Legend has it that sometime in the 15thcentury, the French invented turtleneck jumpers as a means of better concealing their bodily odours. It may well be ‘sweater weather’ in half the world right now, but that’s no excuse to follow the lead of theseapocryphal fragrant Gauls and gear down on the grooming regime. In fact, if anything, winter calls for an increase in the use of lotions, potions and unguents.
Outdoors, the wind and cold air chafe. Inside, roaring fireplaces and roasting central heating dry the flesh terribly. Constantly transitioning from one environment to the other throughout the day only exacerbates matters. Our counsel? Start by removing flaky, chaffed skin every few days with a mild exfoliatiator such as Innoxa’s Clean Face Scrub, or for a more intense effect, use a heavier treatment like Neville’s volcanic ash-based Rescue Scrubonce weekly.With your skin primed, apply a good moisturiser each morning — Terme di Saturnia’s Spa Moisturising Creamis an intense hydrating lotion that nourishes the skin, soothes razor burn and reduces redness. At night, before bed, rest and revitalise your visage with Chenot Total Recovery Energising Cream, rich with essential oils to invigorate tired skin on the face and neck, promote tissue regeneration and reduce wrinkles. Innoxa’s Nutri-Lift Moisture is another great anti-ageing solutionthat improves skin health and guards against environmental toxins.
Winter presents an excellent opportunity to grow a beard — always a ruggedly handsome complement to tweed, leather jackets and those aforementioned turtlenecks. The fur keeps your chin warm, and taking a break from shaving gives the upper layer of epidermis a much-needed rest. Keep that facial topiary sleek and guard against the horror of beard dandruff (which commonly occurs, as a beard draws moisture away from your skin) by using a quality beard oil, such as Antica Barbiera Colla’s refreshingly orange-scented iteration or Neville’s woody alternative, or perhaps a balm, like David Mallet’s bergamot and yuzu scented version.
