Strength is often imagined as something big, bold and unbreakable. But in reality, it rarely looks like that day to day. More often, it shows up in the quiet, repetitive choices we make to care for ourselves – especially when life feels busy, the weather turns colder, and our skin, energy and routines need a little more attention than usual.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!It’s a theme that came through powerfully in a recent Aveeno House of Strength event, where beauty entrepreneur, Eleanor Pendleton, endurance athlete, author and mother Turia Pitt, and dermatologist Dr Alice Rudd, unpacked what “strength” really means – not just in life, but in the quiet rituals of everyday self-care.
Because strength, as Turia puts it, isn’t always loud or relentless. Sometimes it looks like simply showing up.
“I don’t really feel strong today… I’m really tired,” she shared candidly. “But I think strength to me is just about being consistent with things. We think we need to go all out… and now I reckon that’s not really a strength at all. It’s about being consistent about showing up.”
That philosophy extends beyond training and motherhood into the way she cares for her skin.
“Don’t let your skin dry out like a loofah,” Turia laughed. “It sounds simple, but being consistent with moisturising really makes a difference, especially in winter.”
In a culture that often equates “doing more” with “doing better,” there’s something quietly radical about that idea. Especially when it comes to skin care.
The science of “strong skin”
We hear the term “strong skin” everywhere – on social media, in beauty aisles, in marketing campaigns promising glow and resilience. But clinically, as Dr Alice Rudd explains, strong skin is far simpler – and far more biological.
What many people refer to as “glass skin,” she notes, is often just an intact skin barrier. When the barrier is functioning well, skin appears hydrated, calm, and luminous because it is retaining moisture effectively rather than reacting to environmental stressors.
In other words, strength in skin isn’t about perfection. It’s about protection.
And winter, unfortunately, is where that protection is most tested.
Why winter changes everything
With research by Aveeno revealing 71% of adults globally reporting sensitive skin, winter becomes more than just a seasonal shift – it becomes a physiological challenge.
Dr Rudd explains that cooler months bring lower humidity, meaning there is less moisture in the air. As a result, water naturally evaporates from the skin into the environment, leaving it drier and more vulnerable.
“When the moisture leaves the skin, the skin cells are not sticking together,” she explains. “There’s no glue in the skin and it becomes reactive and easily irritated.”
It’s a simple equation: less environmental moisture + disrupted skin barrier = increased sensitivity.
Dr Rudd says one of the most common mistakes she sees is people inadvertently making the problem worse through their cleansing habits.
“One of the biggest mistakes I see is using traditional soap or harsh cleansers, which can strip the skin of its natural oils and leave it feeling tight – but actually dehydrated,” she explained. “Switching to a gentle, soap-free wash can help support the skin barrier instead.”
And it’s something many people feel intuitively. Tightness after showering. Flakiness on cheeks. A general sense that skin just feels… unsettled.
Back to basics: the strength of simplicity
For Turia, that feeling of skin “unsettling” is something she knows well. Having lived in humid Cairns before relocating to Sydney, she’s experienced firsthand how dramatically climate can impact skin comfort.
“My skin felt quite moisturised in Cairns,” she said. “And then coming down here to Sydney, it’s dry, it’s cold. It really affects my skin and feels quite uncomfortable.”
Like many people, her early skin care journey was shaped by the influence of social media – and the pressure of elaborate routines.
“Ten-step routines, retinol, vitamin A… I just kept going because I thought it would fix it,” she said. “But it made my skin red, rashy and aggravated.”
The shift, she explains, came with time – and motherhood. Less complexity, more care. Less experimentation, more consistency.
Now, her routine has simplified into something more intuitive: gentle cleansing, nourishing hydration, and trusting the basics.
The change wasn’t just about saving time. It was about understanding what her skin actually needed.
“I spend a lot of time outdoors, so my skin really feels the effects of winter,” Turia said. “I’ve learned to keep things simple and focus on consistency rather than overcomplicating my routine.”
“I’ve definitely stripped it back,” she said. “Doing things like a gentle face wash and moisturiser – I’m good to go.”
For Turia, the lesson has been learning to listen to her skin rather than chasing trends.
“When my skin’s feeling more sensitive, I find sticking to gentle, hydrating products and a really simple routine works best for me.”
For Dr Rudd, this approach aligns closely with clinical best practice. Before introducing active ingredients like retinol, she emphasises that the skin barrier must first be supported and intact.
“Step one is always get the barrier right,” she notes. “Then we can add active skin care ingredients.”
In fact, Dr Rudd believes winter is often the season to resist the temptation to do more.
“At this time of year, it’s really about going back to basics – a gentle cleanse, consistent moisturising and avoiding overcomplicating your routine with too many actives.”
It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most effective skin care isn’t the most complex – it’s the most consistent.
The ritual that grounds us
There’s also something deeply grounding about the rituals themselves. Cleansing. Moisturising. Bathing. These are not just skin care steps – they are pauses in the day. Moments of return.
But even here, Dr Rudd offers a surprising insight: water alone can be dehydrating.
Soaps and harsh cleansers, she explains, can strip lipids from the skin, leaving it tight and dry. That’s why soap substitutes and gentle, nourishing formulations become especially important in winter – helping preserve the skin’s natural moisture barrier rather than disrupt it.
Moisturising, she adds, is most effective when timing is on your side.
“The best time to moisturise is straight after the shower, while your skin is still slightly damp,” said Dr Rudd. “That helps lock in hydration and support the skin barrier, particularly in winter.”
It’s a small shift, but one that speaks to a larger idea: care is often found in what we don’t remove, rather than what we add.
Skin at every age
The conversation also turned to something many parents know instinctively – that children’s skin is not simply a smaller version of adult skin.
Dr Rudd explains that a child’s skin barrier and microbiome are still developing until around the age of two, making it far more susceptible to irritation and dryness. Even water, she notes, can be too stripping on its own.
This makes gentle, nourishing care not just beneficial, but essential.
It’s a reminder that skin health is not static – it evolves with us, from infancy through adulthood, and requires different kinds of attention along the way.
Strength, redefined
If there is a thread running through this conversation, it is that strength is not about intensity. It’s about steadiness.
For Turia, strength is showing up – even on tired days. For Dr Rudd, it’s protecting the skin barrier before chasing “active” results. And for many of us navigating colder months, it might simply be remembering to moisturise after the shower, or choosing gentleness over overcomplication.
In winter, when skin becomes more reactive and life feels a little heavier, those small acts matter more than ever.
Because strength isn’t always visible. Sometimes it looks like consistency. Sometimes it looks like care. And often, it looks like both.
