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How do you keep your skin hydrated during winter? Share!
I often switch to a slightly heavier, more moisturizing night cream or add in a hydrating serum (at night).
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I make sure to exfoliate regularly to keep the flakes away, use a moisturizing body wash, and use a good heavy lotion. For my face I just use the same moisturizer but twice a day, because anything too heavy makes me break out. We also have a humidifier in the bedroom.
yes! This is perfect. Exfoliate and use the humidifier (warm mist) in the bedroom. I open the window to chill the room before we go to bed then shut the window and turn on the humidifier. This helps to keep the”jungleesque” feeling down in the night. The warm mist humidifier is so important if the weather is dry – helps keep the flu and colds away, plus keep the skin moisturized.
I also use Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide serum night and morning. Yes, Elizabeth Arden. Love this stuff, more in the winter and dry weather.
I use a hydrating cleanser & hydrating serum (both Hada Labo Tokyo from Ulta), richer face creams, and some coconut oil.
I don’t change much. Since I have pretty oily skin, the winter’s when it dries to normal. I only have issues with my cuticles in the winter.
Since I have the driest skin in America I use the same moisturizer all year round; dr haushka rose day cream. Only thing that brings my skin to perfect moisturization
I make sure I drink plenty of water. I avoid really hot showers. I don’t really change my skincare items, but I think I do apply lip balm more frequently. I also apply hand lotion/cream a lot more frequently, since my hands are really dry to begin with. Indoor heat just makes them worse.
I use facial oils at night – Clarins Blue Orchid is a favourite but I sort of cycle through several of them – as my first layer and then apply a heavier night cream. In the day, I use a cream formula with SPF (Ole Henriksen) rather than a lighter lotion.
I use a facial oil in the evening, and either a hydrating serum or my usual moisturizer in the morning.
I switch to moisturizing twice a day rather than once a day, and if my face feels really dry I’ll skim some olive oil off my sugar scrub in the shower and let that sit on my face for a while before rinsing off.
Currently living in North Carolina so winters are pretty wet. When I lived in Indiana I would slather on my regular moisturizer (cetaphil) thick like a mask and let as much of it soak in as possible before wiping of. During last year’s Polar Vortex in Maryland I was blessed with having a sample of Silk Naturals Botanical Hydration serum – that stuff is the only thing I have ever found to be too moisturizing – and just layering that under my regular moisturizer had me good to go even in harsh, below freezing winds.
Lots and lots of aquaphor!
Hialuronic acid ftw!
I use the same moisturizer all year－Cerave PM, I just add jojoba oil to it in the winte . I also add The Body Shop’s Vitamin E masks (as makeup prep mostly, theyre not as effective for hydrating at night)and I like Pond’s face creams.
This winter has been the worst so far for my skin. I have oily/combination skin that becomes dehydrated easily. This year I discovered Peter Thomas Roth ViZ1000 serum and Cerave cream in the tub, Those combined with using a cool mist humidifier at night have really helped improve the condition of my skin.
What products do you use Christine?
Osmotics Cream Extreme is a go-to, and Aquaphor for dry patches. Otherwise, whatever I might have on hand (but haven’t committed fully to anything else).
Facial oil, over a moisturizes. I;v always been a lizard skinned girl.
I like to use moisturizing masks to help beef up my normal routine.
I love Boscia Restorative Night Cream for it’s moisturizing and calming properties. If you’re prone to breakouts or don’t like anything heavy, this probably isn’t for you. I think of it more as a rescue sleeping mask, and it actually seems to work better than Boscia’s Tsubaki Sleeping Mask which has strong fragrance added.
Coat myself in Body Butter (TBS)/current face moisturiser of choice every morning after my shower. That being said, it’s summer here at the moment, and I still do the same. Hooray for year-round dry skin! 😉
If I need extra hydration for my face in the wintertime I top my skin care regimen with an additional moisturizer, usually ATOPALM Intensive Moisturizer Cream (which is wonderful for any type of irritated skin too!), then top with a heavier-then-normal application of facial oil (not a dry-oil type like NUXE which is OK for summer). I’ve used Serious Skincare (HSN) Mega Omega-3 Olive Oil for years, it feels great, sinks into skin fairly fast, and no breakouts! Normally I apply one or two drops by rubbing into palms to warm it, then pat/press on face. If I feel I need it, I’ll use a facial mist before the moisturizer.
