Winter Beauty: Easy Maintenance

Just because it’s not 20 degrees out doesn’t mean that UV rays can’t still do us damage in the autumn and winter months. This means you should be wearing a day cream with spf and UVA protection every day on your face, neck, décolleté and the backs of your hands.
DIY Solution: Boots new No 7 has bottled the highest level of UVA protection in its new Protect & Perfect Intense UVA 5* day cream, £21.50. Use it daily and pop any excess on your hands to prevent fine lines and brown spots later in life.
Expert Help: Look for facials that use products that are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ensure your skin is well protected. Omorovicza’s Deep Cleansing and Plumping Facial, £95, includes a double cleanse (high in antioxidants, which neutralise skin damaging free radicals), exfoliation, extraction, mask and massage. The focus of this facial is protecting the skin from the environment (a light layer of tinted moisturiser with spf 15), as well as a relaxing, skin clearing treatment.

The battle with cellulite doesn’t stop just because you can’t see it under the layers of clothes. In fact all that hibernating and Christmas food does cellulite no good whatsoever. You need to keep pummelling away at it throughout the winter months; also make sure to drink plenty of water and try to keep active.
DIY Solution: Use Dr Perricone’s Cold Plasma Body Cream with DMAE, caffeine and minerals; the fatty acids and nutrients tighten the skin, while the caffeine will get your circulation going to stop the fat cells from clotting and turning lumpy. However, a cream will only do so much in the battle against cellulite, dry body brush everyday before you shower (to boost circulation); use a deep tissue massage technique to apply your cream, or try Scholl’s Rolling Shiatsu Massager, £29.99 that does the hard kneading work for you.
Expert Help: Rodial’s Nip/Tuck treatment, £90, at Glow Urban Spa is tough on cellulite and gives you a slimmer silhouette in under two hours; great for a quick fix. Alternatively Bliss’ Fat Girl Slim treatment, £125, targets problem areas with dry brushing, wrap, mask and massage – it’s never let us down. Want a more long term solution? Book in for a course of Smooth Shapes or Vela Shape, from £XX, they both use lasers (to break down the fat) and vacuums (to force the loose fat into the lymphatic system to drain it out of the body) to beat cellulite into submission for good.

You really need to up the ante with moisturising as the weather turns. The last thing you want to do on a cold morning is to be standing around sans clothes slathering on body butter, but your skin will be crying out for TLC. Instead look to dry oil sprays that can be spritzed on as soon as you turn off the shower, meaning you can get dry, dressed and warm fast.
DIY Solution: Matis’ Reponse Corps Dry Body Oil Spray, £26 gets your skin feeling just as soft as thick balm but is much less labour intensive to apply. For a cheaper alternative Avon Skin So Soft Replenishing Dry Oil Body Spray, £5 leaves skin feeling hydrated.
Expert Help: Team ELLE is a big fan of La Sultane de Saba’s super moisturising Lotus and Frangipani Flowers Shea Butter, so to be smothered in the stuff after a full body exfoliation and hot mitt massage is just divine. Book in for the Skin Softening Signature, £100 at The Sanctuary.

No doubt you ramp up your exfoliation in the summer, especially if you’re a fake tan fan; but your skin needs a once weekly scrub no matter what the season to slough away dead cells for a healthy glow.
DIY Solution: Forget using a different body scrub, keep things simple in winter and get yourself a shower gel with exfoliating beads. Use this once or twice a week in place of your usual body wash. Decleor’s 2in1 Exfoliating Shower Gel, £34 for 400ml, is a great buy.
Expert Help: The Cowshed’s Salt Scrub treatment includes body brushing and a salt scrub, very thorough making it worth the £50 price tag.

It’s easy to forget about your toes when they’re hidden in shearling boots. If you don’t have them polished (it’s good to let your nails breathe from time-to-time to offset the stain that multiple polishes can leave) at least keep them neat and tidy with a regular pedicure.
DIY Solution: Andrea Fulerton’s new nail range at Superdrug has everything you need to keep your tootsies tidy. In your kit you’ll need her Cuticle Eraser Gel, Cuticle Groomer, Toe & Finger Nail Files and Miracle Nail File (all four products come to under £15). Use Scholl’s rough Skin Remover, £3.47, to keep dry skin at bay.
Expert Help: Margaret Dabb’s Medical Pedicure, from £75, will get your feet in perfect order making. Book in twice yearly.

Just because your legs are hidden away doesn’t mean you should let your depilating slip. In fact, the winter months are the ideal time to start laser hair removal or waxing. Waxing in winter means you can hide the regrowth and by summer your hair should be much finer. Alternatively try IPL which should be done in winter as you can’t expose your skin to the sun after treatment. Both should have you hair free by next summer.
DIY Solution: Team ELLE loves Otylia Roberts at-home wax range, from £6.99 at Boots. If you want to DIY laser then invest in the E>One at-home laser, £XX, it’s the most effective on the market.
Expert Help: For waxing head to Otylia Roberts herself, from £34 for a half leg, she was the first woman to bring the Brazilian to the UK and is a hit with our Beauty Director Emma Smith. For laser, try SK:N it has clinics nationwide and is well respected, from £12 per treatment.