6 Powerhouse Dry Skin Saviors for Your Winter Routine

Winter is an especially stressful time for our skin and a lot of the products we use throughout the year may not seem sufficient. The skin gets drier, a little flaky, makeup doesn’t seem to go on as smoothly, and you start getting a little paler. Even though with oily skin may experience some extra tightness in the skin that they can’t seem to get rid of.

A lot of things can change in a winter skincare routine, but sometimes we have products that we know and trust already, so instead of telling you to swap out your whole routine, I often find it’s better to only trade out what’s necessary. For some people, it’s a change in cleanser, some others may need a new moisturizer. Nonetheless, I have recommendations for each step of my skincare routine to help smooth out dry skin.

Any time someone experiences dryness in the skin, I usually find that swapping out cleansers is a good first step. It’s the first step in our skincare routine and sometimes a small change like that makes the biggest difference. Cleansing is also a step in which we strip the skin of potentially conditioning and beneficial oils, so we want to be careful with what kind of cleanser we’re using. One of my favorites for winter is the Skinceuticals Soothing Cleanser ($39.00). It was formulated for post-procedure patients, which means it’s gentle enough for even sensitive types, but does a great job at making the skin feel clean at the same time. It comes with a foaming pump and lathers into the creamiest, meringue-like texture. Because of the foaming action of this cleanser, I recommend this as your only cleanser during the day and as your 2nd cleanse at night, in order to help keep the skin protected and conditioned.

A good calming toner is essential keeping dry, stressed skin happy. The d’Alba Mild Skin Balancing Vegan Toner ($42.00) is the perfect fix for that. It balances the skin’s pH after cleansing and provides skin-protecting and strengthening antioxidants. Vegan ceramides keep the skin moisturized and prevent any skin flakiness from dry environments. The cica extract works as an anti-inflammatory to keep skin calm and comfortable.

Exfoliating with dry skin can be tricky business. You don’t want to overdo it and cause the skin to dry even more, but you also want to do it effectively to help soften the skin some. The Sachi Skin Ursolic Acid & Retinal Overnight Reform ($92.00) is the perfect solution. This gentle, leave-on gel-creme retinol works as a beautiful anti-aging exfoliating treatment, while also providing much needed antioxidant benefits and conditioning for the skin. The creme formula feels luxurious and adds a light moisturizing layer beneath night creams. The Ursolic Acid supports the skin barrier and brightens the skin, alongside bakuchiol and niacinamide. The retinal is encapsulated, which will provide a gentle yet impactful delivery to the skin. Not to mention, the airless pump makes for easy dispensing and full access to all the product!

Dry skin can come in many forms and one of the most common forms is dry, dehydrated skin. Typically you can tell if your skin is dehydrated by asking yourself: does my skin feel tight after cleansing? How soon after cleansing does my skin feel tight? Do I feel like my skin is dry, yet somehow still gets oily? If your skin feels tight, if there’s surface tension, or if it feels dry yet still gets oily, chances are you’re experience dehydration. With dehydration, you need to add hydrating products to the skin, and that applies even if you’re drinking enough water. Topical hydration will do much more to help with skin dehydration compared to water intake and one of my favorite serums is Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Refining Serum ($39.00). It contains hyaluronic acid to add much-needed hydration to the skin, while madecassoide soothes and reduces inflammation, and niacinamide brightens and promotes desquamation in the skin. This serum is perfect for day and night to quench thirsty skin.

When using all these hydrating, moisturizing products, you need to seal in all that goodness. My OG dry-skin moisturizer is Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream ($48.00). Ceramides are essential lipids (oils) in the skin that keep it soft, prevents flaking, and maintains skin health. The Ceramidin Cream is not only a god-send for my eczema flare-ups, but also for everyday usage. It works well beneath sunscreen and makeup and can be used day and night. Ceramides also contribute towards the firmness of skin, so by keeping the skin replenished with ceramides, you prevent any accelerated aging.

When your skin is in despair needs an SOS, any and everything, the May Lindstrom Skin Blue Cocoon ($180.00) is your life line. This luxurious balm melts onto the skin effortlessly and works as a last step in your nighttime routine, or during the day before sunscreen. It’s full of antioxidants, moisturizing shea butter and marula seed oils, and the anti-inflammatory blue tansy makes it suitable for eczema and even acne-prone skin. Blue Cocoon is the perfect skin finisher when your skin needs all the TLC you can give it.

So there we have it, a winter skincare routine. As stated previously, sometimes you may only need to add in a new serum or a new cleanser to your routine to help offset the dryness and condition the skin appropriately. I often find it’s good to change things up gradually to help you learn more about your skin and to allow yourself to figure out what products, specifically, work well with your skin and which ones you can not bother with again. Treating dry skin can be a long process, but so worth it in the end. xx