I was thinking to myself the other day about how dry my skin is getting, and it made me realize that it's that time of the year: the time when no matter how hard I try, my skin does not want to cooperate with me. So I got to work collecting my Holy Grail skincare products and getting back into a routine.
My winter skincare routine is pretty simple, and some of the products remain the same. I'm just a lot, a lot, a lot more disciplined when it comes to actually keeping up on it all. Every morning and night I use the same products (with an added face mask here or there), and I never slack on what's being applied. So what do I do to keep my dry skin looking at least a little healthy and glowy?
MORNING
The morning is pretty cut and dry: If my skin needs a little something extra, I'll use a miscellar water (currently the NYX brand one, but any will do), and a clean cotton pad and wipe away any excess dirt or oil; a lot of the time I skip this step. Next, I apply my eye cream.
(Side note: if you're not already using the Olehenriksen Truth Banana Bright Eye Cream, start. Everything you've ever heard about it is true. It's that good, that magical, and it's made a HUGE difference in how my under eyes look.)
After my eye cream, comes serum (also Olehenriksen Truth), and then moisturizer. My holy grail moisturizer is KORRES. I switch between the Greek Yoghurt line and the Vitamin C 24 Hour Moisturizer; currently I'm on the brightening one because, y'know, winter dullness and everything else. Then I go on with my day and apply my makeup. Easy.
I focus a lot in the winter on what's brightening because that's what I need. My dryness gets to me because it makes me look dull and all I ever want is to be dewy and glowy. These products have given my skin the best glow from within. I highly, highly recommend all of them if that's what you're going for. Some days I just stare at my cheeks before I apply my foundation because they're just that moisturized. LOVE.
NIGHT
My night routine has a little more variety to it than my morning one. It also includes more body because I suck and never moisturize that (I need to start, I know. I'm trying to be better). I always start with the basics: removing my makeup.
(If you aren't removing your makeup every night, I'm going to preach to you for a minute: How do you possibly expect to have nice skin if you're treating it poorly? Makeup is great and I love it, but do not sleep with it on for God's sake. At least get a damn wet wipe and take it off that way.)
I am a cleansing oil gal, and really enjoy the Burt's Bees one, so that's always what I use. Sometimes I go in with a cleansing balm after (the Pixi one is really nice for drugstore), but often I go straight to washing my face. If I'm hurrying, I'll hop in the shower and use my KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser, but most of the time, I keep to the sink and go in with my Youth to the People Kale Superfood Cleanser. It's so gentle and doesn't dry out my skin, while still removing all of the excess makeup and oil from the Burt's Bees cleanser. My face always feels so soft and fresh after this one. If you're gonna splurge on cleanser, splurge on this one.
If I didn't work a double that day, I'll usually throw on a face mask around now. It's almost always a Lush one. Sue me. Right now I'm being festive and using their Rudolph jelly mask. It smells like chocolate cake and it makes me happy. One of the ingredients is orange juice. Guess what it does: brightens.
Once my face is clean, I go in with either my KORRES Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial or, if my skin feels unbearably dry, my KORRES Wild Rose Rose Sauvage, which is really just a brightening face oil. Then I put on a Bite Lip Mask, lather my arms and legs in cocoa butter, and go to sleep.
EXTRAS
OH! I did forget to mention that sometimes in the shower I use either King of Skin or Buffy (both from Lush) to moisturize and/or exfoliate my legs, shoulders, and arms, where I get super dry in the winter. They're so gentle and smell so amazing. Plus, my skin is amazingly soft after using either one. Try them out if you haven't already! I'll also take a bath with some type of moisturizing oil or soak once a week or so to try to calm down just how dry my body gets.
And that's my winter skincare in a nutshell. Of course, stay hydrated, eat well, protect your face from the cold, don't take excruciatingly hot showers, but I'd be lying if I said I kept up on half of that stuff (but kudos if you do!).
Let me know what your favorite skincare products are in the winter! I'm always looking to try out something new (especially masks). And have a fantastic Thanksgiving if you're American!
xxx
