The Best Winter Skincare Products to Help You Deal With Dry, Flaky Skin
As winter takes center stage, our skin often becomes a casualty of the season's harsh elements. The plummeting temperatures and dry air can leave your once radiant complexion feeling lackluster, parched, and downright irritated. If your normally well-behaved complexion has been showing signs of distress—like dullness, dryness, and more—it may be a sign that your winter skincare routine needs a refresh.
According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian, MD, “Skin loses a lot of moisture into the environment when the air is less humid, such as during the transition from summer to fall.” (This can cause your skin to feel drier than usual.) “Dry skin requires both humectants and emollients that draw in moisture and lock in moisture, respectively,” she adds. This duo works synergistically to attract and lock in moisture, providing the much-needed shield against winter's relentless assault. Swapping your usual lighter moisturizers for richer formulas, going easy on exfoliation, and using a calming cleanser are just a few ways to prep your skin to handle the season’s harsher weather.
As the temperature drops, it's crucial to prioritize skincare, and Dr. Nazarian recommends incorporating protective measures like wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen to guard against winter sun damage. Additionally, consider adding hydrating masks and moisturizers to your routine for an extra hydrating boost. If you’re looking to keep your skin comfy and hydrated all winter long, read on for Dr. Nazarian’s pro winter skincare tips and the best skincare products to help.
Meet the Expert
Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
1. Best Humidifier:
FLIGHT MODE Cloud Mister
Believe it or not, the heat in your home (although comfy and cozy) can contribute to your skin feeling dry. Heaters (like air conditioners) can pull moisture from the air. This portable facial humidifier uses cutting-edge technology to nourish and calm your skin during air travel and during the harsh, colder months. Compact enough for your pocket, yet potent in hydration, it ensures you radiate a dewy glow despite challenging airborne environments. In addition, coming in from cold air into a heated room can cause your skin to feel tight and dry, and lose moisture. Dr. Nazarian says, “You can minimize the potential for dry skin by using a humidifier to add moisturizer into the air during colder and drier months.”
2. Best for Slugging:
VASELINE Healing Jelly Original
Dr. Nazarian adds that applying one of our holy grail hydrating products, Vaseline, can help. “Apply a small amount to skin immediately after showering to lock in moisture and prevent evaporation of hydration, which is common in the winter months.” Consider this gem to be the unsung hero of skin slugging. This versatile product creates a protective barrier, locking in moisture for a rejuvenated complexion. Embrace the slugging trend this winter season by applying Vaseline before bed so you wake up to velvety-smooth skin. It's the bedtime ritual your skin deserves for a hydrating, radiant glow.
3. Best Body Wash:
SKINFIX INC Eczema+ Foaming Oil Body Wash
Prepare to bask in the glory of this sulfate-free wonder. We adore this oil-based body wash because it pampers the skin with coconut cleansers and a nourishing blend of aloe vera, jojoba, sunflower, and apricot kernel oils. Dermatologist-tested and free from all the nasties, it's not just a wash, it's your skin's happy dance against eczema, dryness, and sensitivity. Hydrate your dry, flaky skin and cast away any unwanted eczema flare ups with this soothing wash.
4. Best Calming Cleanser:
FARMACY Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser
Cleansing is probably the first (and most important) step in your skincare routine. So when you’re scrubbing up to get rid of makeup, dirt, and oils, reach for a formula that treats your skin gently and doesn’t strip away much-needed moisture. Dr. Nazarian says, “People often wash their skin too aggressively—which can strip skin’s natural moisture barrier and lead to drying.” Reset your skin with help from this soap-free foaming cleanser that uses moringa seed extract and moringa water to help purify your pores, papaya enzyme to gently exfoliate, green clay to absorb oil and dirt, and sodium PCA to help keep your skin soft and supple. Formulas like cleansing balms and soap-free cleansers are a go-to in winter months to dissolve the day away and hydrate your skin.
5. Best Hydrating Toner:
FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner
No, not like that skin-stripping toner you swiped on religiously in junior high. Winter is not the time for daily clarifying ingredients. Instead, a hydrating toner will serve your winter skin well. This restorative toner was designed with your sensitive skin in mind. It’s made with calming colloidal oatmeal, wild oats, propolis extract, honey, and hyaluronic acid to help soothe, nourish, hydrate, and relieve your stressed-out complexion. On your freshly cleansed skin, add a few drops of toner to your palms (or a cotton pad), and press them into your skin. Give it a few seconds to fully sink in, then move on to the rest of your routine.
