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While you might be excited for the cozy autumn and winter seasons, your skin probably isn’t. You protect yourself from the cold with warm knits, comfortable sweaters, and wooly socks, but the sensitive skin on your face doesn’t have that option.
What does this mean for your skin and skincare? It means you must create a few layers of protection for your face. To keep your skin happy during the cold months, change up your skincare routine a little and focus on products with ingredients that will specifically help your skin during the cold.
These are the products that you should add to your daily winter skincare routine when the temperature drops.
How Does Winter Affect Your Skin?
You’ll notice a few changes in your skin as winter settles in. Dryness and flakiness are common culprits, but you might also cope with redness and irritation. With the dip in humidity, your exposure to indoor heaters, and the harsh, chilly winds, your skin can undoubtedly feel drier and appear duller.
Your skin’s battle isn’t just with the cold outdoor air. The heat inside your home can add to the woes. You’ll want to reassess your skincare routines — doubling down on hefty formulas might not be your solution. Altering your skincare habits can significantly benefit your skin, offering soothed complexions all through the frosty season.
Even as seasons shift and temperatures fall, remember — your skin type remains the same. An entirely new routine might not be necessary, but a little extra help or a few adjustments never hurts.
Besides, it’s about strategic adjustments suitable for the winter season and lifestyle modifications that impact how your skin feels and appears. Balancing it out is the trick.
Why You Need To Change Up Your Skincare Routine For Winter
As we said, your skin type isn’t seasonal; it’s consistent; you simply need to be accommodating to seasonal shifts. The good news is that all it takes is one or two dermatologist-approved adjustments to keep your skin radiant, even when the temperature drops.
Here’s a game-changer for you: don’t completely swap routines; instead, make strategic tweaks. You can start by going for creamier textures. If you’re using a gel-based moisturizer, consider switching to something heavier. The same goes for your cleanser—an oil or cream-based one would do more justice in winter.
To help you adjust your skincare routine to be winter-approved, here are 5 products you should definitely consider adding or swapping with your current products.
Winter Skincare: 5 Products That Are Needed
1. Soy Hydrating Face Wash — Fresh
$39 for the full size 150 ml / 5 fl oz tube – Fresh online store
The most important thing about winter skincare is to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized, and the Soy Hydrating Face Wash from Fresh does just that. The cold conditions and often dry air (despite precipitation) can dry out your skin if you aren’t using the correct products.
Steer clear of aggressive cleansers this time of year and opt for milky, soft, nourishing ones like this instead. When you incorporate this gentle cleanser into your skincare regime, you get the benefit of the following ingredients:
- Aloe and cucumber to soothe irritated skin;
- Borage seed oil (containing fatty acids) to nourish and soften your skin and;
- Soy proteins (rich in antioxidants) improve skin elasticity and smooth your complexion.
This product can be found cheaper when bought in a travel size as part of a skincare set on the site for $23.
2. RejuvatoneMD The Facial Toning System — Trophy Skin
$199 – Trophy Skin online store
Investing in a microcurrent device will help your skin thrive through the cold months. A microcurrent device uses gentle technology to stimulate your facial and neck muscles, which instantly improves facial tone and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
To see the best results possible, you’ll need to use this device by Trophy Skin every morning and evening, and remember that it’s not restricted to winter use.
Apply a little of the gel (included with the device) so that the device doesn’t pull at your dry skin, and rub the device across your face and neck. Use before moisturizing and serums, as these liquids may block the currents from getting as far down into your skin as possible.
3. Dermal Repair Cream — Skinmedica
$134 for a 1.7 oz. Jar – Dermstore online store
A winter skincare routine should always include a rich, nourishing moisturizer, like the Dermal Repair Cream from Skinmedica. A cream that penetrates the surface of your skin to nourish as deeply as possible is what you need when the weather outside is a constant attack on your skin’s surface.
These are the ingredients that make this moisturizer an excellent choice:
- Vitamin C for an even skin tone and brighter complexion,
- Vitamin C to repel free radicals and help smooth fine lines/ wrinkles,
- Hyaluronic acid to retain moisture and plump skin, and
- Omega 3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin cell production.
Check out Amazon for any deals or discounts on this product.
4. Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask — First Aid Beauty
$24 for a 2oz tube – First Aid Beauty online store
You should always have a face mask on weekly rotation, and the First Aid Beauty one is perfect. Your skin is often more sensitive in harsh weather conditions[1] than when things are temperate outside, so a gentle mask is the best option. These are the ingredients that make this oatmeal mask an excellent choice:
- Colloidal oatmeal and bisabolol to reduce itchiness associated with dry skin and skin tightness, and
- Shea butter and buckthorn extract to moisturize very dry skin.
You can use this mask all over your face and your neck two or three times a week, depending on how dry your skin feels. Keep it on your face for about ten minutes before rinsing with warm water.
5. ‘Screen SPF — Apostrophe
$27 for 3.0 fl oz / 88.7 ML tube – Apostrophe online store
Last but certainly not least comes SPF. No winter skincare routine (nor any skincare routine) is complete without a final layer of protection[2] that will keep your skin safe from the sun’s harsh rays.
While it’s true that the sun is less potent in winter, it is also true that sun protection is still essential. This hydrating, dermatologist-approved formula from Apostrophe is an excellent choice for winter because it contains:
- Zinc oxide to protect against hyperpigmentation,
- Octinoxate to protect against UV damage,
- Sodium hyaluronate to draw moisture into the skin, and
- Allantoin, which comes from comfrey and soothes irritated skin.
Apply half a teaspoon of product after your moisturizer has soaked into your skin properly. You need to use your SPF daily, whether you plan on being outdoors or not.
Though you may not be exposed to direct sunlight at any point in your day, UV rays do bounce off of other objects and can still have a damaging effect on your skin if it isn’t adequately protected.
How To Layer Winter Skincare
In winter, when the cold weather and dry air can take a toll on your skin, it becomes crucial to prioritize layering your skincare products in the correct order. By following this step-by-step process, you can ensure that your skin is effectively nourished and protected throughout the day.
To begin, it is advisable to start with lighter products such as serums and essences. These formulations are usually packed with active ingredients that can penetrate deeply into the skin and address specific concerns like hydration, brightening, or reducing fine lines.
By applying them first, you allow these potent ingredients to absorb into the skin without any barriers. After applying your serums and essences, the next step involves layering heavier moisturizers and oils onto your skin.
These products act as a protective barrier, sealing in the moisture and preventing the skin from losing hydration to the harsh winter elements. Look for moisturizers that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides, which help retain moisture and strengthen the skin’s barrier function.
While moisturizers work wonders in keeping the skin adequately hydrated, it is essential to round off your skincare routine with SPF. Even during winter, the sun’s harmful UV rays can still cause damage to your skin.
Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 will shield your skin from both UVA and UVB rays[3], preventing premature aging, sunburns, and the development of skin cancers.
Tailoring your routine to include the right products in the correct order will ensure that your skin remains radiant, hydrated, and healthy all winter long.
Final Thoughts On Winter Skincare Products
If you switch to hydration-focused and soothing products like these while the cold months are here, your skin will remain happy and flourishing.
To avoid dull, tired, stressed-out skin, choose products like the ones recommended in this article and incorporate them into your skincare routine day and night for your best possible skin this winter.
