The extreme change in temperature, moving from centrally heated offices to the cold outdoor chills, all contribute to making skin feel dry, flaky and sore.

1. It’s tempting to take long, hot baths and showers during the chilly winter mornings and evenings, but try not to. Bathing in hot water strips skin of its natural acid mantel, which leaves it prone to dryness.

2. Winter means it’s time to switch to a richer moisturiser, but be wise when choosing your skincare products. What truly matters is not the price of your cream, but whether it’s right for your skin type. An expensive cream is not right for everyone, no matter how glamorous it looks on your dressing table. E45 Facial Enriching Day Cream (£4.99) and E45 Facial Renewing Night Cream (£5.99), are loved by savvy beauty types.

3. ‘During Winter’s low humidity, water is drawn out from the skin’, says Sally Penford of the International Dermal Institute. ‘To protect the skin’s natural barrier layer, avoid using soaps and alkaline-based products that can break it down. Try to avoid heavy, overly rich moisturisers, which can clog the skin. Instead, choose a product that will offer deep-down hydration as well as an SPF protection.’

4. Use Equazen’s Qarma (£7.99 for a month’s supply). The organic evening primrose oil supplement contains sources of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid), an essential fatty acid that helps keep the skin smooth, hydrated and strong enough to cope with the hazards of the English winter.

5. ‘Everything slows down in winter, even our circulation. For healthy, radiant looking skin start the day with warm and cool compressing,’ advises Elizabeth King, Principal of The Dr Haushcka Training School. ‘Adding a few drops of the Dr Haushcka Lemon Bath, (£14) to your warm cleansing water not only gives you a  fresh start but also energises your skin.’

6. Dr Patrick Bowler, Medical Director of Court House Clinics and author of The Nervous Girls Guide to Nip & Tuck says, “Seasonal Affective Disorder also affects our skin because if we feel bad, we look bad! Regular use of a super moisturiser containing potent antioxidants help to keep the skin hydrated and balanced.’ Try Vitage Age Defense Hydrator SPF 15 (£36) during the day and Age Defense Repairer (£40) at night. (0870 850 6655)

7. Use an exfoliator at least twice a week followed by a rich and comforting moisturiser. A weekly application of facemasks is a great way to give the skin a surge of moisture.

8. Warm caffeinated drinks are tempting during the winter, but are extremely dehydrating. Cut down your intake as much as possible.

9. Invest time in yourself. Your skin reflects your overall wellbeing, so if you enjoy a healthy lifestyle, it will show.

10. Wear an SPF of at least 15 all year round – yes, even during the winter! It will help prevent sun damage and pigmentation.

11. Our skin relies on lipids for the retention of water, without which it dries and eventually wrinkles. But lipid levels decline with age. Use Dr Denese HydroShield Ultra Moisturising Serum (£69.95 - 0870 1900 003), which contains a perfect replica of the skin’s own lipids that works to quench dehydrated skin and dramatically soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

12. Central heated rooms are extremely dehydrating for the skin. If you don’t have a humidifying system, consider buying one. These will help keep skin and nasal passages from drying out.

13. The skin cannot breathe under clothes which causes dead, dry skin cells to build up. Exfoliate regularly to help shed dead skin build up. Try the Malki Dead Sea Body Scrub with Frankincense Oil, £6.99 (available at Boots). The two-in-one exfoliator and moisturiser is created by fusing nutrient rich dead sea salts with frankincense aromatherapy oil.

14. Latest research by Vaseline Intensive Care found that 60 per cent of us are suffering from a ‘skin drought’ and have chronically dehydrated skin, which is dull, rough and sensitive. By moisturising daily we can significantly increase the water content in our skin and keep it in optimum condition. This is particularly important for skin that is constantly being dried out by central-heated offices and extreme changes in weather.

PREVENT MORNING-AFTER-SKIN

Ah, life’s excesses! Late night partying may seem fun at the time, but you’re bound to feel the toll taken on our skin the next day.

15. Alcohol is a nightmare for the skin. Try not to drink more than 15 units a week, as excess alcohol is extremely dehydrating. Take preventative measures to avoid hangovers and the dreaded morning-after skin by keeping moisture levels boosted. Drink a glass of water after each glass of alcohol, as well as before going to bed.

16. Dump the fags. Some smells can’t be washed away. Our skin holds onto the chemicals in tobacco smoke, so you’ll still smell like an ashtray long after you finish your cigarette. On top of that, sucking on a cigarette requires constant pursing of the lips, which can bring on wrinkles around the mouth line. The good news is that when you stop smoking, your body starts to repair itself and you’ll notice the difference within a week. For information on how to stop, log onto www.uglysmoking.info

17. Give tired skin a pep up with a fast-acting facemask. Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask, £38 (08081004151). The DIY facial in a jar works quickly to boost drained, dull or sluggish skin.

