Dry skin graphic

Winter Skincare Routine and Best Products For Dry Skin

As the colder months roll in and the winter chill starts to nip at our skin, it’s time to give our skincare routines a seasonal refresh. The combination of cold air, low humidity, and dry winter air can wreak havoc on your skin’s moisture barrier, leaving you with dehydrated, itchy skin. I am sharing the best winter skincare products and daily routine I swear by. Protect and nourish your skin this winter the best skincare routine and top products for dry skin.

Whether you have dry skin, sensitive skin, or even oily or combination skin, extra care is essential this time of year to keep your skin looking and feeling its best.

Here are my favorite products and skin care tips for crafting the best winter skincare routine to protect against harsh winter elements and restore your skin’s health and hydration.

Top Takeaways:

  1. Hydration is Key: Cold weather depletes skin’s moisture, making rich,hydrating creams essential for maintaining softness and preventing flakiness.
  2. Layering Skincare: Start with a hydrating serum, seal it with a thick moisturizer, and finish with SPF—even in winter.
  3. Avoid Over-Washing: Over-cleansing strips natural oils; opt for a gentle, hydrating cleanser.
  4. Humidifiers are Heroes: Adding moisture to indoor air prevents skin from drying out in heated environments.
  5. Weekly Exfoliation: Gently exfoliating once or twice a week removes dead skin cells, allowing products to absorb better.
  6. Oils for Extra Care: Incorporate facial oils or balms to provide an extra layer of nourishment during harsh weather.
  7. Lips and Hands Need Love: Use heavy-duty lip balms and hand creams, as these areas are prone to extreme dryness.
Beautiful girl in fashionable winter clothes blows snow from the palms of her hands. Joy to the
Winter Skincare Treatments

Winter Skincare Routine And Products With High Recommendations

Step 1: Start with a Gentle Cleanser

During the winter season, using a creamy, oil-based cleanser or a gentle cleanser is key. Have you ever noticed how harsh cleansers can strip your skin of its natural oil? This leaves your skin more vulnerable to dry weather. I’ve been loving La Roche-Posay’s gentle facial cleansers—their lightweight formula removes impurities without over-drying.

Pro Tip: Avoid using hot water when washing your face as it can exacerbate dryness. Stick to lukewarm water to maintain your skin’s moisture barrier.

Top Picks:

Here are the top moisturizers I have tried and professionals recommend:

Top Picks:

Skin Ceuticals for dry skin

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced

A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced is a potent corrective cream that helps reverse visible signs of aging impacted by glycation and collagen decline, including fine lines and deep wrinkles.

It’ works well on really dry skin. It’s not greasy and works as an excellent foundation under makeup.

Best Barrier Cream

Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Barrier Repair Cream with Ceramides

Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Barrier Repair Cream with Ceramides 1.7 oz / 50 ml

A peptide-rich, ceramide-infused cream, featuring barrier-supportive and skin-mimicking ingredients, that intensely moisturizes skin for an ethereal glow.

When should skin barrier cream be applied?

Don’t forget to apply a barrier cream if you are headed out into the cold. Barrier creams are used as the last step of the skincare routine as the final moisturizing step. You do not need to put a ‘regular’ moisturizer underneath a ‘barrier cream’. In the morning, you’d use it after serums & underneath sunscreen.


Step 2: Hydrate with a Hydrating Serum

Dry winter skin craves hydration, and a good hydrating serum featuring hyaluronic acid is a must-have. Hyaluronic acid helps your skin retain moisture, plumping up fine lines and giving your skin a dewy glow. For an added boost, layer a facial oil containing jojoba or avocado oil to lock in hydration and provide extra moisture.

OLEHENRIKSEN Truth Serum Hydrating Vitamin C Serum

A cult-favorite vitamin C serum with collagen that brightens, boosts elasticity, firms, hydrates and soothes skin for a healthy-looking complexion.

A powerful age-defying serum with 15% vitamin C, 5% PHAs and hyaluronic acid for brighter, bouncier skin in 7 days, based on an independent 8-week clinical study on 33 women.


Step 3: Moisturize with a Cream-Based Moisturizer

Switch out your regular moisturizer for a thick cream or a cream-based moisturizer. My go-to product for the winter months is First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. Packed with shea butter, emollient ingredients, and soothing agents like aloe vera, it’s the best product I’ve found for providing long-lasting hydration to dehydrated skin. A thick face cream also acts as a protective shield against cold weather. A nice thick moisturizer words as an ideas skin barrier. 

Don’t Forget Your Eye Area: The delicate skin around your eyes is especially prone to dryness. A good eye cream with active ingredients like avocado oil can prevent dryness and improve the appearance of fine lines.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer | Daily Moisturizer Face Cream with Ceramide and Niacinamide

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer, Daily Moisturizer Face Cream with Ceramide and Niacinamide for All Skin Types, Oil Free, Fragrance Free

OS-01 By One Skin- Pep

Scientifically proven to target the root cause of skin aging. Formulated as a daily moisturizer with our proprietary OS-01 peptide to help improve fine lines & wrinkles. Suitable for all skin types, safe for sensitive skin.