I use heavier moisturizing creams on my hands, and body butters and/or oils on my body after shower or bath while skin is still damp.
I have sensitive skin, so unfortunately heavier creams are out of the question.
I’m in my 40’s, and my skin loves Vichey serum (after I cleanse morning and night) then use Vichey face cream. Clinique’s 7 day scrub is the best for all skin types for gentle exfoliation.
And don’t forget a good eye cream, and drink lots of water 🙂
Shauna, I have very dray, sensitive skin, so I’d love to know what Vichy skin cream you use. Also, what eye cream do you use? Thanks!
Hi Debra, My ultimate favorite serum is Idealia Life Serum ( pink bottle) by Vichey.
I can notice a huge difference when I runout for a few days. I use the Liftactiv UV anti-wrinkle and firming moisturizing cream ( you don’t need much, so it lasts a long time. And my favorite eye cream is from Hummingbird Day Spa in Calgary, AB Canada, but now that I’m on a budget, the Vichey Proeven Daily Eye Corrector Dark Circles and Spots for sensitive skin has been a good eye cream. I’ve tried many eye creams, and I usually have a reaction to them but this one is very nice, and dispenses well 🙂 Just wondering, due to your sensitive skin and ichiness, could it be an allergic reaction to something? Maybe try switching cleanser and toner. I used to get Adult acne, but I’ve found using Avene Cleance Gel cleanser and and same brand Lotion/ toner is the only products that has stopped systic acne for me. I hope this helps 🙂
I exfoliate my skin about 2 times a week and slather on a rich moisturiser. I also apply olive oil just before going to bed to the dry parts of my face where my moisturiser doesn’t seem to work!
I try to use the Sarah Chapman night skinesis oil about 2 nights a week and Hydraluron in the morning after my supercheap Lacura serum before moisturizer. Sometimes I even skip the moisturizer but apply a drop of Clarins blue orquid oil before primer
Or just a good moisturizer ( alternating between Clinique the classic yellow one and Elemis Marine….)
Once a week I try to apply the facialists Una Brennan rose mask too with a couple of drops of the clarins or other sample facial oil.
And yes:drinking lots of water and avoiding alcohol helps too. I drink warm water with a drop of lemon juice every morning and keep a bottle of mineral or tap water in my handbag ..
I have combination skin so during the winter, my nose and sometimes my cheeks are where dry spots appear (even though I do get really oily on my nose, which is totally weird). I exfoliate and moisturize pretty much on and off all the time. This winter has been really annoying because my nose had an issue with the skin peeling and it just looked terrible, but after using a lot of moisturizing sheet masks and exfoliating masks, my skin doesn’t have anymore dry flaky areas.
Hi Nina,
It seems like we might have a similar type of skin. A couple of months ago I discovered Avene Hydrance Optimale Riche cream (in Europe it is sold in pharmacies), and it changed it for me after two weeks of use or so. No more peeling off or dry patches, while my oily areas are better too. My very sensitive skin tolerates it without any issue. Highly recommended!
I use my regular Clinique DDML and I don’t have any problem. If I do have some extra dryness, I use Eucerin lotion only on the dry spots before I go to bed.
I forgot to mention, I also like to use good old fashioned Palmer’s Cocoa Facial Oil at night also. I use that all over my face. Totally non-greasy.
Living in Australia, winter is not the problem – it is summer. I use a moisturizing body wash, cleanser and moisturizer daily. I have a daily moisturizer with SPF 30 in it.
I live near Cleveland OH and this winter has been brutal to my face. I’ve also had terrible wind burn despite the use of regular moisturizer. I am currently using an oil serum and First Aid Beauty cream for very dry skin and cover my face with a scarf when I go outside.
I used persription cortisone cream and La Roche Posey Rosiliec in addition to regular skin care to clear up the wind burn. Despite all of that, the burn lasted close to 2 weeks.
I’m lucky enough (unlucky?) to live in Florida, where winter never comes.
