How To Help Your Skin In Winters North Of the Wall
Wind, sun, rain, cold, heat. We get it all on the Isle of Skye, particularly in these late autumn months. It’s the time of year to wrap up, read a book and look after yourself – starting with some autumn/winter skin care!
Finding nourishing skincare products for our unpredictable climate is something of a passion project at ÒR. We like independent brands sourced from Skye & Scotland (but sometimes further afield too) and ethical, natural products – that also don’t look half bad on the bathroom shelf either.
So now that the colder months are rolling in, we’ve put together some of our favourites from our shop on Skye into a new autumn/winter skin care collection. Use them all to soothe, nourish and moisturise your way into the changing season.
OR’s autumn/winter skin care essentials
Siabann Handmade Soap
The Gaelic word for soap, Scottish company Siabann create the creamiest, most colourful handmade soap. Their soaps are vegan friendly, come in paper packaging, and are infused with rich oils from thistles, avocados and coconuts to help keep skin feeling soft and moisturised.
We particularly like the Rose Geranium and the Cedarwood & Juniper soaps for their herbal scents and beautiful marbled effect which wouldn’t look out of place in a sweet shop.
Lucky Cloud Cleansing Balm & Face Oil
A sunny little skincare brand from Edinburgh, Lucky Cloud handmakes their award-winning vegan skincare products before decanting them into gorgeous (and eco-friendly) glass jars and bottles.
Lucky Cloud’s Nourishing range is perfect for winter skin care; use their Cleansing Balm to melt away makeup, and their face oil (formulated with plant oils like neroli and geranium) for facial massage before bed. Ideal for drier and mature skin types.
Island Botanics Skye Scottish Bog Myrtle Exfoliating Scrubby Bar
A gentle exfoliation is a good way of keeping skin glowy and fresh as the weather gets colder, and we’ve found a good local product straight from the Isle of Skye.
Made by two born and bred islanders, the Island Botanics exfoliating scrubby bar uses restorative natural ingredients found right on Skye: bog myrtle is a local plant with noted antibacterial properties, whilst the natural exfoliator in this bar is local heather.
Isle of Skye Seaweed Co. Hand & Body Balm
Another Isle of Skye company, founder Ben hand-cuts seaweed from the shores of Skye and transforms it into a natural skincare product. Use the Wild Seaweed & Mango Butter Hand & Body Balm for an unscented moisture hit to tackle dry winter skin.
Meraki Face Exfoliate & Face Mask
This minimal Danish brand is a luxurious take on stripped-back skincare. Use the Face Exfoliate to buff away dead skin cells, and the sheet mask for calming skin made sensitive by cold outdoor weather. Simple.
St. Eval Winter Thyme Candle
And finally: made at their farm in North Cornwall, the chunky St. Eval Winter Thyme candle conjures up cosy and aromatic winter nights. It has a long burn time of 45 hours, and is hand-poured into a gorgeous starry ceramic that you can keep forever. Not strictly winter skin care, but guaranteed to relax and restore.
Come into our stores on Skye to test out our winter skincare collection, and whatever the weather - take care,
-ÒR x
