It hasn’t even been a bad winter yet here in Connecticut, but my skin has probably been the most dry and irritated it’s ever been. It’s taken about a month of diligent hydration and moisturization, but I’m happy to say my skin is finally getting back to normal. Maybe this winter is just extra dry, because I’ve had a few friends ask for help with dry skin lately, too!
First: Dehydration vs. Dryness
First let’s talk about skin dehydration vs. skin dryness. They’re two different things! You can have both, or you could have just one. Dry skin is a skin type and is often genetic, and is when the skin is lacking oil or lipids, and dehydrated skin is a skin condition, meaning it temporarily is lacking water. You can have dehydrated skin and still be oily, for example - and often dehydration causes more oiliness as your skin tries to compensate the lack of water by overproducing oil.
Dehydrated Skin Symptoms:
Tightness, feeling parched even after applying products
Increased sensitivity
Skin drinks up foundation/makeup
An increase in fine lines/signs of aging
The symptoms can be quite similar and hard to differentiate, but personally I end up just treating both during the wintertime. For dehydration, I focus on layering hydrating serums under my creams that contain hyaluronic acid, and for dryness I add facial oils into my routine.
Serums
If you’re dehydrated, you’re going to want to look for serums containing hyaluronic acid to layer under your creams. Hyaluronic acid can hold over 1000x its weight in water, so adding it to your skincare routine helps drive more water into your skin. These serums normally have a gel-like consistency and feel instantly quenching on the skin. My favorites are the Bioderma Hydrabio Serum and the First Aid Beauty Ultra-Repair Serum. These both feel soothing and instantly help my skin feel more hydrated. There are also much simpler hyaluronic acid serums that are great if you want to keep things basic. My favorite is the Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid - some of these serums can pill under makeup or other skincare, but I’ve never had that issue with this one. And it’s such a good price!
For dry or irritated skin, you can look for serums/products that will aid in barrier repair, usually containing ceramides or cholesterols. My two favorites for this are the Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief and Stratia Liquid Gold. Both are thin cream consistencies that are almost more like light moisturizers than serums. Ceramides and cholesterols are both components in the skin’s moisture barrier, so products containing them help the skin repair itself when it’s been irritated. Since my skin is both dry and dehydrated, I like layering one of these over my hydrating serum before moving on to a cream.
Creams
I don’t put much thought into the cream I use, as long as it’s thick enough to not be fully absorbed throughout the night or day and it works well with the other products I use with no pilling. My favorites when my skin is having a freakout are the new Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream, the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream, the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, and the Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream. All of these coat the skin with a thick layer of nourishment that keeps going all day/night, but they don’t feel heavy or clog the pores. If you’re more dehydrated than dry, I’d go for either the Fresh or the Laneige, as they have a slightly more gel-like texture and thus feel more “quenching” on the skin. For dry, flaky skin the Dr. Jart+ and Drunk Elephant work really well. Like the serums listed above, these also contain ceramides to help repair the skin.
Oils
To really make sure my moisturizer lasts all day or night, I like to either mix it or seal it in with an oil. My three favorite oils of all time are the Deviant Skincare Facial Oil, Leo Oil, and the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Dry Oil. They are all so soothing and repairing for the skin.
The Deviant Skincare oil has the thickest texture of the three, but still doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy. It contains a blend of tamanu, black cumin, rosehip, pomegranate seed, raspberry, cranberry, and blueberry seed oils that is meant to repair, soothe, and brighten the skin. This is the one I reach for the most in the wintertime. It makes my skin feel so plump and “juicy” when I use it.
The Leo Oil is one I’ve raved about for a couple years now - Dena’s mix of Meadowfoam, Rosehip, and Blue Tansy Oils is so simple and yet so effective. I’m convinced this cleared up my skin for my wedding. I love this oil because the meadowfoam helps to balance the skin (it’s the same molecular weight as the skin’s natural oils), the rosehip nourishes and brightens, and the blue tansy soothes. I’ve been using this one mixed into my moisturizer during the day, and I’ve noticed my skin gets a lot less red and irritated from the space heater at my desk now.