6. Best Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer:
PISTACHE SKINCARE Hydrating Face Moisturizer with Vitamin E
We love the fresh feel of light gel moisturizers during the summer, but winter calls for slightly richer formulas to properly lock in hydration. Look for an intensely hydrating moisturizer in the form of a rich cream or lotion (especially if you have dry skin, which is even more prone to losing natural oils) made with known hydrating heroes like hyaluronic acid. This gem of a moisturizer uses pistachio oil, which is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids to nourish, protect, and seriously quench your skin. Plus, French soybean lecithin helps enable other ingredients to absorb deeper and minimize moisture loss. “A good humectant is hyaluronic acid, which draws water into the skin. Skin barrier-repair creams contain emollients. These help decrease the loss of moisture into the environment over time,” says Dr. Nazarian.
7. Best Face Oil:
GOLDFADEN MD Fleuressence Native Botanical Cell Oil
Facial oils have tons of nourishing benefits, but one of their secret powers is that they can help trap that much-needed moisture in your skin (almost like a less occlusive skin slugging). This dewy oil is infused with a cocktail of good-for-skin ingredients, like rosehip seed, Kalahari, and baobab oils and co-enzyme Q10 to help fade fine lines, reduce the appearance of large pores, soften and plump skin, and protect skin from environmental stressors. At night, once you’ve applied the rest of your skincare, including your nighttime moisturizer, press a few drops of this feel-good face oil right over top. The only exception to this hydrator hack is on nights when you are using retinol, which might cause unwanted irritation.
8. Best Exfoliating Scrub:
DEW OF THE GODS MINI Feels Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub
It may be tempting to skip exfoliators when your skin’s feeling sensitive from exposure to dry, cold air. But exfoliating ensures you're clearing away any dead skin cells that can flake off and cause dry skin. Plus, they help your moisturizer and other skincare products really soak in. The key is to use a more gentle formula than you would in the summer, and exfoliate less often. “Switch to a gentle exfoliant during the winter season, and consider a product with bakuchiol, rather than a classic retinoid that may be too drying or irritating,” says Dr. Nazarian. You don’t need to be rough to exfoliate your skin thanks to this delicate scrub. Featuring silica crystals that bind to rich oat milk and squalane, this helps to gently buff away dead skin cells and dryness without the redness and inflammation.
9. Best Lip Balm:
BALI BALM Lemon and Black Pepper Lip Balm
The skin on your lips is pretty thin and loses moisture easily, which can result in dry, flaky, chapped lips. This hydrating balm uses peppermint leaf (perfect for the season!) and organic lemon to coat your lips in moisture and give them an effervescent zing. It’s always important to carry a good lip balm with you to rehydrate and protect on the go. Not only does this lip balm provide an added physical layer between your lips and the cold, moisture-sucking air, but it also delivers essential nutrients to keep lips moisturized from the inside out. Bonus: You can swipe the balm onto your cuticles and dry spots in a pinch.
10. Best Face Mask:
GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
As great as a good blackhead or breakout-busting mask can be, some of these formulas can be too harsh and drying in the winter months. Look for masks with moisturizing emollients alongside more active hydrating ingredients, like vitamin E and ceramides. This mask is made with hydrating ingredients (like hyaluronic acid and amino acid-rich watermelon extract) that soak into your skin while you sleep.
11. Best Sunscreen:
FENTY SKIN Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
We know you’ve heard it, but it’s worth repeating: Your skin needs protection from the sun all year long. Just because it’s darker and cloudier out doesn’t mean your skin can’t get damaged by the sun. “SPFs are still very important, because although the temperature drops, there’s still radiation year-round, and even small amounts of radiation can add up to the cumulative damage that leads to skin cancer, wrinkles, pigmentary problems, and aging of skin,” says Dr. Nazarian. Hydra Vizor uses invisible SPF 30 to help shield your complexion from UV rays, while hyaluronic acid, aloe, and niacinamide help hydrate, fade dark spots, smooth pores, and defend against pollution. Swipe on this invisible moisturizer and rest easy knowing your skin is safe and protected from those UVA and UVB rays.
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