Simple Ways to Tweak Your Skincare Routine for Winter

04 Nov 2021

A photo of an older woman touching her face

While summer helps bring out our glowiest complexions thanks to humid air and ample sunshine (as long as you’re wearing SPF!), the winter months can sometimes take a toll on our dermis. Unless, of course, you’re following a skincare routine for winter that gives dry, frigid air the cold shoulder. A few small tweaks can make all the difference between a healthy-looking complexion and dehydrated skin.

Not sure where to start? Follow these five winter skincare tips and make sure to stock your beauty shelf with our best winter skincare routine products.

Use a Hydrating Cleanser

A hydrating cleanser is an efficient way to get more moisture into your skincare routine. For a hydrating cleanser that’s well-suited for normal, combination, and oily skin types, we recommend Confidence in a Cleanser. It gently cleanses and moisturizes at the same time to help your skin feel soft and balanced.

Whether you have naturally dry skin or your skin changes due to colder temperatures, a rich cleanser like Bye Bye Makeup Cleansing Balm can help visibly heal dry winter skin. This oil-based cleanser has a luxurious, silky feel that’s a real treat come morning and night. It’s also infused with a skin-softening serum that provides a soft barrier of moisture for healthier-looking skin.

Avoid Ultra Hot Showers and Baths

Stepping into a steamy shower is way too tempting once the temps drop, but doing so is a recipe for irritated, dull, and flaky skin. Long, hot baths and showers can strip oil and moisture from your skin, a major no-no anytime but especially when we’re talking about skincare for winter. Turn the temperature down and don’t linger under the water for too long. Stick to warm water and try not to go over 10 minutes. While you’re at it, make sure to gently dry off versus rubbing your skin.

Moisturize Morning and Evening

The best skincare routine for winter involves moisturizing both morning and evening. And hey, you can even throw down in the middle of the day if you’re feeling ambitious!

In the mornings, apply Confidence in a Cream Hydrating Moisturizer, a luxurious cream formulated with ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients work together to reinforce the skin barrier, support elasticity, and visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles. For extra credit, apply Confidence in an Eye Cream around the orbital bone. The apricot tint and Drops of Light Technology™ help visibly color-correct and brighten, too!

At night, you can use Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Night Cream. This lavender scented, pillow-proof cream won't budge while you sleep so you can rest easy knowing your skin's getting some TLC instead of your pillowcase. It’s also infused with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. All the above are must-have winter skincare routine products, so adjust your routine accordingly.

Pro Tip: Apply your moisturizer to your skin while it’s still slightly damp. This helps lock in hydration for a complexion that looks and feels more supple, soft, and bouncy.

Use Skin-Brightening Products

When dry skin cells accumulate on the skin’s surface it can create the appearance of a dull, lackluster complexion. That’s where exfoliating skincare products—like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) can come to the rescue. In the evenings, apply the Hello Results Resurfacing Glycolic Acid Treatment + Caring Night Oil after cleansing your skin and follow up with a moisturizer. Suitable for all skin types, this gentle exfoliating oil-meets-peel helps create smoother, softer-looking skin.

Pro Tip: You can use both AHAs and a retinoid—such as Hello Results Wrinkle-Reducing Daily Retinol Serum-in-Cream—in your skincare routine for winter. However, to avoid irritation it’s important to alternate them from one evening to the next.

To double down on the brightness factor, use Bye Bye Dullness Vitamin C Serum in the morning. Formulated with 15% pure vitamin C, this silky serum helps boost radiance in just 10 days while giving skin a rested look.

Turn on the Humidifier

Air is naturally drier in the winter thanks to lower humidity levels and indoor heaters. If you thought there wasn’t much you could do to change that fact, think again! One of the best winter skincare tips out there is to purchase a humidifier and use it often.

Humidifiers bring up the humidity level in your house, which means skin that’s more supple, lips that are less parched, and a prettier-looking complexion. You can keep one in your office or in your living room, but it’s especially helpful to have a humidifier running in the bedroom while you sleep.

Skincare for the winter months might require a bit more effort, but it’s totally worth the payoff. Follow the above tips and you’ll be on your way to skin that feels healthy and looks radiant—no matter how blustery and cold it is outside your window. These makeup tips for glowing skin will help keep your skin looking great, too.