As if the thought of trekking through 15 inches of snow and traversing hidden sheets if sidewalk ice wasn’t thrilling enough, there’s also the havoc winter wreaks on skin, oftentimes causing it to become itchy, dry, flaky, and generally uncomfortable for months on end. Indoor heating and harsh icy winds are among skin’s least favorite friends, and they can leave that beautiful epidermis feeling a little under the weather. Thankfully, there are some products and tips out there that can help you keep your outer layer happy and healthy in winter.
Face
Washing your face with a nourishing, rich cleanser is a great idea in winter. Gentle, creamy face washes form a great defense against the elements, and here are a few I highly recommend: Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple ($10 for a 3-oz. bottle), Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser $21 for a 5.07-oz. bottle) and Olay Hydrating Warming Cleanser (it actually heats up while you rub it in and feels SO good and lush, but I think it’s discontinued).
I also recommend serums (vitamin C, among others) to not only brighten the skin, but to rejuvenate your overall appearance. Many impart a healthy glow, and some formulations work to seal in moisture and plump the skin, which makes for a more youthful appearance and even skin tone. While pricey, Clinique’s Even Better Skin Tone Correctors ($49.50 for a 1-oz. bottle) are very popular and perhaps worth a try.
You might also incorporate a moisturizing weekly face mask/masque into your regimen to balance the skin. Korres makes a few great ones, like their wild rose mask ($29 for a 1.35-oz. jar), pomegranate mask, thyme honey mask, and yogurt mask. Their formulations work to balance the skin without stripping it of nutrients and moisture.
Speaking of moisture, a good one is key — especially in winter! If you haven’t noticed by now, I REALLY like Korres skincare, and it all started with their AMAZING Thyme Honey face cream ($35 for a 1.35-oz. jar). This stuff really does live up to its 24-hour moisture promise, and did I mention the smell? It makes me want to nibble on my face when I put it on! Total yum, folks, total yum.
Body
A weekly exfoliating body scrub to remove dead skin cells will help to make skin more absorbent, and, of course, helps you look and feel great. Right now I’m loving the delectable body scrubs from Mahogany Skye ($18.50 each), which not only soften my skin by gently scrubbing with natural ingredients, but they smell like heaven! The cocoa blueberry smells like hot fudge brownies, and the strawberry lemons, which I should add makes me want to tilt the jar back and drink it, is like a cold glass of strawberry lemonade…
After exfoliating in a warm shower, apply your favorite body cream, lotion, or oil to lock in moisture while your skin is still damp. I like Carol’s Daughter Body Jelly, Sabon Body oils, and good old fashioned grocery store olive oil.
Hands
The Burt’s Bees hand kit ($12.99) is…AMAZING! Karen also really liked their yummy $6 lemon cuticle cream. The company also sells a kit with the cuticle cream, a super thick almond milk beeswax creme, and the cutest white gloves with little bees all over them. They’re for wearing overnight for supple hands the next morning.
Feet
Vaseline and a bit of that Burt’s Bees almond milk beeswax have my feet looking worthy of the tropics already. Why traipse around with tree bark claws just because summer is months away? Get those toes looking great early, and they’ll thank you when it finally IS time to break out the sandals. Utilize a pumice stone, break out the nail polish, and get pretty now!
With the help of these tips today, I hope you and your skin enjoy the rest of a brief but happy winter together. 😀
Written by Vonnie
This post was written by Vonnie of Socialite Dreams, one of Chicago’s most unrepentant beauty junkies. When she’s not blogging or stalking the aisles at Sephora, Ulta, and her neighborhood drugstore cosmetic department, Vonnie’s hard at work writing her first novel.
Those body scrubs you mentioned sound delicious!! I might have to try them!
Brilliant tips! Though I noticed you didn’t really touch on facial exfoliating so I thought I’d drop my two penny-worth in 🙂
In the winter it’s important to strike a balance. Too little exfoliation and you get flaky skin building up and looking icky. Too much and it can mean that your over-scrubbed skin is left raw and unprotected against the harsh weather.
I find that using a ‘daily’ e.i. gentle exfoliator maybe every other day in the morning does the trick. then I can use moisturiser and primer to build up a defense on my skin.
I’m so glad winters over. Hopefully spring will let me relax a little with my skincare!
You’re right, I did skimp on the facial exfoliator section. Thanks for adding some tips 🙂
Great tips Vonnie! Love everything that you write!
Those body scrubs sound fantastic! Yay! I’m ordering the strawberry lemonade one now.
I can’t wait ’til winter’s over. Thanks for the tips, though! <3
I know! winter is the pits and I can’t wait for it to be a distant memory, lol
I want to try out Korres’s skin care line, but the price scares me a bit. Has anyone tried their face primer?
There’s a vitamin E version and I bought a sample off e-Bay. It wasn’t very useful for me but I have sensitive oily/combo skin. It might work for somebody with nicer skin than mine 😉
Thanks for sharing great tips! I really need this advices, every cold days my skin
is my problem. I don’t know what is the right cream to apply to avoid skin
dryness…
great post!!
I want that hand kit! Those overnite gloves are just too cute!
Um… foaming cleansers actually DRY OUT your skin. Most dermatologists recommend using a non-foaming cleanser in the winter months or if you are naturally prone to dry skin.
Purity Made Simple, in my experience, is particularly drying. It makes my dry skin feel tight and parched.
yes, foaming ones generally dry you out, but the Korres one doesn’t dry me out which was why I put it on the list. It doesn’t foam from detergents or harsh chemicals. Purity made simple doesn’t dry me or anyone that I’ve given it to out, so maybe something in it reacts poorly with your skin?