5 changes to make to your body care routine this winter

Winter (read: the bane of our skin's existence) is back again, which calls for a change to our hair, skin and body care routines.

Yep, it's a drastic shift to find what's actually going to get our skin through the season (hint: hand cream is key). But we're ready to dish out a little more info on the top swaps to make to truly take care of your skin in winter.

Ahead, you'll discover the changes we should all be making to our body care routines in winter to keep our skin feeling, and looking, its absolute best.

How do you keep your body moisturised in the winter?

1/ Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate!

Hydration is key during winter, but it's not possible if you're not exfoliating regularly. Exfoliation helps to slough away dry and dead skin cells to reveal your best skin, but it also primes the skin to better absorb any products you put on top of it, which is why it is the foundation to an effective hydrating body care routine. 

You can layer an exfoliating body serum like The Ordinary's Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum ($24 from Sephora) under your favourite moisturiser or body oil.

But personally we're fond of efficient, multipurpose in-shower options like OUAI's Scalp And Body Scrub St Barts ($33 from Sephora), which can also be used on the scalp, or BIOTYSPA's Exfoliating Shower Gel ($55 from Sephora) — it's like a body scrub and a body wash in one.

2/ Use a hydrating body wash in the shower

Look for body washes that contain soothing botanicals like Aesop's Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser ($49 from Aesop), and ceramides like Murad's Heartleaf Soothing Body Cleanser ($42 from Adore Beauty), which will help to reinforce the skin's natural moisture barrier, and in turn, encourage the skin's ability to retain moisture too.

Usually we reach for L'Occitane's Almond Shower Oil ($45 from L'Occitane) when winter hits, but now that we know we can find Thanks To Nature's Nourish Sweet Almond Shower Oil ($20 from Woolworths) on our weekly grocery shop, we might have to make a few changes to our own routine.

3/ Moisturisers are essential

It goes without saying really. If you want hydrated skin, moisturise. Once a week might cut it in the warmer months, but in winter it's simply insufficient. Yep, it's a task we know, but for the sake of your skin, it's worth it. 

We love Hada Labo's Night Body Serum ($39.95 from Adore Beauty) when we're feeling especially lazy, because the lightweight formula absorbs almost instantly, and it's formulated to be applied at night, so the active ingredients it's infused with (hyaluronic acid, collagen and retinol) can all work their magic while you sleep. 

Clinique's Moisture Surge Body Hydrator ($58 from Adore Beauty) is new to us, but we're adeptly familiar with the rest of the Moisture Surge range. Just like Clinique's predecessors in the collection, this pick boasts lightweight and fragrance-free hydration, which lasts up to 48 hours after application. 

Love CeraVe's Daily Moisturising Lotion ($21.99 from Chemist Warehouse)? Let us introduce you to it's more intensely hydrating cousin — CeraVe's Intensive Moisturising Lotion ($36.99 from Chemist Warehouse) — which hydrates skin for 72 hours after it's been applied. It's rich, but never greasy, utilising a blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and five per cent Hydro-Urea® (a combination of natural moisturising factors) to reinforce the skin's natural moisture barrier, and effectively minimise the signs of dry and dehydrated skin. 

4/ Try a nourishing body oil

Body oils tend to scare a lot of people because they have a bad reputation for ruining clothes, but do not be deterred. When used correctly, a body oil can make an enormous amount of difference to a body care routine — especially in winter. But, if you're still really scared of the stuff, we suggest incorporating them into your evening routine to minimise the risk of your favourite T-shirt becoming collateral damage in the pursuit of hydrated skin. 

PSA: You can mix a body oil with your favourite moisturiser to create your own custom body hydrator.

Personally, we've been pairing Bangn Body's Firming Lotion ($48 from Sephora) with Bangn Body's Firming Oil ($68 from Sephora) to reap as much of the best-seller's nourishing formula's firming benefits as possible. 

Alternatively, there are always dry oils, which as the name might suggest, lack that uncomfortably greasy feeling synonymous with traditional oil formulas. 

Bioderma's Atoderm 2-in-1 Oil ($46.99 from Chemist Warehouse) is an excellent example of a body oil that goes above and beyond what one might expect from the category. It boasts a unique two-in-one dry oil formula that absorbs quickly into the skin (read: no greasy residue), but it also contains AHA's, which gently exfoliate, resulting in silky, soft skin. 

There are also multipurpose formulas like Moroccanoil Pure Argan Oil (usually $82, now on sale for $73.80 from Oz Hair & Beauty), which can be used on the hair, skin and nails too. 

5/ Don't forget your hands and feet

It can be seriously easy to overlook your extremities. But we promise, your crusty feet (um, ew) aren't going to magically soften up, unless you do something about it.

Enter: the très chic concept of foot masks.

Sephora Collection's Foot Mask ($10 from Sephora) can be slipped on like a pair of socks and offers the perfect excuse to put your feet up for 20 minutes. The Refreshing & Antifatigue mask with peppermint extract is the ultimate end to a long day, while the Nourishing & Repairing mask with coconut extract is ideal for extra rough heels. 

But you can't forget about your hands either — with all the extra washing and sanitising to avoid flu-season germs — your mitts will undoubtedly be dry.

If your hands are in dire need of an overhaul we recommend adding Alpha-H's In Good Hands Renewing Hand Treatment ($30 from Sephora) to your list of evening rituals. It's enriched with lactic acid and native Australian lemon myrtle, which gently exfoliate, and jojoba oil, shea butter and panthenol for hydrated, soothed, soft and supple hands.

And Jo Malone London's hyaluronic acid infused Wood Sage And Sea Salt Hand Cream ($47 from MYER) is a must for moisturising touch-ups during the day (the aquatic woody fragrance doesn't hurt either).

Main Image Credit: @jastookes

Now on to the fun part of the season — selecting a new winter perfume.