The UK has experienced plummeting temperatures this month but many may not realise the impact this has on our skin.
Skin can become dry and dull during the winter months so an expert has shared advice on how to protect the skin in the winter and give a more youthful appearance.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, Dr Catherine Hood from the leading Japanese skin care brand Hada Labo Tokyo shared her tips.
She recommended picking products that feature hyaluronic acid as an ingredient.
An expert shared the skin care ingredient to look out for
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The expert said: “Keeping skin hydrated is vital if we want to avoid skin ageing, especially during winter. It’s no wonder that women report their skin feeling drier and duller during this season.
"This is a natural response to the colder weather temperatures, wind and indoor living with central heating.
"The key ingredient to keeping the skin hydrated is hyaluronic acid, levels of which fall as we age."
Hyaluronic acid has become popular in the world of skin care as it can fight and even reverse the signs of ageing.
Dr Hood explained it helps dehydrated skin keep hold of water, making it appear plumper and more youthful.
She continued: "Hyaluronic acid is excellent at retaining water and helps the outer layers of the skin to hang on to water.
"However, you want to go for the Hada Labo Tokyo range of skin care products as they contain multiple types of hyaluronic acid which help to hydrate and plump the skin from the inside out, making it a hydration super-hero for every skin type.
"While hyaluronic acid is an effective hydrator, what is really key is the size of the molecules and the skin care scientists at Hada Labo Tokyo have been able to bottle up the different molecule sizes across the range of hydrator lotions, creams and face mask sheets."
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Hyaluronic acid is a great ingredient for anti-ageing
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The expert added the importance of the ingredient - not just for winter - but consistently as we age as levels in the body naturally drop.
Dr Hood added: “Given that one-third of hyaluronic acid is found in the skin and that levels fall by half by the age of 50, skin hydration is going to be impacted.
"The good news is that if we apply hyaluronic acid to our skin, we can improve hydration and reduce the threat of ageing skin including wrinkles, whilst improving firmness and elasticity that are often lacking in menopausal women due to falling oestrogen levels and also for everyone as we age, a lack of collagen.”
