll understand that the winter months can be hard on your skin. Whether you have sensitive, oily, acne-prone, dry or combination skin, looking after it when the temperature dips is essential. One important way to ensure you have hydrated skin and enough protection to withstand, well, all of the elements, is to invest in the right moisturiser. 

Jacqueline Brennan, owner of skincare clinic Jacqueline Brennan, says you may need to adjust your routine in the cooler months.

“As the temperature drops so does our skin’s ability to protect itself. The low humidity is dehydrating, drying and can exacerbate skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and broken capillaries. Changing up your moisturiser from a light gel base in the warmer months to an oil base cream in the cooler months will help avoid this. Also noting an SPF is essential for both warmer and cooler months to protect the skin’s barrier,” she says.

One thing to be across in the winter months is understanding the difference between dry and dehydrated skin, and how the weather impacts this. “The basic distinction is that dry skin is a ‘type’ caused by a lack of oil production while dehydrated skin is a condition caused by a lack of water in the epidermis,” says Brennan.

“Cold air, dry indoor heat, low humidity levels, and harsh winter wind can all zap your skin of humidity levels botox treatment cremorne. This can leave your skin flaky, irritated and less radiant.”

As for what to look for in a winter moisturiser, while it will differ according to individual skin needs, Brennan is a fan of products with ceramides lipids (fat molecules) that help the skin hold onto moisture and help the skin barrier to function.

“Ceramides are an essential component of the skin, making up half its outer layer. They are essential in supporting the skin barrier function and retaining moisture within the skin,” says Brennan. “The second powerhouse hydrator is hyaluronic acid that holds onto water and helps keep it hydrated and plump, hyaluronic acid is like a magnet to moisture.”

“I generally remind clients that, just like their wardrobe, their skincare routine may need to be a little more lightweight. Thicker moisturisers can lead to clogged pores, inflammation, and acne especially if you have acne-prone or oily skin. A lighter formula keeps moisture locked in without overwhelming the pores during a humid summer.”

Here, Vogue rounds up the very best winter moisturisers in Australia, because now is definitely the time to give your Acne Breakout North Sydney a little extra TCL.

The best winter moisturisers in Australia for 2022

For oily or acne-prone skin: Medik8

Don’t be tempted to skip the moisturiser when you have oily skin. As Jacqueline Brennan notes, you should seek out something lightweight that is enhanced with oil-control properties plus beta-glucan and niacinamide to boost hydration and soothe the skin. Meanwhile for skincare regime mistake neutral bay you’ll want something that mattifies the skin, refines pores and that is oil-free.

For mature skin: Mesoestetic

Jacqueline Brennan is a fan of Radiance DNA by Mesoestetic for mature skin in need of being deeply hydrated. “This product synchronises the cellular rest periods and reinforces the barrier function with an intense and long-lasting contribution of moisture, while firming up and redensifying the dermis,” she says.

For dry skin: Medik8

“From a person who has battled true dry skin all my life, my go-to will always be Ultimate Recovery by Medik8. An intensely rich, restorative cream for dry, compromised skin. Deeply hydrating and comforting, it creates a protective barrier to shield skin from everyday irritants while keeping moisture locked in tight,” says Jacqueline Brennan.

– COSMETIC VS COSMECEUTICAL SKINCARE –

What is the difference between cosmetic and cosmeceutical skincare?

Cosmetic skincare, commonly sold in pharmacies and department stores, is a popular choice amongst many women worldwide because of the price point alongside great advertising of the specific brand. However cosmetic skincare does not consist of professional quality of ingredients like cosmeceuticals can, cosmetic products are not able to penetrate below the epidermis to the deeper layers of skin, it is only able to sit on the surface so while they may refresh your complexion for a few hours, they cannot create any structural changes or give you long-term results within the skin.

Cosmeceutical grade skincare is professional quality and consist of high concentrations of active ingredients such as AHA’s, BHA’s, Retinols, Vitamin C and Peptides. The way these products are formulated and delivered into the skin enables deeper penetration and proven results. A higher price point compared to cosmetic skincare, reflects the professional grade quality fo the product. They are sold in skin clinics and beauty salons and are personally prescribed by skin therapists to their clients to give effective and long lasting results with their skin health and ongoing skin concerns

It’s been all the beauty rage the last few months. In fact, you’ve probably read about Hollywood A-listers including Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kim Kardashian who are turning to microneedling RF (short for radiofrequency) treatment as a less invasive IPL or laser alternative for restoring smooth, toned skin.

RF NEEDLING VS MICRONEEDLING: WHICH IS BETTER?

Microneedling and RF Needling are both used to promote collagen and elastin in the skin and to reduce scar tissue for a smoother, more youthful-looking complexion. The procedures involve a number of small percutaneous punctures to the skin. In less technical terms, they’re like poking your face full of nearly-microscopic little holes using very tiny little needles. The needles stimulate a micro wound healing response throughout your skin without creating an actual wound. The healing response causes your body to release growth factors (the hormones that stimulate cell repair) as new blood vessels form and the collagen fibres begin to rebuild and regenerate themselves. As a result, fine lines and textural concerns are reduced, and your skin looks strengthened and more youthful.

Although the treatments are similar, the tools are very different and we tend to get stronger results from RF needling with fewer treatments.

Microneedling

Microneedling treats surface texture and tone, fine lines and ageing, and mild surface scarring. It’s done with a dermaroller or a dermapen, although we much prefer to use a pen.

The dermaroller, true to its name, has a handle and a roller with tiny needles on it. The needles are about 0.25 – 0.5 mm in diameter and usually 1.5 – 2 mm long. It’s rolled over the skin to make the little pin pricks that stimulate a healing response in your skin.

You can purchase dermarollers for at-home use, but they come with risks. If you don’t keep them properly sterilised, or if you don’t cleanse your skin properly, it can lead to infections and breakouts. If you use the wrong depth or too much pressure, you can also risk causing microdamages and tears to the skin, which can result in scar tissue.

Instead of the roller, clinics will use a microneedling pen, the needle tips on a microneedling pen move speedily in and out of the pen as it’s moved across the skin. The quick movement and retraction of the needles make the microneedling pen much less likely to cause damage than the dermaroller.

As mentioned above, microneedling stimulates a micro wound healing response without creating a wound. Your skin responds by rebuilding collagen and repairing itself for a healthy, youthful appearance.

RF Microneedling

RF Needling, short for Radiofrequency Needling, is a major advancement on microneedling. Like microneedling, it treats ageing and textural concerns, but it can treat deeper scarring, some skin sagging and more stubborn textural concerns because it can safely reach deeper layers of the skin.

RF Needling comes with a hand-held device on which gold plated micro needles move back and forth, but with a few improvements. Rather than moving steadily along the skin’s surface, the handpiece treats one spot at a time. That is, the handpiece is held perpendicular to the skin so that the microneedles can puncture and draw back. Then the handpiece is placed on the next spot. This further decreases the risk of micro damages to the skin and gives your Clinician greater accuracy. The needles can also be adjusted to a greater range of depths for areas with thinner skin (such as the eye area) and areas with thicker skin (like the cheeks).

Another advancement with RF Needling is the addition off radionfrequency. The radiofrequency energy creates controlled heat in the deeper tissues of the skin to give your collagen an additional boost and increase the healing response created by the micro needles. Radiofrequency is often used on its own for skin-tightening treatments, sometimes known as non-surgical facelifts.

Essentially, microneedling treats the surface layer for fine lines and mild scarring while RF Needling treats both the surface and the deeper layers of the skin for slightly deeper acne scarring, ageing, and to promote collagen in the foundations of the skin for youthful strength, elasticity and lift.