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Winter means many travelers will be spending time in cold-weather destinations, heading out on ski trips and cozying up by the fire in cabins, but it also can mean dry, irritated skin. It’s no secret that cold temperatures often leave our skin feeling extremely dry—especially after a long-haul flight. While it can be daunting to switch things up if you’re afraid of breaking out or causing further irritation, your current skincare regimen might not be cutting it against harsh cold and dry climates.
If that's the case, you'll want to add a few gentle, effective products to your winter skincare routine to help retain moisture, using ingredients that are right for your skin type. To help you maintain hydrated, glowy skin all winter long, we consulted a few skincare experts to find the best products to combat the cold for every skin type. We've also included some of own our tried-and-true skincare essentials for long travel days. Below, you'll find our very best winter skincare tips, whether you’ll be skiing in Aspen or on an expedition ship in Antarctica.
Look for these skincare ingredients
When shopping for new skincare products in the winter months, you’ll want to pay close attention to the ingredients. Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology, says to “incorporate ingredients like humectants, such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help to draw moisture in; emollients such as squalene which help to nourish, soften, and smooth the skin; and occlusives such as petroleum jelly which can form a protective barrier and help to lock moisture in.” She also recommends ceramides, which can help to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier to minimize moisture loss, as well as niacinamide, an ingredient that boosts ceramide production and helps reduce inflammation.
Dr. Tiffany Libby, a board-certified dermatologist and the Director of Mohs Micrographic & Dermatologic Surgery at Brown Dermatology, agrees on the importance of ceramides. “Ceramides are essential fats within the skin layer that help seal in water content so that the skin barrier does not get dry and irritated,” she says. “As we age, we start to lose ceramides—by our 30s, we have lost up to 40 percent of our ceramides and by our 40s, up to 60 percent.” She suggests looking for key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to draw moisture to the skin’s surface, colloidal oatmeal and allantoid to decrease inflammation, and lactic acid to help exfoliate away dead skin cells and increase skin cell turnover.
Shop winter skincare by category:
- The best face cleansers
- The best face moisturizers
- The best body moisturizers
- The best lip balms
- The best healing ointments
- The best humidifier
- The best face sunscreen
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
To clean your skin without stripping it, you’ll want to use a creamy and hydrating cleanser. Dr. Garshick recommends the Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier cleanser from Glow Recipe. “It helps support the skin barrier, combining ceramides, pre- and post-biotics, colloidal oatmeal, and avocado oil, all while gently removing makeup,” she says. We're also fans of these gentle and affordable cleansers from CeraVe and La Roche-Posay—they're non-greasy, fragrance free, and safe to use on sensitive skin.
Apply a trusty face moisturizer
Next, you’ll want to use a trusty moisturizer that will keep your skin hydrated even on the harshest of winter days. Dermatologists recommend Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream, which boosts hydration and radiance while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (it layers well underneath makeup, too) and the SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator, which is packed with hyaluronic acid to provide immediate hydration.
If you're looking for an effective nighttime moisturizer that won't break the bank, we suggest applying the Cetaphil Rich Hydrating night cream or Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream before bed. As soon as the cold weather rolls around, I turn to the Clinique Moisture Surge hydrator—it's incredibly lightweight for being such a powerhouse moisturizer. I especially rely on this product for some extra post-flight hydration. If your skin is looking a little dull, try incorporating the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream into your routine for a natural glow.
Moisturize your body daily
Dr. Shari Sperling, a board-certified dermatologist of Sperling Dermatology, recommends avoiding hot showers in the winter. Instead, she suggests taking a warm shower for 10 minutes using a gentle soap and following it up with a thick moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin, try the Vanicream moisturizing cream—it’s free of dyes, fragrances, parabens, and is noncomedogenic. It works just as well on the body as it does your face, and it soothes your skin without feeling greasy. If you have normal to dry skin, you can't go wrong with the lightweight yet rich moisturizing cream from CeraVe.
If you have acne-prone skin, Dr. Libby says, “continue to moisturize—a common misconception is that to treat acne, you need to dry it out, but that is the wrong idea. Patients with acne need to maintain a healthy and moisturized skin barrier or else more acne may flare.” For those who experience eczema, try adding the Eczema Relief Cream from Mustela or the Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream into your nighttime routine. These favorites use colloidal oatmeal to relieve itching, dryness, and help restore the skin’s moisture barrier.
Pack a nourishing lip balm
We all know (and mutually despise) the feeling of chapped lips in the winter—that's why our editors never travel without one of our favorite nourishing lip balms in our Dopp kit or tote bag. A few of our editors' go-to lip balms are bestsellers from Kiehl's, Vaseline, and Dr. PawPaw. Come nighttime, treat your lips to the popular leave-on mask from Laneige—it's packed with Vitamin C and shea butter for immediate hydration.
Use the holy-grail of winter skincare
The ultimate winter skincare staple recommended by our experts: Vaseline petroleum jelly. Use this on dry, itchy skin patches, as a lip balm, or on your cuticles. My personal favorite way to use Vaseline in the winter: Apply a generous amount on your hands and feet before bed; throw on some socks and you’ll wake up with soft, silky skin. We also recommend this multi-purpose healing ointment from Aquaphor for cracked or irritated skin, minor cuts, and burns. It's no surprise that this best-selling skin protectant has racked up over 72,000 global ratings with an average of 4.8 out of five stars.
Keep a humidifier in your bedroom
One tip for healthy winter skin I heard again and again from dermatologists: use a humidifier! Keep a humidifier in your bedroom and have it running a few hours before going to sleep. “This helps restore humidity levels so the cold, dry air does not strip more water content from your skin overnight,” Dr. Libby says. I love the facial humidifier from Hey Dewy—this lightweight, portable device takes up little space on my nightstand and offers eight hours of continuous cool misting.
And don't forget to wear sunscreen
A can't-miss step in your skincare routine year-round: sunscreen. Even in the winter months, when it’s snowy or rainy, your skin still needs protection from harmful UV rays. We recommend finding an SPF product you love and making it a regular part of your morning regimen.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.