My Skin Is Painfully Dry In the Winter—Here’s My 5-Step Routine to Soothe and Revive It
How a beauty director keeps her skin happy and moisturized.
Like pretty much every human being in New York City—scratch that, in the Northern hemisphere—my skin is dry. Like, itchy-when-I-wake-up, cracking-throughout-the-day, when-will-the-sun-return-to-save-us type dry. My humidifier is working overtime and my lineup of moisturizers, hydrating essences, and barrier repair creams is front and center in my vanity. If the saying goes, the best offense is a good defense (I know I’m not the only one utterly obsessed with Heated Rivalry and hockey at the moment) then my best dry skin tips are here to make sure we all win the battle against winter dehydration.
So, what exactly am I reaching for to ensure that my epidermis remains soothed, supple, and as moisturized as possible? Well, obviously a stellar moisturizer is a must, but there are several other steps you can take to support your stressed skin barrier during the harsh winter weather, no matter where you find yourself enduring the seasonal freeze. The key is to just be gentle with your skin. Inflammation can run rampant this time of year, and even though exfoliation is key to maintaining a smooth, glowing complexion, it can also be a bit too harsh if you currently resemble a dried-up desert snake. Never fear—I’ve spent over 20 years perfecting my skincare routine to banish dry skin. Here’s everything I swear by.
It’s Giving Gentle
Cleansing in the morning is generally a no-go in the winter (I’m not sweating enough to require it) but at night I tend to reach for an extra gentle cleanser with lots of hydrating and soothing ingredients.
Moringa and oats are your soothing hero ingredients here, and they manage to keep your skin calm while also removing lingering traces of makeup or pollution from your long winter days.
This is the big gun when my face just cannot anymore. It’s a dermatologist-favorite and it never fails to leave my skin feeling happier and less stressed than before the wash (with room temperature or cool water, please and thank you).
Everything Essence
You might think an essence isn’t doing much of anything on your skin, but learn to trust the K-Beauty staple. It’s my favorite step post-cleansing to help draw some water back into the skin and create a supple base before the rest of my routine.
Snail mucin, you’re my hero. This cult-favorite essence is beloved for a reason—it truly leaves your skin feeling so soothed and hydrated. Just add a few drops into your palms and gently press it into your face, neck, and chest to get your glow on.
I traveled all the way to Seoul in 2018 to preview this formula at the source, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The one-two punch of ceramides and peptides helps to strengthen and hydrate your skin and keep it luminous throughout the day.
Hydration Station
There are several key ingredients to look for in your winter face serums—glycerin, PGA, panthenol, hyaluronic acid. Just make sure your skin is still slightly damp when you apply them so the humectant ingredients can pull in water from the environment and not your skin.
My beloved drugstore staple for years and years never fails me. Your skin is left so hydrated and plump with this serum, it can even minimize the appearance of fine lines. That’s a very welcome bonus in my book.
Peptides and antioxidants help to protect your skin from free radical damage and other environmental triggers while also dousing your skin in hydration via red algae and polyglutamic acid (or PGA).
Hella Thicc
It goes without saying, but I’ll do it anyway—a thick face cream is non-negotiable come winter, especially if your skin leans dry year-round. The emollient properties help soften the skin, while occlusive ingredients lock in moisture, keeping your skin soothed throughout the day. Look for products labeled as “barrier repair” to enhance the calming and soothing benefits.
A dermatologist-beloved formula to strengthen your skin barrier and deeply moisturize, this formula has been my go-to for years. The clinically proven benefits are unmatched, and my epidermis is so grateful to be slathered in this cream all winter long.
Another K-Beauty favorite, this ceramide- and panthenol-rich cream is always in my travel bag to conquer that dry plane air. It also joins my winter skincare lineup to help keep my skin moisturized and calm despite the freezing, arid weather.
Slugging Saviors
Nighttime is when I level up my barrier repair game and reach for an occlusive balm to prevent moisture loss while I sleep. These are the products that are not meant to live under makeup—they are purely to treat and protect your skin while you’re bare faced and dreaming. Petrolatum is a tried and true ingredient that I can’t recommend highly enough.
An elegant formula that packs a whopping 35 percent glycerin into the formula, this Peach & Lily formula is not messing around when it comes to preventing moisture loss. There’s very little stickiness with this product, to the point that you could even wear it under makeup if you wanted to, but I prefer to keep this as the last step in my nighttime routine.
When in doubt go classic. This straightforward balm is one of my favorite things to slather all over my face during winter work from home days, and by the time I wash it off, my skin is softer, hydrated, with no cracking and extreme dryness in sight.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
Don't gatekeep our newsletters from your friends. Subscribe to Face Forward here.
