How to change your skincare routine in winter

It got COLD in Seattle this week! Though we’ve been in cooler temps the last few months, I can definitely tell that it is full on winter now and so can my skin.

I think we can all agree that dry, itchy and flaky winter skin is the worst, especially when its the skin on your face! That’s why it is so important to change up your skincare routine throughout the year as the environment around you changes.

For my winter routine, products I incorporate in are heavy in moisturizing properties and avoid drying ingredients that can leave your skin feeling stripped and tight.

Morning Winter Skincare Routine

In the morning I almost NEVER wash my face with cleanser (unless I did a work out and feel the need to cleans all the sweat/dirt away). I put a lot of nice products on my skin the night before and also don’t want to wash all those helpful ingredients as well as my skin’s natural oils away.

Toner

As a way to refresh my skin, I do swipe a cotton pad of Thayer’s Witch Hazel Toner to pull away any excess oil, dirt, etc. from my skin. This is my favorite toner because it is alcohol-free (no drying effect) and helps with any inflammation I might have going on at the moment.

Antioxidant

I follow with a Vitamin C serum to help with skin brightening, fading of any dark spots or scarring. I’ve been using Sunday Riley’s CEO Vitamin C serum and just recently switched to Drunk Elephant’s one to see what all the hype was about.

Hydration

Hyaluronic acid. This is a key ingredient to retaining moisture within your skin. One of the most efficient hydrating ingredients, hyaluronic acid is capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in water, in turn delivering moisture to the skin without clogging pores. After reading a lot of product reviews, I decided to splurge on SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier. This serum claims to amplify the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels by 30%.

Moisturizer

I follow the H.A. serum with a moisturizer to lock everything in. I’ve got a few types of heavier winter moisture. In the winter I like a heavier lotion to keep my face feeling hydrated but some can be too much for the morning, especially if I’m putting make up on top of it. I’ve recently started using Fresh’s Rose Deep Hydration Moisturizer. It is a lighter weight gel-cream that delivers intense 24-hour hydration powered by a combo of hyaluronic acids and time-release hydropatches to attract and retain moisture.

Evening Winter Skincare Routine

Nighttime is where I do my cleansing but as we’ve all likely experienced, a lot of cleansers leave your skin feeling too raw or stripped, which is not a great feeling in the winter.

Cleanser

I recently purchased this Naturopathica Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm. What I love about this product is that it gently cleanses and removes dirt and makeup all while nourishing and reinforcing the skin barrier.

Toner

I use the same Thayer’s toner as I do in my morning routine.

Treatment

At night is where I apply any special treatments like glycolic acid for exfoliation of dead skin cells. Read all about why I love using glycolic acid peels here and what it has done to improve my skin.

Serum

Nighttime is when I use a rentiol treatment to fight aging. I’ve been using Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil which is a mixture of retinol and blue tansy which help to calm and soothe the appearance of redness.

Moisturizer

Finally, I seal everything in with a layer of facial lotion – usually a thicker one. I have two that I alternate between. The first is Cannuka’s Harmonizing Face Cream. This CBD-infused cream is filled with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, and cucumber extract to moisturize dry skin as it helps balance oil production. If your opting for a more affordable hydrating cream I’m a huge fan of Cetaphil’s moisturizing body cream. Its pretty thick and is nice to lather on at night when your skin is feeling like it needs a bit more hydration.

That’s it! It sounds and looks like a much more intensive routine than it actually is. One of the most important things to remember is to drink water! Most of us (including myself) don’t drink enough everyday and being properly hydrated on the inside can do wonders for your skin. A mixture of staying hydrated on the inside and the outside is the key to combat dry winter skin.