Harsh cold winter weather and dry indoor air wreaks havoc on your skin. The combination of exposure to cold temperatures, harsh winds and sun reflecting off the snow along with low humidity and dry indoor heat can cause your skin to become dry, flaky, red and irritated.
Our rule of thumb is that when you turn on your furnace, it’s time to switch up your skin care routine to increase hydration in your skin.
Here are my top 10 tips for preventing dry winter skin and maintaining hydrated, dewy and healthy skin all winter long.
1. Avoid foaming facial cleansers and body washes
They compromise the integrity of your skin barrier by stripping its natural oil and a healthy skin barrier is critical to optimal skin health. Skin should never feel squeaky clean after cleansing.
2. Introduce oil into your skin care routine.
Don't be afraid of applying oil to your face. Oil balances oil. It won't clog your pores or cause you to break out. If you're using a cream or gel cleanser, try switching to an oil cleanser or alternating an oil cleanser with your regular cleanser.
Our Favourites:
Kahina Oil Cleanser is a healing and anti-inflammatory blend of calendula, turmeric and blue tansy ideal for dry sensitive and acne-prone skin. It's lightweight and water soluble and can be removed with water or a washcloth leaving no residue.
Laurel Essential Lipids Oil Cleanser is a multi-purpose moisturizer, cleanser, and facial oil in one to soothe and support the most sensitive and reactive skin, for those in healing crisis, with autoimmune conditions or in treatment for serious illness. It contains no essential oils, only healing whole plant oils.
Eminence's Stone Crop Cleansing Oil contains sunflower and jojoba oils, brightening stone crop and microgreens. Ideal for those who love Stone Crop Gel Wash but need a richer cleanser for the winter months. Ideal for dry, pigmented skin.
Huna Nourish Calendula Phyto-Ceramide Cleansing Oil is a luxurious, nutrient-rich cleansing oil that gently yet effectively dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and impurities without stripping your skin. Designed to support your skin’s natural moisture barrier, this gentle oil cleanser is perfect for irritated, inflamed sensitive skin.
Skin Frequency Alchemy Oil Cleanser is a silky, Ayurvedic-inspired oil cleanser that gently purifies and nourishes without disrupting the skin’s natural balance. It removes makeup, clears pores, and promotes a healthy skin barrier, leaving the complexion refreshed, radiant, and perfectly balanced.
3. Avoid Hot Water
Hot water strips skin's natural oils, dehydrates the skin and aggravates sensitive skin. When cleansing your face, always use warm NEVER hot or cold water. While relaxing in a hot, steamy shower or bathtub may sound like the perfect end to a cold winter day, resist making the water too hot.
4. Add a toner/elixir to your skin care routine
While you may be tempted to just switch to a a richer winter moisturizer to address moisture loss in the skin, what you need is a toner to address dehydration. We call it the 'skin plumper'. Apply generously twice daily onto clean skin and follow with your serum or moisturizer. An elixir helps prepare the skin for better absorption of serums, oils, balms, and creams.
Our Favourites:
Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator is a hydrator, toner, and a light moisturizer all in one that hydrates and plumps while relieving redness and helps reset the skins natural healing ability.
Laurel Hydrating Elixir I replenishes hydration, nourishes, brightens and repairs delicate, damaged skin. Rich in strengthening and soothing rose hydrosol, it's ideal for mature, dry, sensitive, reactive and rosacea skin.
5. Sensitive skin needs doesn't like extreme temperatures
The fluctuation between the cold outdoors and heated indoors cause it to become red, inflamed, itchy and irritated. Choose products with anti-inflammatory ingredients including chamomile, calendula, linden and rose as well as oils of borage, evening primrose, tamanu and chia seed to hydrate, calm, soothe, support and strengthen sensitive, reactive skin.
Our Favourites:
Laurel Recovery Balm is a winter must have! This multifunctional healing balm for the face and body reduces redness, swelling, and irritation and is ideal for eczema patches, dermatitis, cystic acne, sensitive allergy-prone skin, cuts and scrapes.
Blissoma Peace Evening Calming Moisturizer is a lightweight daytime or evening cream that soothes, hydrates and balances sensitive, irritated skin conditions.
Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm is a unique, fast-absorbing balm cream that contains a botanical hyaluronic acid to retain moisture and plump the skin. Ideal for dehydrated, acne-prone and mature skin. There is an unscented version for ultra sensitive skin.
