In the winter, it's easy to feel like you need to switch up everything about your life. From your clothes to your schedule, the dark, cold days can derail almost everything—including your skin. Blame it on the brisk temperatures or the dry air, but skin concerns abound from December through March.
That said, I'm here to make one thing clear. You don't have to completely overhaul your skincare routine each winter to ward off winter skin concerns. In fact, transitioning your routine is less complicated than you think. Simply gravitate toward products and ingredients that moisturize while calming irritation and inflammation—think soothing serums and facial oils.
As a beauty editor, I know this better than anyone. Each year, I swap out a few steps in my skincare routine to maintain healthy, happy skin. There are some products I always restock and others that I retire for the time being. Keep scrolling to see them all.
9 Beauty Products I Restock for Winter
This mineral sunscreen is a must for winter. It's broad-spectrum SPF 40 (meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays). It also uses an ingredient called Lipochroman, which offers antioxidant protection. The lightly tinted formula doesn't leave a white cast or greasy residue. The best part? It's fairly undetectable under makeup.
Applying makeup to dry skin can be a bit of a hassle, so I suggest using a hydrating primer like this one from Laura Mercier on top of a rich face cream. Made with olive extract, it smoothes texture and locks in moisture for plump, healthy-looking skin.
The best recipe for soothing irritated winter skin? Focus on strengthening your skin barrier. This serum is a good choice. It's packed with niacinamide to reinforce your skin barrier and treat and prevent redness and irritation.
A face oil is definitely something you should keep on hand for the winter. Because of its ability to lock in moisture and seal in all of your other skincare products, it's a surefire way to get the most out of your skincare routine. This one is luxe and glow-giving. It's formulated with antioxidant- and fatty-acid-rich ingredients like squalane, pomegranate, rose hip, and sea buckthorn oils.
An overnight mask is the dream add-on to a winter skincare routine. Worn during sleep, this one from Kiehl's uses 10.5% squalane to replenish moisture and plump and smooth the skin by morning. It gives a whole new meaning to the term beauty sleep.
One thing you can be sure to expect during these drier and chillier months? Dry, chapped lips. I like to get out ahead with a lip treatment that doubles as a gloss. This one is packed full of peptides and hyaluronic acid to plump, smooth, and hydrate the thin skin on the lips.
Serums aren't just for your face. They're also a good way to care for the skin on your body. This one from Nécessaire is loaded with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and ceramides—all guaranteed to deeply hydrate the skin without any oily or greasy residue.
Drench your skin in CoQ10, aloe, and cucumber—a trio of hydrating ingredients encased in gentle acids that brighten, smooth, and renew the skin. Bonus points for the antioxidants that help to protect the skin against environmental damage. For me, this is a winter skincare staple.
My favorite thing about this body scrub is that it easily sloughs away dry, dull, and dead skin without causing excess irritation. It's all thanks to exfoliating ingredients like fine sea sand and pumice powder. Meanwhile, honey, hyaluronic acid, and a blend of sunflower and olive oils leave skin feeling soft, smooth, and moisturized.
3 Beauty Products I Cut Back On During Winter
As much as I adore this product for getting rid of acne, I scale back on it quite a bit in the wintertime. Why? Because acne treatments, like this one, often contain salicylic acid and retinol. These ingredients can be drying and make existing irritation worse. That's why I only use this product once or twice a week in the winter.
It's somewhat of a myth that you can't exfoliate in the winter—you've just got to use something extremely gentle to buff away dead skin, like this product from Omorovicza. I don't use it every day, but when I do, it sloughs off dead skin and leaves my face feeling smooth and refreshed.
It's always important to have a good antioxidant serum—like vitamin C—nearby. This one has 15% vitamin C to brighten and protect the skin, while a plant-derived peptide firms the skin and targets hyperpigmentation. I love using it, but I cut back on it in the winter when my skin tends to feel more irritated than normal.
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