How do you transition your skincare routine from autumn to winter?
You’ve pulled out your sweaters, piled up your blankets, enjoyed a cosy night in at home and maybe even turned on the heating. But have you thought about preparing your skin for the transition from autumn to winter?
Our skin is exposed to environmental stressors every day: wind, rain, humidity and central heating, all of which create a cocktail of free radicals that can take a toll on the skin. When the winter chill sets in, our skin is the first to notice and feel the effects. It’s often drier, scaly, itchy and more sensitive than usual.
With the change of seasons, you’ll also notice that recurring skin issues like eczema and psoriasis tend to flare up and make things worse. Don’t worry too much, we’ve got you covered and will give you some helpful tips and tricks on skincare changes to help your skin through the winter.
How to switch up your skincare routine for the winter?
There are a few seasonal changes you can make when switching up your winter skincare routine. You’ll be happy to hear that the switch doesn’t require much effort.
Opt for a richer cleanser
By switching to a richer, creamier cleanser, you’ll be adding a touch of luxury to your routine on cold winter days. As the temperatures drop, your skin becomes more sensitive, so it’s best to use a gentle cleanser instead of the foaming formulas many of us love to use during the summer. Foaming cleansers are known to strip your skin of important moisture and oils, which is something you want to avoid during the winter months.
Use a gentle scrub
When skin becomes dry, it can become flaky, which can quickly build up and cause your complexion to look dull. This can be easily avoided by adding an exfoliation step to your skin care routine. To do this, avoid harsh peels and instead use a liquid peel that contains a strong alpha hydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid. A quick wipe with a soaked cotton pad will remove any remaining residue and dead skin cells, making your skin more receptive to subsequent stages of care.
Apply a hydrating serum
Serum is your secret weapon against winter-related skin issues. The beauty of serums is that they penetrate deeper into the skin than moisturizers, so your skin can benefit from deep hydration, especially if you choose one that’s packed with powerful ingredients like hyaluronic acid or niacinamide. Both work to plump up your complexion and glow, successfully locking moisture into the skin and providing long-lasting hydration throughout the day.
Don’t Forget Vitamin C
Vitamin C is found in many products’ formulas and is a powerful ingredient for keeping your skin glowing. You’ll also find that this vitamin is an antioxidant, which means it can help fight free radicals and other aggressors that can wreak havoc on your skin’s protective barrier. Damage to this outer layer can lead to a host of issues, from premature aging to uneven skin tone to rough texture.
Apply a Night Mask
Our skin is designed to regenerate skin cells and repair damage while we sleep. So your skin will thank you for a highly hydrating night mask. To really maximize the hydration, look for a mask that’s formulated with hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, natural essential oils like almond and coconut oils, and don’t forget shea butter for extremely dry and sensitive skin types. Applying this mask to your face before bed gives your skin plenty of time to fully absorb the moisture in the ingredients.
These simple skincare changes will help you get through the seasonal change from fall to winter, and you’ll find that your skin stays healthy, balanced, and radiant.
How to prepare your skin for the winter?
You can prepare your skin for the winter with the skincare products mentioned above. However, there are some additional tweaks you can make to your daily routine to help your skin through the winter and ensure that your skin doesn’t remain dry, tight and uncomfortable for months.
Avoid showers and baths that are too hot to dry out your skin even more.
Don’t forget to protect your lips! Apply a thick lip balm at night and in the morning, giving it plenty of time to absorb before applying makeup.
Always use sunscreen, even in the winter, as UVA rays are present even on the harshest days, causing signs of premature aging on the skin.
Make sure to drink enough fluids. Your skin needs more water than ever before. So drink enough water throughout the day.
You’ll find that by combining all of these skincare tips, your skin will be well prepared and ready to face all the challenges of the winter season. Hopefully this isn’t an MLM…
How long will it take for your skin to adjust to your new routine?
It really depends on how different your routine is from your previous one. For example, if you’re already using a serum with vitamin C or hyaluronic acid, you might find that there’s not really much difference. But don’t get me wrong, this is a good sign because it means you’re keeping your skin healthy even as the seasons change. If you add richer moisturizer and cleanser formulas to your winter skincare routine, you may find that any signs of dryness or peeling are less noticeable after two weeks.
Consistency is key to keeping your skin looking and feeling its best during the fall-winter transition, giving your skin time to adjust to the heavier formulas.
Should you use retinol in the winter?
Yes, you absolutely can! Of all the skincare ingredients on the market, none is more effective than retinol. It’s praised for its powerful, multi-functional ability to clear up fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and texture.
If you’ve already got a well-established retinol skincare routine in place, you can easily use it even in the winter. But remember, skin can be prone to sensitivity. So try to use the product less often from the start.
How to protect oily skin in the winter?
Protecting oily skin during the winter is the same as for other skin types, but there are a few things you should keep in mind to keep your skin healthy and functioning properly.
Make sure your moisturizer does not contain heavy ingredients like shea butter as this can lead to clogged pores, excess sebum, and acne.
Continue to cleanse your skin and exfoliate even if you don’t feel the need to keep your skin healthy and glowing.
Switch your personal care products to ones that contain glycerin and natural oils to moisturize your body.
These are the most important tips to remember when changing up your skincare routine with the change of seasons. Just like putting on scarves and gloves, you’ll find that these changes become second nature and dry winter skin will become a thing of the past. Don’t forget to check out the Intensive Skin Defense Balm, the ultimate skincare product to protect your skin from any type of dryness this winter.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
