Never in my wildest youthful dreams did I ever think I’d have to worry about dry skin, but now I do. Like, daily. Sometimes, hourly it seems. In fact, I think I’ll put on some moisturizer right now. BRB! 🙂
Here are some things that have been helping me deal with my dry winter skin.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
So my skin is more dehydrated than truly dry I think – I react badly to almost all products with any kinds of oil – red angry breakouts. I started using a cream with Pyrithone Zinc a few months back – it’s supposed to help with seborrheic dermatitis and fungal acne. I had used a Pyrithone Zinc soap with success on my persistent chest breakouts, so I figured I’d try it on my face too, and it definitely helped with the breakouts I had.
I use a lot of different products to keep as much water in my skin as possible. I think I have a routine that works really well right now. I remove makeup with Bioderma Sensibio, and follow with the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Creamy Cleanser. I use a basic toner just to make sure there’s no reside (residue = breakouts for me), and then mist my face with both thermal water and a mist with hyaluronic acid. I follow with some sort of serum (I’ve gotten into Vitamin C lately – I’ve also been trying to work in retinol a few times a week but it can be so dehydrating!), and then the pyrithone zinc cream, and then a rich cream with ceramides. I try to mist in between layers to keep all the hydration in.
I’m also big on sheet masks a few times a week if I can.
Such a lovely, springy makeup look in your video! I love hearing about the various oils even though I am a human oil machine and don’t suffer from dry skin on my face. My legs, however, especially this winter, have begun to resemble the back of a lizard. Usually the winters in the PNW are mild and rainy but we’ve had a run of very cold and dry days for a couple of months now. If you have any body lotion recommendations, I’m all ears!
My sky isn’t dry (it’s super oily, actually) but it does get dehydrated veeeeeeeeeery easily! I was into oils for a while, but at the moment not so much anymore. I’m in the Switzerland cold myself but so far my skin is doing pretty well.
Hi Karen! This is my first time commenting but I have watched your videos since you STARTED (also follow your blog religiously from close to when you started). I DO live in Chicago and I have normal to dry skin…but these 18 degree (yeah…..18!!!!!) really does a number on my skin. I found that oils are essential for locking in that moisture in the skin (and keeps my skin from trying to drink up my foundation!!! Preparation (and TIME to let the product work magic) really helps the skin throughout the day! The only other key thing…drink your water. That is my secret weapon. Love your blog and videos and YOU too girl!
Karen, I have a bottle of the DHC Cleansing Oil to try as soon as I finish the bottle of Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil that I have next to my shower! I like the Clinique Take The Day Off Balm a lot, but the oil is not nearly as effective for me.
My facial skin is combination normal/oily, but it gets a lot less oily in the winter, and the skin on my hands and feet gets super-dry in the winter.
I always take my makeup off first, then wash my face; in summer I use dual-phase makeup removers, micellar waters and wipes, but in winter I use coconut oil or the Clinique balm (next to my sink) and keep a pump bottle of cleansing oil next to the shower. I’ve been a fan of First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, a really effective-yet-gentle cream cleanser, for years, but now I want to try the Fresh one that you use, too! In the morning, when I only have to wash off a night’s worth of sebum and some skin care products, I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, another cream cleanser. Even though my skin leans oil, cleansers that suds and foam leave my sensitive skin feeling tight and uncomfortable.
Winter mornings:
cleanse with CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
a BHA toner from Paula’s Choice
antioxidant and brightening serums from PC
PC Eye Cream
then:
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer
Hourglass No. 28 Serum Primer
IT Cosmetics CC Cream with mineral sunscreens
or MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30
or a PC mineral suncreen + Hourglass Vanish stick foundation
or:
FAB coconut moisturizing primer
Dr. Jart+ Black Label BB Cream with mineral sunscreens
Winter evenings:
remove makeup with coconut oil or Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm
wash face with FAB Face Cleanser
PC pore-reducing toner with niacinamide
Peter Thomas Roth 3% retinol
PC Brightening Serum + vitamin C/E/ferrulic acid booster + niacinamide booster
PC Eye Cream
PC Clinical Ultra-Rich moisturizer (shea-butter based)
once a week, a PC 10% glycolic acid exfoliant instead of the retinol and serums
twice a week, a PC brightening “mask” that’s really a night cream before or instead of the eye cream and shea butter moisturizer (one of these nights can be the glycolic acid exfoliant night)
if my skin’s really dry, I’ll work argan oil in there somewhere — sometimes mixed in with the boosters, other times with the moisturizer at the end.
Winter hands feet: PC 10% AHA body cream twice a week; something with plenty of humectants like glycerin and/or hyaluronic acid and moisture-barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides, capric/caprylic diglyceride, and cholesterol — like CeraVe moisturizing cream or FAB Ultra Repair Cream as often as I think of it; at night, seal in #1 or #2 with a thick layer of something full of occlusive oils or butters like shea butter, cocoa butter, lanolin, argan balm, or plain old petrolatum or mineral oil — something like Vani-Cream, or Josie Maran Argan Balm, or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter in the tub, or the lovely deluxe sample size of L’Occitane Amande skin oil that I just got.
When I get samples of various moisturizers and treatments that contain fragrance or are otherwise likely to irritate the skin on my face, I’ll use them on my hands, arms, and other body parts, where my skin isn’t as sensitive. I love the Rodin luxury face oil on my hands, lol! Crazy, I know!
Straight out of the shower all over body: PC 10% AHA body moisturizer twice a week; PC retinol body lotion twice a week; CeraVe SA moisturizing lotion on legs once or twice a week (prevents ingrowns from shaving); CeraVe moisturizing lotion, or the Vaseline Intensive Care spray moisturizer (very convenient!), but, as my skin seems to be getting drier, I want to try the House of Gloi Pumpkin Butter (shea-butter-based, I’ve heard good things about it).
That’s a lot of different products, isn’t it? LOL!
I was ALWAYS super-oily, until about last year-my skin seems to get really dehydrated in the winter now. I’ve only just been brave enough this winter to start using oils (I was CONVINCED they were just going to break me out in mega-zits) and so far, so good! I just buy dirt cheap Jojoba oil and use that at the moment, but it’s doing the job!
Thanks for sharing this tip. Tonight I will be doing a Charcoal Mask then oils.