Beauty: Seven superhero products to rescue skin this winter

Whipped by cold winds and desiccated by central heating: winter can take a real toll on the skin. Alice Ryan finds face and body products to both protect and restore

SBC Skincare Hydra-Collagen Body Butter, from £12, sbcskincare.co.uk Born and based in Suffolk - its HQ is in Needham Market - SBC Skincare has made a name for problem-solving products like this body butter. If, like me, your skin starts to feel tight and dry as soon as the North wind begins to blow, its combination of hydrating marine collagen, nourishing shea butter and salving seed oils can’t be beaten. Thick and creamy in texture, while also being impressively non-greasy and swift to absorb, it instantly calms and cossets stressed skin.

Elizabeth Grant Torricelumn Absolute Cleansing Balm, £40, elizabethgrantuk.com Having thirsty skin all year round, I’m a big fan of hydrating balm and oil cleansers - and this Elizabeth Grant formula is both. Turning from rich balm to silky oil as you massage it into dampened skin, it’s both gentle (so much so, you can use it to remove eye makeup) and cleans like a boss (even waterproof mascara just melts away). What makes it a particular winner for the winter months, though, is a hefty dose of soothing essential oils - lavender, jasmine, neroli, frankincense.

Susanne Kauffman Mountain Pine Bath Oil, £55, susannekaufmann.com Loved for their ability to leave skin feeling soft and supple as well as squeaky clean, Susanne Kauffman’s bath oils come into their own in cold weather. This iteration deploys a pair of essential oils: mountain pine (known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and said to support the immune system too) and spruce needle (which has a stimulating effect on circulation). As well as restoring and refreshing skin, it gives mind and mood a boost via its bright scent - like a perfect snow day in the Alps.

Guinot Baume Eye Summum, £137, guinotshop.co.uk Another sure sign of skin dehydration in winter is eye puffiness and dark circles. As well as delivering a hit of hydration - though it’s technically a balm, it has a scrumptious mousse-like texture which slinks onto skin and absorbs beautifully - this new eye ‘baume’ from Guinot also works to depuff and brighten, a process encouraged by the action of a cooling and massaging applicator wand. Immune complexes - a signature skincare ingredient for the famously hi-tech French beauty house - also work on a cellular level to fight signs of ageing.

Wonderbalm, £29, wonderbalm.com It may come in a small pot, but don’t let Wonderbalm’s diminutive stature fool you: the ultimate multitasker, there’s seemingly nothing this Korean beauty balm can’t do. Made from natural ingredients (including fruit oils and shea butter) and no nasties (it’s free from synthetics and parabens), it can be used as a lip balm, hand cream, cuticle oil, face mask, hair mask, makeup primer, makeup remover. . . The ultimate hydrator and healer, it also works brilliantly on everything from dry patches to cuts, burns and scrapes. I use it to keep heels and elbows smooth, too.

Wonderskin Lip Rehab Serum Oil in Kissed, £18, wonderskin.com This viral lip oil - it’s clocked up 2.9 billion views and counting on TikTok alone - is the definition of a hybrid formula. Giving lips a pretty flush of colour and a plumped, high-shine finish, it ticks all the makeup boxes; loaded with nourishing ingredients, including Vitamin E and avocado, jojoba and apricot oils, it ticks all the skincare boxes too. Remarkably long-lasting, it’s ideal for winter wear. And a note on the colour: developing in response to your skin’s pH, it’s unique to you.

Mauli Rituals Supreme Skin Face Serum, £37, maulirituals.com Known for combining Ayurvedic principles with the power of plants, Mauli Rituals has channeled all its expertise into this Supreme Skin Face Serum. Blending 16 of the brand’s hero ingredients, including blemish-blurring moringa, cleansing watermelon seed and sun-protecting calendula oils, it both hydrates and heals; kind to eczema and acne-prone skins, it also works to soften pigmentation and scarring. Of particular note at this time of year: it contains champaca and blackseed oils, believed to bolster the skin’s protective barrier.