As a human with dry skin, winter can be my worst enemy. From bitter cold temps outdoors to the dry, dehydrating heat indoors, our skin goes through a lot during this season in colder climates. Thankfully, after years of battling dry, dull skin in the dark days of winter, I’ve learned a few things to help baby my skin over the next few months. Keep reading for my tried and true products and tips for the perfect morning skincare routine for winter!
When sharing my skincare routine, I never know if I should start with morning or night – you know, kind of like that whole chicken or the egg thing. For sake of ease, let’s start with the AM and a PM edition will follow.
First things first, let’s understand that you should NOT wash your face in the shower, especially if you are anything like me and take showers that are so hot they rival the temperature of the sun. Your skin on your face and décolleté is much thinner than elsewhere on the body so we want to be gentle with it. That means easy on the hot water – oh, and the scrubs, but we will get into that more for the night time routine. Thus, I wait to cleanse my face once I am out of the shower and at my bathroom vanity. I use lukewarm water and a very gentle cleanser, which sometimes means you have to move away from the super soapy and foaming cleansers. Yes, I know you want to feel all squeaky clean, but that tight feeling is all your very necessary oil and moisture leaving your skin and that’s not good. After cleansing, your skin should feel fresh and clean, but not uncomfortable. A few of my favorite cleansers include Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser, and, for super dry days, Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser. To cleanse, I just use my finger tips and warm water to massage my skin for about a minute or more. I gently dry with a soft towel and that’s it.
Next, I apply my favorite eye cream for day time, the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème . I love it for hydration, anti-fatigue, and because it is ah-mazing under concealer – a rare feat for many eye creams.
After eyes, I move on to serum. I keep it simple and stick to one, but feel free to mix and match with serums that play well together. For the morning, I tend to use serums that focus on hydration, plumpness, and/or aim at fighting free-radicals. Recently I’ve been loving the Algenist Genius Liquid Collagen, Summer Fridays CC ME Vitamin C Serum, and the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum.
After my serum, I slather on an uber-hydrating moisturizer. The trick is finding a daytime moisturizer, just like with the eye cream, that is compatible with your foundation. From December to March, I tend to be partial to oils. I realize how scary the “O” word can be for skincare newbies or for those who have been taught that oil is the enemy. However, I am here to tell you that embracing facial oils will change your skincare game , and even your makeup game, forever. From balancing out your hydration levels if you do identify as an oily skin type to giving you that much-needed boost of moisture if you are dry like me, oils are a godsend. On the makeup end of things, they can keep your foundation looking fresh and just the right amount of dewy all day long.
Trust me on this, try one of my OG favorite oils, like Herbivore Lapis Oil or Phoenix Oil, La Mer The Renewal Oil (also gorgeous mixed in with their La Mer The Soft Fluid Foundation), or the Tatcha Gold Camellia Beauty Oil, and you will be a complete convert. Just use a few drops and press into your skin for the perfect amount of hydration.
New to the facial oil scene is the latest launch from Seven Seven Cosmetics: The Oil Series which includes Mica, Argan, and Vitamin C oils. The Mica Oil is a beautiful combination of moisture and glow and it is becoming a regular addition to my morning routine!
Finally, I finish off my Morning Winter Skincare Routine with SPF – and yes love, you still need sunscreen in the winter and no, that SPF+15 in your foundation isn’t going to cut it alone. I’ve been obsessed with the Volition Beauty Prismatic Luminizing Shield SPF+ 50 because it is light-weight, doesn’t cause any texture or breakouts with my skin, and the luminosity is subtle, but gets the job done.
After I finish my morning skincare, I am prepped and ready for makeup! The only additional skincare item I use after my makeup and throughout the day is a setting/hydration spray. I like to use the same spray to both set my makeup right after application and to give a boost of moisture mid-afternoon or as needed. I’ve always loved Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Lavender, Seven Seven Cosmetics Natural Glow Setting Mist, and Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist – all of which are wonderfully hydrating for when you need the extra boost, but versatile enough to use year-round.
Okay then, so that rounds out my morning skincare routine in the winter months. Be on the lookout for my nighttime skincare routine and let me know if you have any questions, as well as your own favorite products for dry skin in the comments!
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