My Essentials For Treating

Winter Skincare Woes

Between outdoor temperatures, indoor heating, hot water, dry climates and brutal weather (ya know, things like snow, biting temps and whipping winds), winter can really take a toll on your skin. Natural moisture is more easily depleted, leaving skin feeling taut and tight and/or dry and itchy, for all skin types, no exception, but especially those of us with sensitive skin. Today, I’m diving into more detail about my winter skin care as well as a few of my favorite products for winter skin woes- tips + tricks, my favorite affordable products, my holy-grails that I swear by and everything in between for tackling dry skin and scalp, increasing your skin’s moisture barrier, helping your skin stay soft and dewy, and healing your skin from winter’s dry, cold weather.

DRY SKIN

My winter skincare saviors are alllll the facial oils, a good face steam sesh and a under $20 miracle cream that I can no longer live without. Keep reading to find out everything that is getting me through dry skin hell, or, as some refer to it “Winter”.

SKIP THE CLEANSER (SORT OF) // A natural skincare specialist told me once, long ago, that soap is actually very drying so only use it where and when necessary. So, contrary to what other people might say or do, I tend to avoid washing my face in the winter, with the exception of when I’ve been wearing makeup (then I use micellar water and double cleanse, using both an oil cleanser followed by a gentle cleansing milk), if I’m breaking out (then I use a charcoal cleanser) or cleansing with MAKNUA HONEY. Otherwise, I skip cleansing and just tone with one of these.

WASH IT AWAY// While we’re on the topic of cleansing, a trick I’ve recently learned that has helped immensely is to use the right cleansing tools and techniques. I rarely use a washcloth to actually wash my face anymore, and if I do it’s with one of these. Otherwise, I just use my hands. Then, instead of rubbing my face in a towel to dry it, I gently pat it dry with one of these.

MASK UP // I have a rotation of favorites that I use throughout the year, but especially in the winter months- FRESH ROSE FACE MASK, which is cooling, refreshing, moisturizing and smells like a rose garden in spring (which is especially heavenly in the middle of the bleak winter months! BTW, I keep mine in the fridge for an extra cooling and refreshing effect!), MAY LINDSTROM MUD MASK which is somehow both very cleansing while also being very moisturizing, making it perfect for dry skin that is also congested, breaking out or just in need of a deep clean, JOHN MASTERS OVERNIGHT MASK, a wonderfully scented mask which works to exfoliate while you sleep, leaving you with glowing, refreshed and hydrated skin come the morning time + JANUARY LABS MOISTURIZING MASK, a simple but super effective mask that is great for giving skin extra hydration (sometimes I even swap out my face cream for this mask if my skin is feeing extra dry).

THE ONLY SERUM YOU NEED // An absolute must in your skin hydration kit; I’ve tried several, including this infamous one, but this THE HYDRATOR FROM OVERT SKINCARE does the trick at only a fraction of the price. Just be sure to spritz your skin with a tonic, like the ones I mention below, or make sure it’s still damp from washing, before applying, for max hydration results.

A LITTLE SPRITZ // I love misting my face really all the time, but especially in the winter when my skin is dry. These are two of my current favorites, this January Lab’s RESTORATIVE TONIC + Rituel Beauty’s ROSE MIST. Not only do I spray them on whenever I feel like my skin needs a little refresh and revival throughout the day, I also spritz it on right before I apply my hyaluronic acid (mentioned above) to really double down on the hydration and lock in moisture.

ALL THE OILS // I drench my skin in oils. Like to the point where it probably looks like you could fry an egg on my face. But whatever, at least my skin is SUPER hydrated. I have quite a few oils that I use, but this is always my go-to, never-fail, hands down, absolute fave.

THE RIGHT CREAMS // If it isn’t AUGUSTINUS BADER RICH CREAM or WELEDA SKIN FOOD, then I don’t want it. I’m only sort of kidding. But I have come to find that if the cream isn’t rich and thick enough, it’s basically useless (at least for my skin). While I do love both of these options, obviously one is under $20 and one is over $200, so if budget is an issues, I promise you, the Weleda one works wonders and is absolutely incredible! I personally alternate between the two, using the rich cream 4-5 nights a week and the Weleda 2-3 nights.

FOR THE LIPS // I have oodles of chapsticks and lip balms all of which seem to do something and nothing at the same time (which probably explains why I need so many). In other words, I have yet to find a lip balm I truly, truly love, so typically I exfoliate with whatever I’m exfoliating my face with and moisturize with whatever I’m moisturizing my face with. I find manuka honey is especially helpful for exfoliating and moisturizing the lips, FYI. However, I do love this lip scrub and a few lip balms I like to keep on hand include this one, this one and this one.