Eminence Calm Skin Moisturizer is a creamy moisturizer that contains chamomile, calendula, aloe vera and shea butter to calm, hydrate and revitalize sensitive, rosacea skin.
Huna Vegan Nutrition Balm is a rich, multi-purpose vegan balm designed to deeply nourish, soothe, and protect dry, sensitive, and irritated skin. The concentrated, waterless balm melts upon contact, delivering a potent blend of 22 healing botanicals to restore your skin’s health and vitality.
Skin Frequency Enrich CoQ10 Balm is a luxurious, waterless balm that deeply hydrates and protects even the most sensitive skin. Enrich is different from other creams which are mostly water. It’s a dense, no-filler balm that delivers deep, therapeutic care with every swipe, all without being heavy. The addition of CoQ10 supports collagen production for a firmer, more resilient complexion.
6. Incorporate an oil serum into your daily skin care regime
Serums are winter skin-saver powerhouses for every skin type. Massage 2-4 drop of serum into your damp skin and massage until absorbed.
Our Favourites:
Laurel Unburden Serum is the ultimate oil serum for soothing and supporting inflammed, sensitive and reactive skin. it's effective in reducing redness, rosacea and acne. Ideal paired with Laurel's Elixir II.
Kahina Argan Oil calms redness, soothes irritation, reduces fine lines, restores elasticity and protect the skin from the harmful effects of winter cold.
Eminence Rosehip Triple C + E Firming Serum is a firming oil serum that offers intense hydration and protection. Use alone or over the Citrus & Kale Potent C+E Serum and then follow with your moisturizer.
7. Try a hydrating water-based or gel serum
If you aren't quite ready for an oil serum.
Our Favourites:
Josh Rosebrook Hydration Boost Concentrate is a unique oil and essential-oil free 'drink of water' that plumps and hydrates the skin. Use a drop with the Hydrating Accelerator or add a drop to your moisturizer. It contains botanical hyaluronic acid, is anti-inflammatory and ideal for sensitive, rosacea winter skin.
Laurel Roots + Roses Hydration Compound is a whole plant alternative
to Hyaluronic Acid but also helps to retain moisture and increases hydration
into deep connective tissue, marshmallow root strengthens the skin from
within. Chia seed will help to increase Hyaluronic Acid levels within the
skin.
8. Incorporate a hydrating face mask to your skin care routine
No need to wait 15 minutes, apply a cream mask as your night cream, wear it to bed and remove it in the morning to reveal a glowing, hydrated complexion.
Our Favourites:
Josh Rosebrook Advanced Hydration Mask is a balm mask that nourishes, regenerates and hydrates the skin. Indian Senna Seed, also known as "botanical hyaluronic acid," locks in moisture, plump, condition, and improve skin circulation. Use as a mask or apply overnight after your serum.
Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Masque is a cream mask that hydrates, plumps and refines the look of skin. Marshmallow Root Extract is a botanical hyaluronic acid that retain moisture in the skin. Can be used alone or applied as an overnight treatment.
LILFOX CUPU COOL Hyaluronic Treatment Balm is a 2-in-one balm acts as an overnight treatment and deep moisture mask. Formulated with potent plant extracts, rich in peptides and hyaluronic acid, this balm plumps skin and visibly increases elasticity.
9. Do not neglect your lips
They need extra TLC as well. Use a petroleum-free lip balm that contain healing shea butter to heal chapped winter lips.
Our Favourites:
Activist Manuka Lip Balm is a deeply moisturizing and healing lip balm. Say bye to chapped and sore lips.
Eminence Citrus Lip Balm contains calendula and shea butter to soothe and hydrate lips, provide relief for chapped lips, plump lips and leave them looking dewy and glossy, not sticky.
10. Sun protection is not just for the summer months
The strength of ultraviolet (UV) rays doesn’t diminish during the winter months. Snow acts as a reflector and can bounce UV rays back at you, greatly increasing the chance of sunburn. Apply a full spectrum SPF to the face, ears, hands and lips. Reapplication of sun protection every two hours is key.
While proper winter skin care is critical to optimal skin health, so is your diet. What you eat play a huge role in retaining moisture for healthy skin, nails, and hair. Fish oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA,) as well as foods rich in Vitamin A, C, D, & E as well as zinc and selenium help to protect and strengthen skin.
Happy skin! Happy winter!
