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The Ultimate Guide to Build a Winter Skincare Routine

Beauty is in the skin!

In the winter season, even typically healthy skin can look dull and drier. So you need a proper skincare routine this season to make your skin at its best.

Here is a step-by-step guide to building up your own winter skincare routine with some bonus tips at the end. Plus, I’ll share my favorite product recommendations.

So beauties, keep reading!

Disclosure: Please note this post might contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you purchase through the links, at no extra cost to you. Know that I only recommend products that I’ve used personally or believe will add value to my readers.

1. Clean Your Face 

Cleansing your face is a crucial step. It removes the impurities from your skin and prepares it to make your skincare routine work.

Use a Cleansing Oil/ Balm for a Double Cleanse

If you wear makeup or have oily skin, double cleansing is a must. Here is how it works.

Cleanse your face with an oil-based cleanser first to eliminate all oil-based products like makeup, sebum, and sunscreen.

Then, follow up with a gentle water-based cleanser to clear other grime from your face.

Typically, it’s a part of the PM skincare routine.

However, it is not a necessary step for other skin types. But many beauties are loving this and are seeing significant improvements in their skin.

Here is a popular and affordable option you can go for.

Follow Up With a Cleanser

In winter, our skin tends to be dry and flaky. You don’t sweat this time like other seasons. And hence, using a face wash may be pretty harsh on your skin in winter.

So ditch the face wash and go for a gentle cleanser instead. It does not strip away the natural oils from your skin while keeping your skin clean.

Best Cleansers for Winter

For Dry to Normal, Sensitive Skin

For Oily Acne Prone Skin

Pro Tip: If your skin is very dry, skip the morning cleansing step after you wake up. Wash your face with regular tap water. It will do the needed work.

2. Use a Hydrating Toner

Though it’s not an essential step. But if you feel extreme dryness in winter then this step is really going to help your skin.

In winter when the weather is dry it’s nice to lock in some extra moisture with a hydrating toner.

Here is the cult favorite one.

For All Skin Types

Pro Tip: Use it with a cotton pad or ball. Or simply just pat the product on your skin with your hand.

3. Use a Serum

Okay, now it’s time for a serum. This will help tackle the common skin issues we face in the winter months.

Apply a Vitamin C Serum

Don’t forget to add your all-season skin BFF, vitamin C, to your morning skincare routine. During the winter months, when your skin often looks dull and dry, vitamin C can help revive it.

Although you may use vitamin C at night, adding it to your AM routine along with sunscreen can provide your skin extra protection.

It can brighten and hydrate your skin, as well as boost collagen production, resulting in a more youthful appearance.

Plus, it’s safe for most skin types.

Here is a low-concentration vitamin C serum that is beginner-friendly and suits all skin types.

Pro Tip: Do a patch test before use.

Apply a Hyaluronic Acid Serum

In the winter season, you need a hydrating serum to make your skin happy. It hydrates your skin and combats dryness.

Though there are a bunch of options, I’ll pick up the hyaluronic acid first.

This active ingredient molecule can hold 1000 times its weight in water. Hence it locks the moisture into your skin and gives a plump effect.

And the best part is no matter what your skin type is, you can use it every day. Here is the cult favorite hyaluronic acid serum you can go for.

For All Skin Types

Pro Tip: Use on damp face.

4. Use a Good Moisturizer

Now, it’s time for the moisturizing step, the vital step to make your skin healthy and glowing.

As the air becomes drier during these cold months, your skin needs extra hydration to hold its moisture balance. And the indoor heating system can make it even more challenging.

Some may feel dry skin even after using thick creams. Meanwhile, others might find that cold creams leave their skin looking oily and greasy.

So it’s always best to listen to your skin and choose a product that suits your skin’s unique needs.

It’s best to pick moisturizers that have ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides.

In your PM skincare routine, you need a more hydrating one so that it can replenish your skin while you snooze.

Best Moisturizers for Winter

For Very Oily Skin

5. Add Face Oil to Your Routine

This is an additional step and is totally worth going for. 

If you have dry or normal skin, using a face oil in the winter can help combat dryness and improve your skincare routine.

Layering up a face oil on top of a moisturizer will make your skin soft and moist.

Pick any non-comedogenic oil like grapeseed oil, rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, or hempseed oil.

High End, for Dry And Mature Skin

Affordable Option

6. Wear the SPF

Even though the sun is less intense during this season, you still need SPF. It’s the AM skincare essential you need all year round.

Go for the hydrating sunscreens this dry season to keep your skin hydrated and glowing.

