The Ultimate Winter Skincare Guide

Try as we might, we cannot change the weather. However, the weather can affect us, and especially our skin. Although our skin prefers consistency, as the seasons change, we must change our skincare to match.

In the winter, the temperatures and humidity levels drop. Our skin has to work harder, then, to stay hydrated in this cold, windy weather. This is our guide on how to keep your skin happy throughout the winter.

General Tips

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

The biggest problem all skin types face in the winter (yes, oily skin included) is a loss of moisture. While cold air outside and indoor heating sap away our hydration, there is a lot you can do to combat it and thrive with a calm complexion.

Starting at home, keep the temperature somewhere between 68 and 75ºF because heaters dry out the air more than air conditioners. You can also use humidifiers to add some moisture back into the air, and use warm water in the shower and when washing your hands rather than hot.

It’s also important to stay hydrated inside and out. Adding hydration back inside our bodies is just as important as adding it to the outside, so make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the season.

And speaking of adding hydration to the outside of our bodies, using a good moisturizer is the easiest and most impactful thing you can do for your skin in the winter. Cream cleansers, moisturizers, and thick lip balms should be in everyone’s winter skincare arsenal.

Use a thicker moisturizer at night on your face and body to not only add hydration to the skin but lock it in as well. Look for ingredients such as petrolatum, squalene, shea butter, glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, as well as thicker formulas. In general, pump-based moisturizers tend to be thinner while jars and tubes are thicker.

Your hands need extra winter care as well! Washing frequently keeps away cold and flu germs, but make sure to use a lotion immediately after them to prevent cracks and irritation. Also, wear gloves if your hands are exposed to frigid, windy air.

Be Gentle

As over-washing can lead to drier skin, consider switching from a double face wash to makeup removal using a Makeup Eraser to minimize the amount of time your hands/face spend with hydration-removing soap and water.

Also in winter, use fewer AHAs and retinols (as these can be harsh to the skin) as well as fewer physical exfoliators (check out our ultimate exfoliation guide for more information on this).

You can also try dry brushing your skin. Brushing your skin before a shower with a soft, dry brush can stimulate the lymphatic system as well as remove dead skin cells to help unclog and decongest the skin.

Take extra vitamins in the colder months to keep your body healthy, and wear softer, more breathable fabric before thick, rough materials like wool that can irritate the skin.

Use Sunscreen, Even in Snow

It’s also so important to use sunscreen in the winter on your face and body. Not only can the sun still damage your skin, but it can do even more damage in combination with snow glare. Nothing ages the skin more than UV damage.

Adjusting Your Skincare Routine

If you’re looking for what products you already own that might work well in the winter, check for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe vera, lactic acid, coconut oil, and jojoba oil (as well as petrolatum, squalene, shea butter, and ceramides, as we listed before). Do keep in mind, however, that using pure oils (like jojoba oil) on your skin every day can damage your lipid barrier, so mix it with your day or night cream instead.

We’ve also compiled the best winter skincare tips and tricks based on your skin type.

Dry Skin

Winter wreaks havoc on dry skin especially, leaving it even more dry, uncomfortable, itchy, and cracked than usual. You can check out our routine for dry skin, but there are some extra steps you can take for a smooth and soothed complexion.

In general, it’s good to look for formulas that are fragrance and alcohol-free, as these often dry out the skin, and yours needs moisture. You can also search for formulas that are “gentle” or made for sensitive skin, as these usually don’t have drying ingredients.

And speaking of needing moisture, you cannot moisturize your skin enough in the winter. You can apply layer upon layer of hydrating serums/creams, but make sure you apply them to clean skin. Also, look for formulas that not only add hydration but lock that moisture in as well.

For example, you can start with a hydrating serum, allow it to soak into your skin, then use a thicker cream-based moisturizer on top.

For lots of hydration, start with an oil cleanser, hydrate your body with DERMAdoctor’s KP Duty AHA Moisturizing Therapy, and smooth your eye area with a rich eye cream (the skin around your eyes is some of the thinnest on your body). For dry skin, we also love Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 1, Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, Shiseido’s Extra Rich Cleansing Milk, Clinique’s Smart Night Clinical MD Multi-Dimensional Repair Treatment Retinol Serum, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, CeraVe’s Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Face Lotion, COSMEDIX’s Hydrate + Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 17, CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Night Cream, Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream, and Sisley Paris’ Sisleya lIntegral Anti-Age Extra-Riche.

[elementor-template id=”2307101″]

Oily Skin

While oily skin is often portrayed solely as shiny, greasy skin, the winter can affect it and make it act more like combination skin with drier patches. However, you may continue to experience an all-over oily effect. You can check out our routine for oily skin, but there are some extra steps you can take for an even and comfortable complexion.

While hydrating your skin is always important, if you’re experiencing some dry patches, you can use a thicker and more moisturizing formula on just those areas so the rest of your skin doesn’t feel too greasy. You can check out our routine for combination skin for some ideas, but you have a lot of options.

Avoid using clay masks in the winter if you’re experiencing dry patches because they tend to dry the skin out further. Try a mattifier over oily-prone, shiny areas instead. Also, use warm washcloths rather than face brushes to deal with flaking skin, or AHA chemical exfoliators.

Some products we love for oily skin that gets some dryness in the winter are Estee Lauder’s The Mattifier, Erno Laszlo’s AHA Resurfacing Sleep Serum, Skin Medica’s AHA/BHA Cream, Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 3, Clarins’ Purifying Toning Lotion, Clinique’s SPF 15 Custom-Repair Moisturizer, Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen, Perricone MD’s Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel-Cream, and CeraVe’s Skin Renewing Night Cream or Lancome’s Renergie Multi-Lift Night Cream.

[elementor-template id=”2307110″]

If your skin is still primarily oily in the winter, it’s less important to use thick, lotion-like moisturizers, and instead, apply layers of lighter hydration. You might even be able to get away with a lightweight moisturizing sunscreen instead of a moisturizer during the day with a gel or lotion-based nighttime moisturizer.

If you’re going to double cleanse, use an oil cleanser followed by a gentle and non-comedogenic wash, like La Mer’s The Cleansing Foam or CeraVe’s Foaming Facial Cleanser. While we still don’t recommend mud masks in winter, if your skin is particularly oily you can use a gentle mud mask. We also like Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 4, Skin Medica’s AHA/BHA Cream, Fresh’s Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, and SkinCeuticals Mineral Radiance UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 50, Avene’s Very High Protection Mattifying Sunscreen SPF 50, or Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Sunscreen SPF 50.

[elementor-template id=”2307115″]

Combination Skin

Combination skin is tricky, because you don’t want to make the oily skin feel greasy and weighed down with thick moisturizers, but you also don’t want to dry out the dry patches even further. It’s important to find the balance that works best for your skin, and while you can get some tips from our combination skincare routine, as well as the tips in the oily skin section above, there are some more specific things you can do for your difficult complexion.

Start with a gentle cleanser, so you don’t harm your skin or dry it out too much, and sick with more gentle AHA exfoliators. Then, layer in some lightweight hydration all over with a hydrating serum, followed by a thicker moisturizer over any dry patches. Finish your morning skincare with a lightweight face sunscreen and use a thicker but non-pore-clogging moisturizer at night.

We love Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 2, Christian Dior’s Hydra Life Micellar Milk No Rinse Cleanser, CeraVe’s Daily Moisturizing Lotion, SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier, Dr. Dennis Gross Dark Spot Sun Defense SPF 50, CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream, SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight, and Lancome’s Absolue Premium Bx Night Cream.

[elementor-template id=”2307176″]

For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com