It's so tempting to concentrate on just the obvious concerns when it comes to skincare – breakouts, wrinkles, redness, whatever – there can be a tendency to forget about the bits of you that can really give away age and will be suffering considerably in this cold, wet and windy weather. i'm talking specifically about hands and lips.
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HANDS

Most of us never forget about moisturiser (personally my face would probably fall off if I didn't act immediately after washing my face) but hands – constantly exposed to the nastiest weather conditions as well as household detergents – can often go uncared for.
So it's a case of protect and stay young – and in my case that means a tube of handcream in every handbag, by every sink, on my desk and in my car. I'm always on the search for the most luxurious/practical/heavy-duty/cost-effective/dinky. Here are a few of my recent treasured finds:

KORRES
Hand Cream with real thyme honey (£9)

Deep moisturising hand cream for dry, chapped hands with real Thyme Honey.

Honey, a natural hydrating agent, helps skin keep an ideal level of moisture, while also providing intense nourishment and elasticity to extra dry skin. Keratin- strengthening vitamins B8 and B5 enhance elasticity and make brittle-prone nails stronger. 75ml / 2.54 fl oz

MAVALA
Mava+ Extreme Care for Hands (£12 - 50ml)

I've been aware for ever that Mavala are the hand and nail experts so it comes as no surprise that they offer a hand cream for chapped, irritated and reddened hands. Which makes it sound a bit worthy and clinical, but in fact it not only does the jon (with the sunflower oil and shea butter and vitamin E) but also feels luxurious.
01732 459 412

EO
Everyday Hand Cream - Chocolate & Mint (£8)

Well, this really does smell like a chocolate mint ice cream – which is a good start for me (other scents are available)! And what's more the ingredients in this organic hand cream, like cocoa and coconut milk help to restore dry skin, while organic butters add moisture, jojoba oil conditions and calendula, chamomile and white tea replenish
www.forever-natural.co.uk

LANOLIPS
Rose Balm Intense (£9.18)

Billed as being good for Very Dry Hands & Nails - and it is! The cream is pink and has a rather powdery, old-fashioned smell (which I like!) which will be the soothing rose oil and it only needs a little to give the protection you need. It takes a little while to absorb, but then feels ultra soothing, thanks to the medical-grade lanolin and there's keratin to protect your nails. I also like the slim, hand-bag friendly tube.
www.victoriahealth.com at from Boots

AVEENO
Hand Cream (£4.99

This hand cream contains naturally active, finely-milled oats which apparently moisturise for up to 24 hours, while forming a “protective glove” for the hand.  It claims to last through hand washing – which it pretty much does do, although I never take chances and so by teatime had given in and rubbed in a little more. It feels non-greasy and absorbs quickly.
Available from selected chemists and department stores.

ORGANIC SURGE
Gentle Meadow Hand & Nail Cream (£3.99)

This hand cream feels lovely and cool and refreshing – which will be a bonus come summer.

It also absorbs quickly, which my boyfriend liked – he hates having 'greasy' hands.
www.organicsurge.com

NORWEGIAN FORMULA
Anti-Ageing Hand Cream (£4.49)

I used to find this extremely effective hand cream rather heavy and a bit tacky, but they must have made a few tweaks, because it's now much more easy to rub in, less sticky.... but just as good for chapped hands. Added to this it has an SPF of 25, which will give extra protection against ageing. Apart from the glycerin and shea butter for moisturising, there's also a mix of anti-oxidant ingredients to stimulate cell renewal.
(Available from selected department stores and chemists)

SISLEY
Confort Extreme Mains, Nutritive Handcare (£57.50)

After several hours of wear – which have obviously included a fair bit of hand-washing – my hands still feel as though I have just applied a cream. And it didn't take a huge dollop either. Which is just as well given the price; but it really does feel like a luxury cream – that'll be the ingredients like mineral-rich extract of guava, various vegetable waxes and shea butter doing their thing.
www.sisley-cosmetics.co.uk 020 7591 6380

LIPS

Because the skin on our lips is particularly thin, doesn't have sebaceous glands and is low in melanin, it needs a lot more tlc to protect it against the elements. Lipsticks will do the job quite well - which is probably why men tend to suffer more than women from chapped lips at best and lip cancer at worst. But even girlies have days when they don't want coloured lippy on, so here are some tried and tested balms that have passed my test as well as that of my particularly fussy boyfriend.

THIS WORKS
Turbo Balm (£10)
I love all the This Works no-nonsense products and this feels just as effective. It's extremely emollient and really feels as though the current biting wind is being kept as bay. The not-so-secret ingredient is monoi oil which is renowned for keeping skin and hair soft in Tahiti, which is blended with coconut oil and cocoa butter. A little goes a long way and it also works wonders on elbows, heels and cuticles.
www.thisworks.com

MALIN & GOETZ
Lip Moisturizer (£10)

When you first apply this gel it feels quite thick and tacky, but it quite rapidly sinks in and keeps dry lips moisturised for hours. It contains absorbant fatty acids which apparently nourish upon impact with the skin so give a continual 'layer of hydrating protection' all day. And you can also apply it over lip colour for a gloss look as well as extra protection.
www.malinandgoetz.com and from Liberty, London)

ECOLIPS
Lip balm SPF 15 (£2.50)
This lip balm features an aluminum carabineer clip which you can clip on your belt, strap, chain or bag, so pretty handy. The mint version (SPF 30 – to protect against continued outdoor exposure) is particularly tingly on the lips and feels very protective. It's also petroleum, sulphate and paraben free and use high concentrations of certified organic ingredients.
www.forever-natural.co.uk

SISLEY
Nutritive Lip Balm (£38.50)
This has to be the most expensive lip balm I have ever used – but it has to be said that it feels extremely luxurious and feels like it's doing its thing for hours and hours. The 'emergency' care balm contains a cocktail of ingredients (like plum kernel virgin oil, shea butter, red mango butter and hazelnut oil to rehydrate, protect, repair and plump the lips. Which is quite an ask!
www.sisley-cosmetics.co.uk 020 7591 6380

ELEMIS
Lip Revive (£14)
As any fan of Elemis would expect, this lip balm eschews petroleum in favour of a whole host of natural, nourishing and gorgeous ingredients to do the job. We're talking olive oil wax, white bees wax, cocoa butter, sunflower seed oil and then wild mint and peppermint oil to cool, soothe, heal and refresh.
www.timetospa.co.uk

LANOLIPS
101 Ointment (£11.22 - 17.5g)
No scent, no colour, no unnatural stuff – just pure medical grade lanolin (from sheep's wool). It takes a bit of squeezing from the tube, but once on your lips or fingers it melts into the skin and immediately feels soothing and emollient. Would be perfect on cracked skin around a snuffly nose.
www.victoriahealth.com at from Boots

KORRES
Lip Butter - Quince (£6)
This is a lovely, softening buttery balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish – which is actually a rather fetching pale raspberry shade, but nothing too full-on.  A mixture of shea butter and rice wax really feels like it's offering deep hydration and softness. Perfect for the common winter-curse of chapped lips! It also comes in mango and jasmine varieties.
0870 850 3868