It seems the perfect day to write about Philosophy‘s new Keep the Peace range as the Autumn wind and rain batter against my window. It’s not cold yet, but winter is definitely on its way and for those who suffer from hypersensitive, red and irritated skin, these cold months can be an absolute skin nightmare.

Enter Philosophy‘s new range, aimed for people with sensitive, reactive skin often affected by stress, harsh weather and fatigue. I really love the Philosophy brand – it’s scientific without coming across as clinical and while the little philosophies on the front of the boxes don’t help your face – they certainly make you feel good.

My skin is generally not too sensitive but having been hit with a horrible cold for the last week, when I tested these products my skin was red and extremely sensitive, which happens when I get sick. It happened to be handy timing to test the range, particularly with the face pack, as I spent half of my week in the bath feeling sorry for myself and trying to inhale steam. I have to say I love face packs, but I absolutely adored the Super Soothing Instant Relief Mask for Redness and Sensitivity. It had the consistency of a clay mask but didn’t dry like cement, meaning it was comfortable to leave on. It’s a pale grey colour and creamy consistency and had a scent I would describe as particularly soothing and subtle – it reminded me of the face packs I used to watch my mum use as a child. I left it on for a little longer than prescribed which was absolutely fine – when I rinsed my face, it came off easily (no sticking to the side of the nose on in the eyebrows as can happen with clay masks). My skin felt soothed and looked smooth, my pores looked smaller and I didn’t even need to moisturise after – truly a treat.

The Super Soothing Serum for Redness and Sensitivity is an extra step to use after cleansing and before moisturiser and is uses antioxidants to protect your skin from the environment and acts as a barrier from dryness and redness. I really liked the bottle which is like a traditional medicinal dropper which you use to put a few drops into your palm before applying to the face. I rarely use serum but I loved this one – it’s like a fine oil, again with a very subtle, natural smell, and made my skin feel like velvet. It was particularly soothing on the dry areas around my nose from the cold and the tired area around my eyes. I wasn’t sure if it would sink in but within two minutes it had, meaning my skin was ready for the moisturiser.

Finally, the Keep the Peace Super Soothing Moisturiser for Redness and Sensitivity comes in a generous pot and was a lovely product – a thick, luxurious cream with moisturising seed extract and soothing bark extract. It was a pleasure to use and left my skin feeling luxuriously smooth and hydrated.

This range has been a bit of a revelation for me. I didn’t think my skin was particularly sensitive but having used these products, I realised just how good it made my skin feel. Definitely a range I will continue to use and I would recommend to anyone suffering from hypersensitivity and redness. The range isn’t in stores yet but will be available in Boots from October – so you can collect points on it too!

-Jessica Luper