Winter Skincare Routine & Tips from Dermatologist Dr. Renée Snyder
Dermatologist reviewed by Dr. Renée Snyder
In this article:
- What are the effects of cold weather on skin?
- 7 Winter Skincare Tips From a Dermatologist
- Why It’s Important to Change Your Skincare Routine for Winter
- Winter Skincare Routine
- Winter Body Care Routine
- Winter Skincare FAQs
Every year, we anticipate the scents, rituals, and celebrations that come with winter. It’s time to take stock, nourish your body (and mind!), and savor time spent with loved ones. Something we’re NOT looking forward to, though? The effects that colder, drier temperatures have on our skin.
Just as we change up our outfits and pace from season to season, it’s necessary to switch up our beauty rituals, too. That’s why we’re turning to our resident skincare expert Dr. Renée Snyder to help us prep for the season change. Here’s her pro advice on how to prepare and pamper your skin for winter.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF COLD WEATHER ON SKIN?
In winter, skin gets exposed to the elements: cold air, whipping wind, lower humidity, and sunshine reflecting off of the snow all steal moisture from our winter skin. When the heat in our homes is turned on, the humidity in our living environment goes away.
It’s no wonder why our skin often ends up feeling dry and in need of some serious TLC. Dealing with dry skin in winter? Here are a few ways to prepare skin for the winter season:
7 WINTER SKINCARE TIPS FROM A DERMATOLOGIST
1. WASH WITH A GENTLE FACE CLEANSER
Cold weather skin care is all about gentleness. Use a soothing daily cleanser — like our Golden Face Cleanser with glycerin plus manuka honey, turmeric and chamomile — to wash away impurities, makeup, and leave the skin feeling refreshed.
Prioritizing and sticking with a gentle face cleanser is key, particularly for oily skin types during winter. Rather than switching up your entire ritual for the winter, focus on consistency and try not to add in harsh exfoliants.
2. SKIP THE HOT SHOWER
You might be tempted to take a long, hot shower till your fingers prune. However, it’s a good idea to avoid long baths and showers in winter as the prolonged heat exposure time can melt all the good oils on the surface of our skin — and Dr. Renée recommends washing your body no more than once per day. When you do hop in the shower, use warm (not hot) water, and keep your ritual under 15 minutes.
3. STAY MOISTURIZED
The natural oils your skin produces also help support your skin’s moisture barrier and help lock in the moisture your skin already naturally contains. After bathing or showering, pat dry and moisturize your damp skin with your favorite body lotion or body oil.
4. HUMIDIFY YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Investing in a humidifier can, according to the Mayo Clinic, “soothe…problems caused by dry indoor air.” With heaters cranking on full blast in the winter, adding humidity to the air may help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms that come with dry air.
Remember though, cleaning your humidifier every few days (Healthline recommends cleaning every 2-3 uses) is crucial to keep bacterial growth at bay.
5. DON’T FORGET SUN PROTECTION
Just because the days are getting darker doesn’t mean you should skip the sunscreen. Rain, shine, or cold, reach for your favorite SPF in the winter and re-up sun protection at least every two hours.
6. STAY HYDRATED
In the winter, warm beverages are constantly available — a freshly brewed cup of coffee, cozy chamomile tea, toasty hot chocolate, and mulled wine everywhere you turn. These are the tastes and scents that we’ve come to associate with the holiday season and its wintry nights.
However, don’t skimp on the water intake! Drinking your physician’s recommended amount of water H2O is just as important in winter as it is in summer. Keep a reusable water bottle on hand.
7. NOURISH YOUR LIPS
Dry skin in winter can extend to all sorts of areas of the body, like your lips. A few swipes of the silky-smooth Comforting Tinted Lip Balm helps drench the lips in hydration thanks to a blend of avocado oil, camellia seed oil, shea butter, and castor seed oil. Plus, it delivers a buildable wash of sheer color to the lips to elevate your everyday look while helping provide nourishing hydration.
Why It’s Important to Adapt Your Skincare Routine for Winter
In the wintertime, your skincare ritual in the winter is concerned with different conditions than your summer routine. For example, you may want to keep your skincare and hydration on the lighter end to accommodate higher temps, sweating, and humidity.