The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Dry Oil is the newest oil to my collection, but I fell in love right away. It’s a dry oil, meaning it’s a super light texture that sinks into the skin quickly. Since it’s so light, this is one I always mix into a cream rather than putting it on top. The oat & hemp seed oil are really beneficial to the skin, soothing irritation and sensitivity. If you’re usually on the oily side or don’t like the feeling of most facial oils, this would be a great one to try!
Masks
I haven’t been using masks as often as I used to, but when I do use one it’s always a hydrating/moisturizing mask. My favorite way to use them is to pop one on before I get in the shower and rinse it off when I get out. This way, my face is protected from the hot water that may be too drying, but I think the steam really helps activate them, too. For really dry/irritated/flaky days I love the Fresh Creme Ancienne Nourishing Mask. It’s pricey, but oh so worth it. It’s thick and comforting, and it always leaves my skin so glowy and smooth. Honey is one of my favorite skincare ingredients, so it’s no surprise my skin just drinks up this mask. My favorite to use while showering after a workout is the Korres Hydra Biome Mask - it’s cooling and soothing as well as really nourishing, so it feels amazing when my skin is still hot and flushed from exercising. For just a good, simple moisturizing mask, I love the Caudalie Moisturizing Mask. It feels like a thick moisturizer, and sometimes I’ll use a thin layer as a night cream if I’m feeling really dry. It really works to smooth my skin and make it glow.
Sleeping masks are always so helpful too if you’re finding your moisturizer just isn’t lasting throughout the night. Right now my favorite is the Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask. I use it as the last step of my nighttime routine, using it over a cream & oil, and I find it just helps seal everything in and keeps my skin moisturized all night long. The Cica also helps to soothe irritated skin, so it’s been the only one I’ve reached for all month.
Balms
Sometimes you just need a good balm to really help dry winter skin. For dry lips, a dry nose when you’re sick, or just any other dry patch, I’ve been really loving both the First Aid Beauty Oat & Hemp Multi-Fix Salve and the Lanolips 101 Ointment. The Salve has a really interesting texture, feeling like a stiff, matte cream. It melts into the skin and doesn’t feel greasy, dewy, or sticky, and it’s incredibly soothing. The Lanolips ointment is much thicker and depending on how much you use can be a bit sticky. It also leaves a glossy finish on the skin. They’re wonderful separately, but even better together. I’ve been putting a layer of the First Aid Beauty on first, and then following it with the Lanolips to really amp it up.
Bodycare
The skin on my body is not as sensitive to the change in temperature/humidity as the skin on my face, but it still needs love too. I’ve never been one to be “extra” when it comes to my bodycare routine, and yet here I am about to recommend a body serum. When the Necessaire Body Serum first came out, I was intrigued, but I didn’t think I could ever motivate myself to add an extra step to my routine. But like a lot of my skincare, I found that mixing it with my body cream still really works and bumps up the hydration factor a lot. I occasionally get dry, flaky skin on my legs, but that hasn’t been an issue at all since I started mixing the Body Serum into my body cream. For body cream I bounce around a bit - I was using the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream for awhile with great results. Right now I’m using the Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Balm. It still has a cream consistency despite being called a balm, and it’s incredibly rich and soothing. Mixing it with the body serum makes it easier to apply, too.
Other
Piling all these products on won’t really help if the real problem is just you not getting enough water. If you find yourself consistently dehydrated, try getting a big water bottle to carry around throughout the day! I take my 40oz Hydro Flask with me everywhere, and it makes me drink so much more water. The large size is key because (for me) I don’t have to refill it during the work day, which is what was stopping me from drinking enough water before.
Another thing that’s really helped my skin is getting humidifiers for our house. We have one in our bedroom and one in our basement (we hang out the most in the basement, and as it’s heated by a propane stove it gets incredibly dry). I can’t believe what a difference these made in my skin - I noticed right away my skin didn’t feel dry when I woke up in the morning once we started using the one in our bedroom.
What do you do to help your skin in the winter?
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