Pretty much the same way I stay warm – layering. Instead of using a heavier formulation, I’ll use two layers of a product I know works for me, or even layer two separate products, especially at night. On particularly dry days, I’ll put Clinique Moisture Surge over top of my normal routine for a boost.
And at least once a week, La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intensive Masque. Brilliant, brilliant product for hydration.
I’ve added an oil before the serum…
On its own my skin is pretty dry and irritated year round, so my winter skin routine isn’t too different. I use Hado labo’s hydrating toner (Japanese version, as the US one breaks me out for some reason) and then on top of that I’ll layer a facial oil mixed with an aloe gel, since I find that the latter helps the former absorb faster. Currently I’ve been using Physician’s Formula Argan oil, which has been working really well at hydrating without being greasy. Then, during the day, I’ll layer a light cream or lotion on top to seal it all in, though I haven’t settled on any particular one yet. At night I’ll use a chemical AHA liquid to exfoliate, do all the steps listed above, but use a heavier cream to finish. And a few times a week I’ll use a sheet mask or a sleeping pack in place of the cream. I’m a big fan of Origins Drink Up overnight mask and the Laneige sleeping pack. It seems like a lot, but it keeps me from being red and scaly!
I live in an incredibly dry (arctic) climate & have oily prone skin. My face can get dehydrated, I can tell especially with any undereye makeup. I drink a lot of water. Caroline Hirons, British skincare guru has really influenced my skincare routine. So every day, twice a day I double cleanse (cream cleanser in the am, oil based cleanser in the pm followed by a gel based cleanser). I then double tone, use an eye cream, I use a face oil at night all over my face & neck (currently rosehip oil, but I’ll skip for daytime under makeup), I use an oil-free serum twice daily, and a moisturizer (lighter/ oil free during the day & heavier at night). I also have started using the Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex on my face right before bed. I also have a variety of face masks for different skin needs, including overnight ones.
For my body I have huge assortment of lotions and just ran out of the Caudalie divine oil, and I always have to apply lotion after a shower or bath & frequently before bed! I use hand cream all day too. It’s very dry where I live! And I think it’s very important to stay hydrated! 🙂
In the summer, my skin is combo to oily; in the winter, it’s combo to dry, so I switch almost my entire skincare routine in the winter! I move to a more hydrating cleanser, a hydrating toner (as opposed to a more balancing one), a heavier moisturizer and night cream, and I throw in an oil.
I like to add beauty oils to my moisturizer. They really help add and seal in moisture plus they add radiance
Along with using good moisturizer , i drink lots of water and exfoliate every alternate day.
I’m fairly lucky. I’ve got combination skin that doesn’t change much with the weather. It’s probably helped by the fact that I don’t go out all that much. All I usually do in the winter is use a little more of my moisturizer and extra eye cream.
I switch to a heavier night cream one with extra nourishment for my dry skin and starts layring my day care with a moisturising day cream and a hydrating sunscreen.. 🙂
Occasional homemade oil based face packs does the rest for me! 🙂
I live in Montreal, Canada where the winters are brutal. Even though I have oily combination skin, my skin still gets terribly dehydrated. I was always afraid to use facial oils, thinking that I’d get breakouts, but they have been a godsend. I’ve been using Algenist oil for the past two winters – it relieves the dryness and doesn’t break my skin out.
My skin gets a little bit dehydrated so I try to drink more water, use a hydrating mask once a week (Carita Ideal Douceur Cotton Mask ) and, when it comes really bad, I add a layer of Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer lotion under my regular moisturizer. Its plain water for my skin.
I have oily skin, so I don’t usually have that problem. But if I do, I substitute my Philosophy Purity for my Eclos Daily Facial Cleansing Oil. It puts moisture back into my skin without making it oily.
I make sure to exfoliate weekly with a gentle chemical exfoliator, physical exfoliators have proven to be too rough for my skin in the winter time. My skin gets Sahara desert dry 🙁 I also add in a hydrating serum with hylauronic acid and a facial oil as the very last step to my nighttime skincare routine. An alcohol free toner also helps!
I use Egyptian Magic every night. It’s pretty much the only thing that will keep my skin hydrated during winter.
I loove Clarins Bi-Serum for whenever I got super dry Skin!