Winter Skincare

Written By Veronica Homuth

How to stay hydrated all season long

Winter skin can be an absolute beast if you don’t treat it right. The air is so dry and between all the hot tea and beverages, you can’t seem to drink enough water to stay hydrated inside and out. While some of the following tips and tricks can help you make sure your face doesn’t look or feel like lava rock, we should warn you that it will come at the expense of your phone screen looking like it's been dipped in a vat of Vaseline. The goal is “glazed donut” skin, after all. 

Veronica's AM Skincare

Veronica’s Evening Routine

Vero’s Skincare: 

I have always loved a good product, especially when it comes to skincare. As Jenna Marbles once claimed (how old am I), we are all ‘goo hoarders’. Even when I was using all the wrong things for my acneic skin back in high school, I loved the process of having a ritual/multi-step routine and taking care of myself. I am that girl who comes home after a night out and does a seven-step skincare routine, puts in my Invisalign, and drinks a full bottle of water before going to bed (I know, am I okay?). While I still like to sample new products, I have found that keeping to my tried and true holy grail products, and keeping it (relatively) simple has been the key to me loving my skin. 

As someone with “oily skin” I spent way too much of my life using products that dried up my oil and stripped my face, making me produce MORE oil. I now moisturize my face consistently which has allowed my face to slow down oil production and maintain a balanced, glowy appearance. ALSO - for the love of all that is holy, go follow @charlotteparler on any and all social media platforms. She has taught me so much about skincare, the beauty industry, and so much of my current routine can be attributed to her (in Charlotte we trust). 

Morning: 

  • Cleanse: I never use a cleanser in the morning. I splash cold water on my face and get on with the day. I gently pat my face with a towel but leave it moist so that my serums have water to hang onto and soak into my face. 

  • Serum: I use one pump of my Dieux Deliverance Serum, spread all over my dampened skin. I brush my teeth next so this has time to sink in. 

  • Moisturizer: I use a light moisturizer in the morning all over my face. You can skip this step if you want, or if you feel like your sunscreen is moisturizing enough. I find in the winter, I need this step. 

  • Sunscreen: Biore UV Aqua Rich, Isntree - Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel, As a member of the pasty skin society, I wear sunscreen daily so that I don’t look like a lobster today, or a leather couch when I’m 50. I’ve been using sunscreen from Korea & Japan lately because they allow other SPF filters that we don’t have yet in the US. They have made better sunscreen because the product doesn’t sting your eyes or leave white cast (check out @charlotteparler’s Instagram for a comprehensive overview of these products). 

  • I’ve been trying out the ZIIP at-home microcurrent 3-4 days a week. Leave me a comment if you want to see a tutorial or review of this product.

Evening: 

  • Cleanse: Double cleanse with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, then Dr. Loretta Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. 

  • Serum: Two pumps of Dieux Deliverance Serum, spread all over my dampened skin. I brush my teeth next so this has time to sink in. 

  • Toner/Essence: Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator, this step is not necessary but oh boy do I love a toner. This one turns my nightly ritual into a spa experience. It smells divine and gives me that extra plump hydrated feeling. 

  • Moisturizer: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid is now a staple in my skincare. This is definitely my splurge item, but it's the best moisturizer I’ve ever used. I have noticed a major difference in the overall feel and look of my skin since using this product. However, I am dying for the new Dieux moisturizer to come out (Both Soph and I are on the waiting list). 

  • Balm/Occlusive: Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream I’ve really disliked almost every balm I’ve ever tried but this one changed that. It feels so luxurious and has a great calming effect on my skin. I will warn that this has blue tansy and has a slight scent so for some people it could be irritating. 

  • Lips: Charlotte strikes again with the only thing that keeps my lips from being cracked in the winter. Smear on some La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm, and any Aquaphor type product on top and voilà. You will look crazy but that won’t matter because you will wake up with the softest lips. 

Skin Tips: 

  • Wash your face every night, even if you don’t want to. It will age and dry your skin to sleep in makeup or sunscreen. And your eyelashes will experience breakage if you sleep with mascara. It's worth the extra five minutes, I promise. 

  • Before you apply serums or moisturizers, mist your face with water (you don’t need a fancy toner). The ingredients in these products are usually water-loving, and if they don’t have water with them when you put them on, they will find it in your skin and end up dehydrating you (yes, do this in between each application). 

  • Let your serum sink in before you apply your moisturizer. I usually take this time to brush my teeth, floss, or watch a TikTok. 

  • Just because it works for me doesn’t mean it will work for you. Find something you like and stick to it. It takes 4-6 weeks to really know if a product is working for you. 

  • Don’t even bother with anti-aging products if you aren’t going to wear sunscreen. It's a waste of money, I said what I said. 

  • I won’t tell you to drink lots of water, you already know that ;) 

Soph’s Skincare:

I recently was diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, a rare and mild form of eczema that typically flares up during the dry winter months and when using certain products/ ingredients topically. As a result, I’ve had to pivot from my usual products, get back to basics, and focus on gentle hydration. Here are my current morning and evening routines: 

Soph’s Morning Routine

Morning:

  • Cleanse: I don’t wash my face in the morning because it strips away too much moisture from my already dry skin, but I do like to prime my skin for a few key ingredients I put on each morning and I love Aveda Hydrating Treatment Lotion for just that. This “lotion” is really more like a gentle toner. Full disclosure that this comes in a semi-weird bottle so I usually transfer to a reusable spray bottle to get more bang for my buck. 

  • Serum: Day and night The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid is the best. Super gentle on sensitive skin and very nourishing. But, make sure you splash your face with water before applying so the product can lock in moisture and immediately apply a moisturizing cream or oil to ‘sandwich’ it in. 

  • Moisturizer: After many months on the hunt for a new face oil (my beloved Daughter of the Land Lavender Oil was discontinued; probably because it took me 1.5 years to get through it, but I digress) I heard about Biossance Squalane Oil on the wellness comedy podcast Poog. Coincidentally it had also been listed as the best oil for seborrheic dermatitis when I did an initial deep dive on the condition. This stuff is pure gold for me and leaves me looking like a dewy glowing goddess even over Zoom at 8 AM.

  • Eyes: If I’m feeling both exhausted and fancy I’ll pat on some eye cream (currently using a sample I got of this Biossance Marine Algae Eye Cream) and put on Dieux Forever Eye Mask; a set of reusable(!!) eyemasks. I’ll keep these on while I brush my teeth, make some coffee, and get my to-do list in order for the day.

  • Sunscreen: No matter the weather or my plans for the day, there is always sunscreen on the agenda. I’ve been splurging on the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen because it’s one of the only daily sunscreens I’ve tried that doesn’t cause clogging or give me major breaks out. Find one that works and use it. Future you will thank you!

Evening:


Leave us a comment and let us know what you try!

Veronica Homuth
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