The findings suggest that the OS-01 formulation promotes skin health by strengthening the skin barrier, protecting against dehydration, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, and improving skin texture and radiance

One Skin Peptide Moisturizer


Woman applying body cream on her leg in bedroom, closeup
Woman applying body cream on dry winter skin

Step 4: Protect with Body Care

Winter weather doesn’t just affect your facial skin; body care is equally important. For daily use, I recommend body lotions or body creams enriched with shea butter, cocoa butter, and avocado oil. These emollient ingredients help repair your skin’s moisture barrier and keep itchy skin at bay. For stubborn dry patches, a rich, full-size balm or cream works wonders.

Top Body Creams:

Step 5: Don’t Forget Your Lips

Lips often bear the brunt of dry winter air. I always keep a nourishing lip balm or lip mask in my bag to provide extra care. Look for options without mineral oil and with hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil for softer, smoother lips.

Step 6: Layer on Sun Protection

Even during the winter season, UV rays can damage your skin. Make sunscreen a final step in your daily routine to protect against hidden sun damage.

Step 8: Winter Nighttime Routine for Glowing Skin

Cleanse: Start by gently cleansing your face with a hydrating cleanser to remove makeup, dirt, and impurities from the day. Look for cleansers with soothing ingredients like glycerin or aloe vera to maintain your skin’s natural moisture balance. Avoid harsh cleansers that can strip your skin and leave it feeling tight or dry.

Exfoliate: Twice a week, exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. Use a gentle physical scrub or a chemical exfoliant with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic or lactic acid. This step reveals fresher, smoother skin and helps subsequent products penetrate more effectively. Be sure to follow with hydrating steps to protect your skin barrier after exfoliation.

Serum: Apply a lightweight, hydrating serum to deliver concentrated active ingredients deep into your skin. Opt for serums with hyaluronic acid to boost hydration or antioxidants like vitamin C to brighten and protect your skin overnight. Gently press a few drops of serum into your skin to enhance absorption and avoid tugging.

Cream: Follow with a rich, nourishing night cream to replenish moisture and repair your skin barrier while you sleep. Focus on ingredients like ceramides, shea butter, or squalane that work to deeply hydrate and restore your skin. Don’t forget to apply an eye cream using a gentle tapping motion to hydrate and reduce puffiness or fine lines in the delicate eye area.

Products To Use At Night:

Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream

A rich, buttery cream that intensely hydrates while combating visible signs of aging during the skin’s nightly repair phase. This night cream is ideal for most skin types including acne prone skin types.

Oil: Seal in all the hydration by applying a nutrient-rich facial oil as the final step. Use oils like rosehip, jojoba, or argan oil, which are lightweight yet deeply nourishing. Warm a small amount of oil between your palms and lightly press it onto your face. This locks in moisture and adds a soft, natural glow to your skin.

I use the Violet’s Are Blue ULTRA VIOLET Facial Serum with Carrot and Rosehip Seed Oils. Facial oil locks in the moisture. A good facial oil is essential during the winter months.

U Beauty Intense Facial Oil

Best facial oil for dry skin. A face oil that acts as a powerful yet gentle shield against both chronically dry skin and intermittent dehydration.

What it does: The intuitive oil mimics the skin’s natural composition, resupplying its lipid layer and leveraging hyaluronic acids to prevent moisture loss, while dramatically increasing hydration and locking it in.

ELEMIS Superfood Face Oil Hydrating Facial Oil

The highly concentrated formula leaves the skin supple and deeply hydrated for a refreshed, renewed appearance.

Best nightime facial oil for dry skin
Best facial oil for night time.

Pro Tips:

  • Use a Humidifier: Combat winter dryness by adding moisture to the air in your bedroom.
  • Hydrate Internally: Drink plenty of water and herbal teas to keep your skin hydrated from within.
  • Stick to Gentle Products: Winter skin is more sensitive, so avoid harsh exfoliants or overly drying products.

This nighttime routine is designed to deeply hydrate, repair, and nourish your skin, leaving it glowing and healthy all winter long.


Extra Tips for Winter Skincare

  • Avoid Hot Showers: While cozy sweaters and hot showers may seem comforting, they can strip your skin of its natural oils. Opt for shorter, lukewarm showers instead.
  • Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to support your skin’s health from the inside out.
  • Use a Humidifier: Combat dry air indoors with a humidifier to keep your skin’s moisture barrier intact.

By using the right products and following a good skincare routine, you can protect your skin against the harshest winter weather and enjoy soft, glowing skin all season long. What are your favorite winter skincare products? Let me know in the comments!

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