9 Secrets To Keeping Your Skin Looking And Feeling Great This Winter

With the weather starting to get colder, your skin may need a bit more looking after as flare ups of problems are often more common in winter.

As temperatures fall, skin can crack more easily and in general become a lot drier - but there are lots of lifestyle changes you can make and products you can buy which can help.

Boots pharmacist Tom Kallis said: “We would encourage you to come and have a chat with your local pharmacist to get some really tailor-made advice that suits your lifestyle, your skin type and your condition.”

Below, Tom and Boots nutritionist Vicky Pennington give their top tips on looking after your skin.

Change your drinking habits

Try to drink eight glasses of water a day and cut down on alcohol and caffeine which make the body lose water.

Up the zinc in your diet

Zinc is in red meat, chicken, tinned sardines, oysters and nuts and is great for skin protection and wound healing.

Moisturise daily

Keeping the skin supple by having a good daily cleansing and moisturising routine is key to keeping skin conditions under control alongside previously prescribed medication.

Get more plant nutrients onto your plate

They're found in fruit and vegetables and are good for protecting the skin from damage caused by pollution, smoking and UV light.

Try to reduce your stress levels

For some people stress can be a trigger for skin conditions, so regular exercise, relaxation techniques like meditation, relaxing pastimes and talking things through also help.

Boost your vitamin C intake

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, blackcurrants, strawberries, kiwi fruit, green peppers and potatoes and is great for forming skin strengthening collagen.

Wear sunscreen

It might be winter, but don’t pack away your sunscreen just yet. Boots recommends wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher all year round – not just in the summer.

This is because according to Cancer Research UK, 30 to 40 per cent of UV will penetrate through the clouds even on an overcast day in the UK.

For those with skin conditions, consider using sunscreens made for the face, as they are usually less irritating than lotions made for the body.

Add items with B vitamin Riboflavin to your shopping list

This is found in liver, red meats, chicken, cheese, eggs, milk, breakfast cereals and yeast. It's good for development and function of the skin.

Speak to your pharmacist

Pharmacists are well aware of how difficult it can be to talk about skin conditions, so Boots has the option of private consultation rooms in more than 2,000 of its stores to give customers privacy.

In severe cases, pharmacists will always refer the patient to a GP. But when appropriate, they are able to offer medication to help patients manage their condition.

So whether you have rosacea ( facial redness), pigmentation, eczema, spots or hypersensitivity, your pharmacist can help you find the right product for you.

For more info visit boots.com/skin