How should you adjust your skin care routine for the cold fall/winter? I’ll share 9 tips to keep your skin hydrated and glowing all winter long!
Cool falls and frosty winters can be super harsh on skin and require some serious updates to your skin care routine.
Each winter, I struggle with redness, flaky patches and overall dehydration, so I make sure to incorporate super hydrating, nourishing and protective skin care products into my winter skin care routine.
Below I explain 9 steps you MUST incorporate into your winter skin care routine this year for healthy, glowing skin.
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1. Use Gentle Exfoliation (only as tolerated!)
Exfoliating products are super important in the winter months to remove dry, dead skin cells, but be sure not to over-exfoliate! Listen to your skin!
Remember: Only exfoliate as often as your skin can tolerate it. This may be much less often in the winter versus the summer.
Drier or more sensitive skin types may only be able to exfoliate once a week or will need to use gentler exfoliation products (e.g. exfoliating toners with a lower acid percentage or type). Also be sure to avoid scrubs that have crushed nutshells or sharp-edged beads in them, as they can actually cause micro-tears in your skin – ouch!
Instead, try The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Liquid Peel – it’s amazing and probably my most favourite gentle exfoliant to date! It gets all of my flaky bits off without the scratchiness or the environmentally unfriendliness of most exfoliating scrubs.
Shop more scrubs, peels and exfoliating masks below!
2. Use Products With Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid helps skin retain moisture and maintain a healthy, plump look. It’s an essential ingredient for skin hydration, especially in the dry, winter months.
If you feel like your moisturizers aren’t keeping your skin hydrated, or you have dry, dehydrated skin in general, invest in a good hyaluronic acid serum and apply it before your moisturizer (I love Indeed Labs Hydraluron or the Hada Labo Gokujun Premium Hyaluronic Acid for lightweight hydration.
There are also a number of toners and essences loaded with hyaluronic acid that you can easily layer onto your skin to boost its hydration all day long!
Suffer from acne? Bumpy skin? Fine lines? Dark spots? Redness? Find out how to pick the best skin care ingredients to treat your skin care issues in this post.
3. Apply Emollient Balms & Moisturizers
When winter arrives, I find I need something with a bit more moisture and a thicker consistency to keep my skin looking its best.
Consider adding creams and balms into your winter skin care routine that contain emollient ingredients and thicker textures; these moisturizers tend to be more nourishing, protective and hydrating during the rough winter months and are a must in your winter skin care routine.
Examples of emollient ingredients in skin care include ingredients like plant oils, mineral oil, shea butter, urea, cocoa butter, petrolatum and fatty acids (like lanolin).
Shop more emollient moisturizers below!
4. Apply A Facial Oil
Facial oils are great for giving skin an extra layer of protection, while sealing in whatever products you’ve applied before it. Don’t be afraid of oil!
While facial oil is a skin care essential for dry skin types, oils can be great for people with oily and/or acne-prone skin as well. Facial oils are applied as the last step in your skin care routine, after applying moisturizer at night.
In terms of absorption, “dry” facial oils will absorb into skin, while non-dry oils will create an oily layer that sits on top of the skin.
I currently use the Kosmea Organic Rosehip Oil; it not only locks in moisture, but has natural Vitamin A to smooth and refine skin.
Shop facial oils!
5. Make Time For Hydrating Masks, Sheet Masks & Sleep Masks
A hydrating mask is a great way to revive weather-dried skin with a quick moisture infusion. Make sure that the ingredients on the mask include hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate, which is an ingredient that boosts the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
Sleep masks are great for applying at the end of your skin care routine to nourish and keep skin hydrated all night long, while sheet masks are amazing at giving the skin an instant hit of hydration whenever you have 15-30 minutes to spare!
Learn how to get the most bang for your buck out of your sheet mask sessions for more hydrated, plumper skin.
6. Layer Hydrating Mists & Hydrating Toners
A hydrating mist or toner is great for giving dry skin a moisture boost during the day or for a quick spritz during your toning stage.
You can also apply several layers of hydrating mists/toners to boost skin’s moisture during your morning skin care routine (also known as the Korean “seven skin method“).
Shop hydrating mists and toners!
7. Apply Lip Balms & Oils
Don’t forget to incorporate your lips into your winter skin care routine! My lips would seriously flake off if it weren’t for constant lip balm application.
I always keep a good lip balm in my purse, at my work desk and in my bedside table for constant lip care during the winter.