For Dry Skin (one of my favorites)

For Oily Skin

7. Take Care of Your Eye Skin

The skin around your eyes is very delicate and prone to dryness and aging. So it needs some extra care.

You can use this simple trick if your skin is not very sensitive. Use the hydrating face moisturizer and gently massage the area using one finger. Then apply a thin layer of an occlusive, like Vaseline on top of it.

Yet, if you can invest a bit, consider an eye cream to nourish the area.

Pro Tip: If you have sensitive or oily skin, avoid the above trick and use an eye cream instead.

8. Invest in an Overnight Mask

An overnight mask acts as a protective barrier and a sealing agent. It is designed to help ingredients work better while you sleep.

You just need to apply a thin layer of it. This step not only protects your skin from grime but also seals in other skincare products. So your other products work much more efficiently.

Pro Tip: The frequency of use may vary. Certain masks are suitable for daily application, while others are for weekly twice, or thrice. Check the product label for usage instructions.

For All Skin Types

9. Exfoliate Weekly

Exfoliating your skin is essential in winter, just like in summer. We often think that the mixing of sweat and pollution, humidity, and lots of sunscreens cause breakouts in summer.

But the extreme dryness of the winter season can actually lead to more severe breakouts. Here is why.

When your skin gets dry, the oil glands beneath your skin produce more sebum to combat the dryness. So the dead skin cells and acne-causing bacteria get trapped under your skin, resulting in bumps.

So exfoliation is a must.

But here’s another obvious reason. When dead skin cells build up on your skin, your skincare products can’t work as effectively as they can.

So exfoliate just once a week in the PM routine. It not only helps your products work better but also leaves your skin smooth and glowing.

Pro Tips: Don’t apply on wet skin.

Always follow the labeled instructions to know how much time you should leave it on. 

Cult Favorite, Suitable for All Skin Types

Affordable Alternative and Beginner-Friendly

10. Pamper Your Skin Occasionally

In winter your skin needs extra nourishment to stay at its best. Go for a weekly masking. If you prefer sheet masks and ampoules, choose those that have hydrating and soothing ingredients.

You can also treat your skin with some homemade masks for glowing skin.

11. Lip Care

Your lip skin is very delicate and needs special care to maintain. Here’s a lip care regimen that will keep your skin well-hydrated. 

In winter, we often face dull, dry lips. Here is a lip care routine that will keep your lips soft and supple. 

Exfoliate

Regular lip exfoliation will slough off the dead skin cells from your lip skin. This will make your lip skin smooth and make the lip care products work better.

Do it weekly once. You may use a commercial one or make your own DIY lip scrub.

Pro Tip: Don’t exfoliate when your lips are over chapped.

Seal the Moisture

A good lip balm can help seal the moisture to your lip skin, making it hydrated.

For the AM Routine (Not Tinted), Best for Dry and Chapped Lips

For AM Routine (Tinted)

Lip Mask

This is an additional step you can go for to pamper your pouts. It’s definitely worth it and leaves your lips feeling as soft as a baby’s skin. 

Lip masks are used to repair your lips overnight just like an overnight sleeping mask for your face.

High End, Cult Favorite

Affordable Alternative

Bonus Tips for Winter Skincare

1. Invest in a Humidifier

During the winter months, the air becomes moisture less. And this can leave your skin feeling dehydrated.

Using a humidifier helps maintain the right level of moisture in the air, preventing your skin from drying out.

2. Avoid Long Hot Showers

I know how tempting it is to enjoy a long, hot bath during the cold season. But sadly this can strip away the natural oils from your skin, making it even more drier.

So shorten your bath time.

3. Choose Lukewarm Water for Bath

Hot water can dry out and irritate your skin.

In fact, it can harm the cells on the outermost layer of your skin. As a result, these damaged cells won’t be able to hold the moisture, causing dry skin.

Instead, opt for lukewarm water, which is gentle and well-tolerable for your skin.

4. Slather on Immediately After Your Bath

This tip is not only valid for winter but for all seasons.

Applying the products on damp skin allows better absorption of the products into your skin, leaving it soft and moisturized.

So slather on the products onto your body skin and face when they are still damp.

Final Thoughts

There are enough reasons why your skin can be dry and lifeless during these cold months.

However, a good winter skincare routine can help your skin fight it and make your skin healthy.

Here you’ve got the basic winter skincare routine for all skin types. I talked about different skin types as much as I could. You can tweak the steps as per your skin’s needs.

Image Source: Pexels, Adobe Stock, Getty Images, Amazon