FACE STEAMING // I live for a good facing steaming sesh. Not only does it instantly revive my skin back to life and make it look more dewy and glowy, it also opens up pores and allows them to really soak in all the hydrating products I’m applying post-steam (see above oils and serums).

FACE SHAVING // After years of seeing so many women I know rave about face shaving (and these tiny razors), I finally decided to give it a try. Besides a minor incident or two (Who really needs a full hairline or eyebrow anyways, right?!), it’s been great so far. Think of it like extreme exfoliation, so you’re really removing dead skin cells and whatever else is in the way of allowing any serums, creams or other hydrating products get to where they need to be. I’ve been face shaving once a week, every other week, right after I shower, before applying any products, and I definitely notice such a difference in how my skin absorbs products better and feels and looks more hydrated.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT… // sunscreen (don’t let the cold fool you, you still need to protect yourself from getting skin cancer, no matter what time of year it is), TYPE:A HAND CREAM for the hands, and for the rest of the body I swear by COCONUT OIL. The trick here is to apply the oil right after you step out of the shower, before you dry off. Once you’ve rubbed the oil into your skin, then you gently pat it with a towel to dry. I promise doing it this way is a total game changer and will make all the difference in your skin and leave it feeling extra moisturized.

DRY SCALP + HAIR

Dry scalp has been a lifelong battle for me, one I’m stilling fighting tbh. I’ve found a few things to help a bit and keep the issue at bay, so I thought I’d share.

PLAYA SALT SHAMPOO // I love how this feels, smells, all the things. It’s great for a dry, itchy scalp flare up and getting immediate relief from that as well as incorporating into your hair care routine to help remove build-up and give your scalp a good cleanse once a week.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE // Sounds weird, smells weirder, but I swear it helps so, so much with dry, itchy scalp and product build-up. Like it gives that really good squeaky clean. I keep some vinegar in a spritz bottle and once a week, or every other week (depending on how bad my scalp is), after I shampoo, I spritz it all in my roots, use the scalp massager or my fingers and really work it in, let it sit for a few, then rinse and follow with conditioner.

BRIOGEO SCALP MASSAGER // I’ve had one of these tools most of my life and it helps immensely. The trick is to remember to actually use it every time you wash your hair, after you’ve applied your shampoo, to really help it get in there and cleanse your scalp.

PLAYA MASK // I do a hair mask at least once a week and this one has quickly become my go-to not only for super soft hair but also a deep, moisturizing cleanse that really helps my scalp. I also really love this one and this one, especially how it smells like fresh roses.

PLAYA SUPERNATURAL CONDITIONER // Since I have naturally curly hair I have an extremely difficult time finding a conditioner that is rich and moisturizing enough for my locks, but this one really seems to do the trick. My hair is always smoother and softer and dries better, with less flyaways, when I use this conditioner. If I happen to use another conditioner, I definitely notice (and not in a good way) and my hair is much drier.

HAIR OIL // Just like I do with my face, I tend to drench my hair in oils. I’ve been using this one recently, and I really love it (it has such a lovely tropical scent that almost makes you feel like you’re somewhere like Hawaii), but I also really love this one as it’s not overly greasy and has such a lovely mild scent, and sometimes I’ll even just use the rosehip oil that I’m using on my face (aka whatever is leftover in my hands, after I pat it on my face, gets rubbed through the ends of my hair). The biggest thing with oils is to make sure you’re applying them mostly to the roots, as that is where your hair is the deadest and therefore the driest.

NIGHT CREAM // Yes, your hair needs a night cream, too! And believe it or not, there really are ones specifically designed for your hair. I was first introduced to night time hair creams in Paris, where I picked up one from Phyto, that I still use and love to this day. It smells heavenly and whenever I apply it, my hair always looks infinitely better, softer, silkier in the morning than the nights I forget to use it. As with the oils, I mostly apply it to the ends, then rub it through with a wide tooth comb. Sadly, it’s no longer available (at least here in the US), but you can check out this option or this one instead.

SILK PILLOWCASE // For extra smooth locks, make sure you’re sleeping on a silk pillowcase at night to help avoid breakage and fly-aways. TBH, this is also really great for helping to keep your skin soft and smooth and hydrated. Oh, and well we’re at, you should probably switch to silk hair ties, too, as hair ties are one of the worst culprits when it comes to hair breakage and damage.