If you’re lips are prone to flakiness, the occasional lip scrub worked into your winter skin care routine is also great for removing dead skin and keeping lips looking refreshed and smooth.
Follow up with a good overnight lip mask (like this one from Laneige) or some good old Vaseline and your lips will look amazing all winter!
Shop lip balms, oils and scrubs:
8. Stock Up On Hand & Body Creams/Dry Oils
Extra moisturizing doesn’t only apply to your face! Your body and hands dry out just as much in the winter, especially since they are usually encased on scratchy wool sweaters and gloves that can be irritating to dry skin.
I have dry hands pretty much year round, but I really love the Almond Oil line from The Body Shop for my hands and cuticles. Dry oils are also great for sealing in moisture without leaving a greasy residue behind (you can add some oil onto dry hair as well!).
Suffer from dry, cracked hands? Here are 7 tips to keep your hands nourished and soft this year.
9. Use Gentle Hydrating Cleansers
While gel cleansers are great for the summer to remove excess oils and sweat, they can be a bit too drying in your winter skin care routine.
Opt for more hydrating and nourishing cleansers like cleansing milks, balms, creams or cleansing oils; they will still give your face a good clean but won’t strip away your essential oils or harm the skin’s moisture barrier.
Shop cleansing milks, creams and oils for your winter skin care routine!
If you want to effectively remove makeup/SPF, gently clean your skin and reduce acne, the Oil Cleansing Method might be something to try in your skin care routine.
Bonus Tip: Grab a humidifier for your bedroom or office to keep the air around you moist! I love this mini humidifier from Amazon for my office and bedside table.
100% yes to all of these except I just can’t get into facial mist. I have tried a few but I either don’t bother with it or I forget or I don’t find it to do anything for my skin.
Had my Fall Peel a couple of weeks ago and am now getting into my winter skin care routine now that my peeling has subsided. I currently have an order with The Ordinary for the past 2 months and it has yet to ship because they can’t keep it in stock! I found a great scrub at CVS in the Enlite line. And their clay mask is comparable to glam Glow. I use it on my nose area and it does WONDERS! CVS also carries a line called Nip+ Fab Glycolic that I alternate nights with my retinol. I have several facial oils and masks. The ONE product I cannot live without is the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. When I use it, my face looks like a whole new face. Even better than a peel! Moisturizers and lip balms, I have MANY. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Milani Lip Oils. I have every “flavor” in every crook and cranny of the house and purse! lol Lips, I have very dry ones. I recently went for a “makeover” and the guy doing it, right off the bat asked me about my lips. He had me to try a new lip product that seems to be working. Off the top of my head, I cant name it! ( its the middle of the night, can’t sleep! ) I am fortunate to live near a couple of stores that I can find name brand cosmetics for less than half price AND I subscribe to Ipsy and Birchbox. LOTS of samples!
100% yes to all of these except I just can’t get into facial mist. I have tried a few but I either don’t bother with it or I forget or I don’t find it to do anything for my skin.
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
I’ve only just started using one. Some are definitely better than others.
Had my Fall Peel a couple of weeks ago and am now getting into my winter skin care routine now that my peeling has subsided. I currently have an order with The Ordinary for the past 2 months and it has yet to ship because they can’t keep it in stock! I found a great scrub at CVS in the Enlite line. And their clay mask is comparable to glam Glow. I use it on my nose area and it does WONDERS! CVS also carries a line called Nip+ Fab Glycolic that I alternate nights with my retinol. I have several facial oils and masks. The ONE product I cannot live without is the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. When I use it, my face looks like a whole new face. Even better than a peel! Moisturizers and lip balms, I have MANY. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Milani Lip Oils. I have every “flavor” in every crook and cranny of the house and purse! lol Lips, I have very dry ones. I recently went for a “makeover” and the guy doing it, right off the bat asked me about my lips. He had me to try a new lip product that seems to be working. Off the top of my head, I cant name it! ( its the middle of the night, can’t sleep! ) I am fortunate to live near a couple of stores that I can find name brand cosmetics for less than half price AND I subscribe to Ipsy and Birchbox. LOTS of samples!
Tata Harper is a brand I’d love to try. Everything sounds amazing!
Definitely some great tips, I moisturise all the time! x
A Blushing Beauty Blog
My skin does crazy things in the winter so I’m ready to give some of your recommendations a spin!
Xoxo,
http://www.fashionlingual.com
Hope they help!
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