But in winter, rich moisturizers and deeply hydrating products become staples in your routine (depending on your skin type and unique skin needs, of course).
Winter Skincare for Dry Skin
Step 1: Cleanse
No matter the time of year, you want to kick off your skincare routine with a gentle cleanser, like our best-selling Golden Face Cleanser, which helps remove makeup, impurities, and lingering traces of SPF.
Step 2: TLC
For areas that look or feel dry, reach for our Comforting Balm with Camellia Seed Oil and apply to the elbows, cuticles, kneecaps, heels, and more.
Step 3: Moisturize
The clinically-proven Skin Transformation Cream is our top pick for all-day hydration. Its light gel-cream texture makes every application feel soothing. The formula contains bakuchiol to help plump the look of skin and ceramides to help nourish dry-feeling skin.
Step 4: SPF
Protect Your Light is a broad spectrum SPF 30 that blends invisibly into skin (no chalky white cast here!). It’s formulated with brightening niacinamide plus squalane to help the skin feel soft and balanced. Remember: applying sunscreen is a year-round activity, not just for warm or sunny days.
Step 5: Lip Care
Keep your favorite lip balm within arm’s reach to help dry, cracked-feeling lips to feel nourished and moisturized.
Best Body Care Routine For Winter
Skincare doesn’t stop at the face and neck. In fact, body care becomes especially important in the winter. In fact, your body care ritual can help you find moments of relaxation and self-care despite darker days and frigid temps.
Step 1: Moisturize Skin
Help keep skin hydrated with Sacred Body Lotion, which offers a hug of silky smooth, nutrient-packed, fast-absorbing hydration thanks to nutrient-packed Chia seed oil and glycerin.
Step 2: Body Oil
A body oil can help nourish and soothe skin while imparting a radiant glow. After you shower, apply a few drops of Sacred Body Oil —which contains a blend of marula, baobab, and jojoba oils — to the body, hair, and nails for all-over hydration.
Step 3: Comfort
The fan-favorite Comforting Balm with Camellia Seed Oil can be used on both the face and body. Apply to areas like your elbows, kneecaps, or heels when your body needs some extra TLC.
Winter Skincare FAQs
How do I keep my skin from drying out in the winter?
Not sure how to keep skin moisturized in the winter? Prioritize using a nourishing facial moisturizer and consider adding a lightweight body lotion to your daily body care ritual.
What is the best skincare routine for the winter?
The best skincare routine for winter is one you’ll stick to! In a pinch, keep these three basic steps in your ritual during the colder months:
- Cleansing
- Hydration
- SPF (year-round!)
What is the best way to hydrate in the winter?
Staying hydrated in winter can include everything from drinking more water and nourishing warm beverages (like teas or broths) to having a humidifier to using a deeply hydrating everyday moisturizer.
How to change skincare routine for the winter?
In the winter, focus less on exfoliating or harsh skin treatments, and focus more on hydrating facial moisturizers, balms, nourishing oils, and balms to impart rich hydration.
Are hot showers good for dry skin?
Keep the hot showers to a minimum in the winter. Dermatologists recommend keeping your shower under 15 minutes and to use warm (not hot) water.
How often should I moisturize in the winter?
This is different for everyone. You’ll probably want to moisturize daily in the winter, but using a moisturizer in the AM and PM may depend on your skin type and what your individual skin likes best.
How often should I exfoliate in winter?
When winter is in full swing, you may feel tempted to skip exfoliating, especially if you have dry-feeling skin. But it’s best practice to manually exfoliate once a week or reach for a chemical exfoliant (like lactic or glycolic acid) a couple times per week to stay on a regular exfoliation schedule.
How do I help moisturize lips, hands, neck, and other “forgotten zones” in winter?
When the skin of the hands, lips, knees, or elbows need extra TLC in the winter months, keep a hydrating balm with ingredients like camellia seed oil, shea butter, or avocado oil to help drench the “forgotten zones” in a nourishing kiss of moisture.
What are your top winter skincare woes? Share q’s for Dr. Renée in the comments!
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