Whether you are born with sensitive skin, developed it in later life or you go through temporary phases of it being particularly temperamental, winter is the time that wreaks havoc on sensitive skin – due to the cold, stress, travel and sleep deprivation at this time of year.

Peruse our top tips to soften the (wintery) blow on your skin.

1. Forget the fragrance

Look for products that are fragrance free or formulated with ingredients particularly for sensitive skin. The rule of thumb is: the less ingredients the better. But stay clear of fragrance and sulfates – your skin will thank you for it.

2. Don’t over-cleanse & be gentle

It is vital to remove any make-up or pollutants that may be on your skin at the end of the day but try to avoid over-doing the cleansing otherwise. Cleansing more than once a day (unless removing make up) can strip the skin of its natural barrier and fatty acids, leaving it exposed to dryness and irritation.

3. Exfoliate

This an important step for sensitive skin during the colder months as it removes any dead skin cells, allowing your hydrating products to penetrate the skin better. Be gentle & do not scrub the skin – use a very fine-grained physical exfoliant on the face rather than a chemical one, better suited to the body.

4. Moisturise, majorly

Essentially drown your skin in hydration every day to avoid tight, flaky skin. Double up on the moisture by adding a serum with hyaluronic acid in it – this acts like a magnet for keeping the moisture in your dry skin. Next up – a facial oil – but test this on a small spot of skin first to make sure it doesn’t irritate your entire face. Finally, seal it all in with a good, non-comedogenic (i.e. doesn’t block the pores), emollient moisturising cream, rather than a watery lotion.

5. Keep it simple

Don’t over-do it with make-up products – go for a light, blendable foundation product and only apply to the problem areas, blending with your brush over the rest of the face for a more natural finish.

6. Don't spare the SPF

I know I know, we have pretty much forgotten what the sun looks like, but that doesn’t mean the UVA rays are not there – 80% of these rays can penetrate the clouds. This applies to all skin types – not just sensitive. It is particularly important to apply SPF after exfoliating the skin as it is more vulnerable to sun damage at this point. Try to get into a routine of applying it before your base products so you never forget.