The winter is harsh on our skins and it’s really important to take care of it. The biting cold weather and dry air can really quench its thirst and wreak havoc with the condition of our skin.
Here are some tips to help you combat the icy conditions so your skin can come out of winter looking its best.

Gently cleanse, tone and moisturise

Your skin needs a regime even during the winter period but it needs switching up a bit. How? Be even more gentle with it, please. When cleansing and toning, use gentle, natural ingredients.

Layer your skin with a thicker moisturiser so that it can stay softened throughout the cold hours of the day and night. Choose a moisturiser that suits your skin type – normal, dry, sensitive, oily or combination which are the five common types of skin. Use a gentle lip scrub and lip balm too to protect your lips!

Don’t forget to apply sunscreen

The sun never stops shining unless it’s night but whenever it pops up, use a high SPF factor sunscreen to block those UV rays. We might think that the winter sun is less harsh than the summer’s but it’s still the same source of light omitting good and not-so-good rays. Please use SPF all year round to shield your skin.

Drink plenty of water and stay healthy

Keeping hydrated is paramount no matter how old you are and what season you’re passing through. Keeping yourself watered from the inside will help you stay hydrated on the outside. Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can be triggered and flare up in the winter weather so drinking water can help.
Keep in check that you’re eating healthy too. When the winter comes, we know how tempting it’s to indulge in lots of hot beverages and treats, it’s comfort eating at its very best. Keep your diet balanced and remember it’s okay to enjoy some delish food and drinks from time to time but eating healthy is a health goal.

Avoid bathing with hot water

As tempting as it can be to plunge into a hot bath (hopefully not with a splash, we don’t have a slipping hazard on our hands!) or walk into a lovely warm shower, both can strip your body’s natural oils so stick to lukewarm water instead. This will hopefully keep your own skin’s moisture locked in without irritating it and making it feel sad.

Layer up with protective accessories

With the winter weather comes winter accessories such as gloves, scarves and hats to safeguard your skin from the cold. Whenever you head out into subzero weather, be sure to layer up and add those must-have protective accessories.

Have a humidifier? Use it!

With the central heating on most of the day and night, it can seriously dry out your indoor air. To bring it back to life and add that much-needed moisture that your skin needs at this time, use an energy-efficient humidifier.

And that’s it for this blog. There’s more of where this has come from so go ahead and dive into our library full of blogs that cover so many areas of the modelling world and what are agency is involved in!

But with the expected splendid weather in July and August (we can all dream, can’t we?), there comes a few cautions we should take heed of. Staying healthy throughout the year is clearly advisable, although many of us try to hit gyms or lace up the trainers in late spring in a last minute bid to show off a new physique when the sunny weather arrives. Fair enough, we say! For some, staying healthy for the summer can be a bit of a chore, but don’t despair! Here’s your trusted modelling agency’s guide to turn heads when the wonderful summertime is at its most glorious. Hopefully, you’ll be looking as stunning as the weather…

1. Take sleep seriously. Making sure you have a regular sleeping routine is an easy – but vital – method for staying healthy and recharged. It can be frustrating waking up at a same time when the morning light creeps through curtains at an ungodly hour, so prime your body clock to combat early morning sun. And if your sleep is interrupted to the point where returning to the “Land of Nod” is impossible, rise and shine and make your early morning productive. A lot of creativity can be enjoyed in the early hours.
Have a read of some of our more in-depth snoozing tips


2. More water, please! Keeping hydrated doesn’t just apply when you’re basking in 30 degree+ temperatures; drinking plenty of fluids every day is crucial for glowing skin and keeping healthy on the inside. Luckily for you, this blog here highlights essential tips to keep your skin at its most radiant:

3. Respect the sun. We’re keeping fingers, toes and other extremities crossed for plenty of sun this summer. However, that doesn’t mean we should all bask like lizards 24/7. In fact, it’s recommended that we should seek shade between 11am and 3pm during peak summer months. If you’re in any doubt, play safe with a 30+ SPF factor sun cream, and remember that the sun’s rays are just as strong when swimming. For more sun-protecting tips, this blog is useful

4. Be sociable! Staying mentally healthy is just as important, so use the extended daylight hours to meet up with family and friends

5. New balls, please! Take up a new sport this summer to burn off calories, improve the eye, and to gain a newfound competitive streak that serves well whilst on modelling jobs. Fancy a spot of tennis? Don’t “follow the sheep” and wait until Wimbledon – grab your racquets and start now! Jogging in the cooler evenings or joining the open water swimming craze are two more active pursuits to tick off the summer bucket list. Exercise sharpens the mind, and is a key factor to a healthy mental state. Also, the more you exercise, the more likely you could star as one of our sporting models


6. Feeling hungry? Summer is perfect for eating lighter meals, such as fish, salads and veg. Eat often and little, and never skip breakfast (even if it’s a quick slice of wholemeal toast).

On a separate note, if you change your look during the summer, don’t forget to update your ePortfolios. We look forward to seeing your new photos and to put you forward to our clients!

Modelling opens up the opportunity for positive and negative judgments about  your appearance and body, for experienced models this is part of the course and something they have grown used to, but for others it can take it’s toll!

Models Direct have put together a few helpful hints to help stay healthy and look your best while reaching your modelling goals:

• Eat a healthy and balanced diet – We have all heard of fad diets, food supplements and even starving yourself before an important audition, casting or modelling assignment, but this is a mistake. Modelling is tiring, to be in the spotlight takes up a lot of nervous energy as well as the physical pressures, from travelling, rushing around, posing and taking direction, don’t try to do this on an empty stomach or reach for the sugar and caffeine. Instead eat a sensible dinner the night before, with protein and good carbs, a healthy breakfast and take snacks with you to eat little and often throughout the shoot. Nuts, cereal bar, fruit, dark chocolate are all good snack options.
• Stay Hydrated – We hear this all the time about drinking litres of water a day, but staying hydrated is so important. Coffee and tea are not an alternative to water when hydrating yourself, it’s water all the way! Get into a habit of having a sports bottle with you everyday, fill it up before you leave home and aim to drink at least two of these per day, more if you can. Drinking plenty of water doesn’t just help with your skin and appearance, it also give you energy. One of the first symptoms of dehydration is tiredness.
• Look after you skin and hair – At the end of the day it’s easy to not bother removing your make up and the general grime of the day, just getting into bed is super appealing! However, you will notice how much better your skin is if you have a good skincare routine, most importantly in the evening. While you sleep your will breathe and renew itself, so by taking your make up off your skin can breath and good products will combat any skin issue you may have. Hair too needs a bit of TLC, especially if it has been over styled for a shoot, so treat it to a hair mask over night so its shiny and glossy the next day.
• Exercise – Exercise is very important physically and mentally, we are very aware of the physical benefits, but the mental benefits are very important to, especially if you are having confidence struggles or are anxious about an up and coming shoot you have then the endorphins released when you exercise can really help these emotions. If you are not into the gym then try an outdoor activity or start with long walks or a quick run round the block, make it work for you and you’ll see the benefits.

To be a success in the model and talent industry you need energy and buckets of it, so look after yourself and be the best version of you!

To find out more about modelling visit Model Direct