Winter wreaking havoc on your skin? Soothe stress with these products

The Happy Beauty products for burnt-out skin

Each week, Marie Claire’s Beauty and Style Director, Lisa Oxenham, shares her edit of products that will enhance your beauty routine. This week, she focuses on the best buys to reach for when you’re burning the candle at both ends and you've got stressed skin.

From aromatherapy to products that protect, here’s what she's rating this week...

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Roller Ball, £22 | Aromatherapy Associates

Being time-strapped (especially now we have Christmas on the horizon) means my bubble baths have gone out the window, which is why I love using rollerballs to deliver the benefits of aromatherapy on the go. Aromatherapy Associates are famous for them. I smudge the De-Stress pen onto my pulse points at my wrists and neck when I need to clear my mind and centre my thoughts. The mixture of frankincense and chamomile relaxes my muscles, emotions and brain waves, and leaves me calmer in seconds. I can also rest in the knowledge that the product is sourced with people and the planet in mind thanks to the brand’s commitment to being B-corp.

Subtle Energies Facial Blend, £178 | Subtle Energies 

Now that the cold weather has well and truly hit, my skin needs more of a hydration and nourishing boost than usual. I've upped my water intake and have switched this facial oil into my beauty rotation. This unique mix of mogra (the queen of Jasmines), ashwagandha, and Indian rose oils are perfect for plumping up the skin and nourishing the fine lines that accompany winter. The active ingredients stimulate cell renewal, promote collagen, and encourage elastin production. The scent packs the aromatherapy punch too and gives my senses an uplifting boost first thing in the morning.

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum, £65 | Aesop

For the first time in 20 months, it feels like socialising and joining in with the festivities again and am enjoying it, even if it’ll be short-lived. This means I’m out and about and thinking much more about how I am protecting my skin against pollutants and other airborne nasties. When it comes to building healthy barriers for my skin, I always turn to products packed with antioxidants like this parsley seed serum from Aesop.

Antioxidants protect us from free radicals - unstable molecules that damage our healthy cells. Our bodies create these cells naturally but they also come from things like UV exposure and cigarette smoke. Once we are exposed to too many free radicals, our bodies struggle to process them properly, so it’s good to give ourselves a helping hand with active beauty products.

Pai Skincare Middlemist Seven, 150ml, £34.00 | Pai Skincare

We all know how difficult it is to recycle beauty products. Pai is one brand that is giving all of its customers a helping hand when it comes to separating empties and keeping packaging out of landfills. The brand’s recycling scheme allows you to send all of the components of Pai packaging that you can’t recycle at home (think pumps and caps) back to them for free. After this, they do the leg work.

I especially love this gentle and hydrating cream cleanser which is formulated for people with sensitive and stressed skin, like me. The product doesn’t strip my skin of its healthy oils but still leaves my skin feeling clean, just how I like it.

Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra Moisturising Mask, £23 | Caudalie

I love multi-use beauty products, so I had to get my hands on this Caudalie mask. You can use it for a quick 10-minute moisture mask, smooth it into your eye contours for a quick eye treat, or wear it as an overnight mask for when your skin is super stressed. My favourite thing to do is apply a good dose of this as part of my wind-down routine. I slather the product on, have a tea, and catch up with some reading for about 30 minutes before bedtime. This means my mind has quietened down, my skin is rehydrated, and I can sleep soundly.

The product is enriched with organic grape water, which acts as a soothing probiotic for the skin, and polyphenols that have great pro-ageing properties. The best thing about this mask is how lightweight the formula is; it feels like a day cream but packs the punch to ace the night shift.

Susanne Kaufmann Blue Light Defence & Moisturising Mist, £54 | Susanne Kaufmann

There’s no denying that I have used my phone and laptop more than ever this year. It was only when I found out about this product that I realised how bad the blue lights from my devices are for my skin because the infrared radiation and visible light penetrate deeply into the layers of the skin and put you at higher risk of pigmentation, redness, and dullness (this explains a lot). The anti-ageing Ecotin and Q10 ingredients defend against damage and hydrate whilst silk extract and butterfly bush flower soothe and regenerate stressed skin.

I normally apply the product after cleansing and moisturising to lock in my routine, but it is also great to use as a mid-afternoon refresh and a make-up setting spray. The mist comes in a 100% post-consumer recycled bottle that is perfect for popping into your handbag for super easy spritzes.