If there is one season that is the toughest on skin, it’s winter. The frigid temperatures outside can wreak havoc on your soft skin leaving it dull and lackluster. Combine that with the dry heat indoors and you’re dealing with skin that is dry and yearning for hydration. In order to make it through the coldest season of the year with skin that looks and feels fabulous, you’ll have to get serious about your skin care regimen. The products you use, your daily morning and night routines, and your weekly treatments are what will make the difference between having skin that glows like summer or skin that is suffering the winter blues.

How To Create a Routine That Works In Winter

The first step in your winter skin care is creating a solid routine that works for your skin and your lifestyle. Think about the activities you partake in on a daily basis, what your schedule looks like, where you’ll have time to spend a few extra moments giving your skin TLC, and where you need to handle things quickly and efficiently. Also, think about your skin type and sensitivities, past experiences, and current products in your stash. By putting in some extra time and thought before you jump into a routine, you’ll be more likely to create one that is effective and that you’ll stick to.

A winter skin care routine should consist of four main aspects: Cleansing, Moisturizing, Exfoliation, and Treatment. Clean skin serves as the foundation of any proper skin care routine and in winter it’s no different. Cleanse with a hydrating cleanser daily and use lukewarm water to rinse. If your skin is typically dry, you’ll want to limit cleansing with product to once a day— preferably at night—and opting to use just water to rinse in the morning. This will help your skin stay clean but prevent it from drying out.

Due to the harsh conditions both inside and out, winter skin tends to dry quicker and need to be moisturized more frequently. Incorporating frequent moisturizing into your daily routine will ensure your skin is properly hydrated before you leave the house and will replace moisture lost during the day. Don’t forget that your face isn’t the only part of your skin that will require extra attention during the winter. Be sure to keep your body and skin moisturized daily with a heavy body cream. It’s a great idea to carry a hand cream with you throughout the day to keep your hands hydrated as you brave the cold outside. Also, keep lip care in mind by keeping a simple hydrating lip balm around applying multiple times per day. This will help your lips stay soft, moisturized, and ready for the day to night lipstick change for happy hour after work.

Exfoliating is a practice that tends to go overlooked in the winter because it can be drying to the skin if you’re not careful. That being said, it’s essential to keep exfoliation in your weekly skin care routine because it removes dead skin and allows your products to work more effectively. The key to exfoliating in the winter is being sure to follow up with a creamy moisturizer to lock in moisture. Also, be sure to add exfoliating to your lip care as well. Exfoliating with a lip scrub as often as needed will help your lip balm work its best.

Treatments are the last step in your winter skin care routine but one of the most important. Now is the time you want to be investing in those high quality masks, serums, and creams that will give your skin the extra boost it needs. Make sure to spend some time each week with a hydrating face mask. Allow your skin to soak in extra nutrients with a nourishing serum, and don’t hesitate to add an extra brightening eye cream or other luxury product to your daily routine where you see fit. With winter skin care, less is certainly not more.

 

How To Choose The Right Products

Creating a practical routine is only half the battle when it comes to winter skin care. Just as your wardrobe changes with the seasons, so will your skin products. This is the season where you’ll be swapping out your favorite products that brought you through spring and summer, and replacing them with heavier, quality products that are better suited for the frosty winter weather.

• CLEANSERS: In the winter you’ll want to put your favorite foaming cleanser or beauty bar aside, and reach for a cream or oil based cleanser instead. Cream cleansers are generally heavier and penetrate the skin deeper, while oil cleansers work to lock in moisture. For people who suffer with dry skin on a normal basis, you might want to go the extra step by looking for products that contain hyaluronic acid as this ingredient provides an extra boost of hydration.

• MOISTURIZERS: The best type of moisturizer to use in the winter is anything that is super hydrating. As a general rule, anything heavier than your summer moisturizer will likely do the trick. However, it’s important to note that a gel moisturizer will always be the preferable option.

• EXFOLIATORS: Now’s the time to switch from using an exfoliating scrub to trying something a bit gentler. The goal of exfoliating is to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate the skin. Since this can be achieved without using a rough face scrub, try using a cleanser with glycolic acid instead. This multi-tasking product works to remove skin cells, helps improve the appearance of fine lines, and is great for preventing breakouts.

• SERUMS: Similar to cleansers, oil based serums work best during the winter because they help your skin retain moisture. Oils are generally packed with antioxidants and help balance your skin’s normal oil production. You can opt for unique blends or try 100% organic oils following your moisturizer for optimal results.

 

Everything Else You Need To Know

A good routine and the right products will definitely take your skin far during the winter but, there are a few other things that can not go without saying in order to achieve successful winter skin care.

By creating an efficient routine, using the most effective products, and keeping essential skin care practices in rotation, your skin won’t just survive winter, it will thrive.