18 Elizabeth King Principal of The Dr Haushcka Training School says: ‘After a party, the skin can look tired, grey and in many cases a little sensitive and blotchy. Start the next day by applying a warm face cloth to the skin and holding for a few seconds. The warmth relaxes and deep cleanses the pores. It also stimulates the skin’s functions and increases blood circulation allowing oxygen and vital nutrients to be delivered to the surface of the skin.’

19. Fake ‘awake-skin’ by treating your complexion to a specially formulated ice pack. Holistic facialist Ole Henriksen suggests making up some ice-cubes from a blend of cooled down rosehip tea, peppermint tea and red tea. Wrap the ice in a flannel and stroke against cleansed skin for a healthy glow.

20. ‘Late nights mean the body’s repairing process is disturbed therefore tiredness is obvious,’ says holistic skincare expert Bharti Vyas. ‘I would recommend a professional body massage – as it helps circulation (which also helps lymphatic drainage)’.

21. Take a long soak using Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, £28 (020 8569 7030). It contains a refreshing and stimulating wake-up blend of orange, grapefruit and rosemary – the perfect antidote for over indulgence the night before.

22. Give puffy eyes some extra special TLC by using a refreshing eye gel. Avoid using creams, as the eyes can’t tolerate their richness. Use Skin Wisdom Double Action Plumping Serum (£7.97), which helps tired eyes drain the build-up of toxicity caused by overindulgence on alcohol and late nights.

23. ‘The latest skin biology finding is inflammation is the root of the problem for dark circles’, says Maleka Dattu, General Manager for Origins UK. ‘The area around the eye is the most delicate skin on the face. Because of this, dark circles, puffiness, bagginess and fluid retention are more visible.’ She recommends using Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Eye Serum (£35), designed to address eye area inflammation.

AVOID LACKLUSTRE & SEASONAL PROBLEMATIC SKIN

‘Tis the season to be lazy! Dull, lifeless skin is prone to problems and is especially common during the colder months. Don’t wait for spring for it to sort itself out.

24. Get great skin from within, by investing in a daily supplement such VegEPA, £11.95 (0845 1300 424). It includes omega-3 fatty acids and evening primrose oil, to help nourish the skin, hair and nails. Daily use will also help to boost brain function, so you feel healthier too.

25. ‘Use products containing mild AHA formulas as they can help to eradicate dead skin cells from the skin’s surface,’ advises Bharti Vyas, holistic expert and creator of the Skin Wisdom range. Try the Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Revitalising Peel Off Mask (£7.97), which also contains witchazel that works to strengthen the small blood vessels under the skin that are prone to burst and cause redness – especially when the skin is exposed to changing temperatures.

26. Drinking water does wonders for your complexion. It helps keep your body hydrated and purifies your system. Our skin loses half a pint a day through skin evaporation alone and needs replenishing, so try drinking the recommended four pints (two litres) of water a day.

27. Add a little sheen. Substances that reflect light help to give skin a lovely glow. ‘Try adding a small amount of shimmery highlighter to your cheekbones and under the arch of your brows to give a little added sparkle’, says make-up artist Lubna.

28. Our skin functions by breathing in oxygen and discharging carbon dioxide, toxins and waste. When our skin doesn’t do this properly, its metabolism slows down and the complexion begins to loose lustre and vitality. Invest in a bottle of P8N8 Multi Vita Complex 1 Cream, £30 (0845 193 0194). It’s packed with stabilised oxygen, Japanese green tea and vitamin A, to help normalise the skin and give it a rush of oxygen.

29. To even out blotchy skin, try Skin Doctors Cosmeceuticals Dermabrite (£19.95), designed to tackle uneven pigmentation using natural skin lighteners such as bearberry and licorice. SJ-3’s Five Minute Masque, £60 (0845 225 29090), contains licorice to naturally lighten and even out the complexion and get you well on your way to a clearer, blemish free complexion. ‘Ban the use of skin bleaching creams that contain hydroquinone or mercury – these harsh ingredients can make the condition even worse’, says Medical Research Scientist Sujata Jolly.

30. Picking at blackheads can lead to blemishes, but if you’re going to do it, you may as well be properly equipped. Use Antoine de Paris blackhead extractor, £15 (0808 100 4151). It’s the secret pore-purging weapon of the Bliss Spa facial team.

SKIN HEROES

1. Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath
& Shower Oil, £28 (020 8569 7030)
2. SJ-3’s Five Minute Masque, £60 (0845 225 29090)
3. Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask, £38 (08081004151)
4. Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Eye Serum, £35
5. P8N8 Multi Vita Complex 1 Cream, £30 (0845 193 0194)
6. Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Revitalising Peel Off Mask, £7.97
7. Dr Haushcka Lemon Bath, £14
8. Antoine de Paris blackhead extractor, £15 (0808 100 4151)