If the chilly temperatures are showing on your skin, you may need to make some tweaks to your routine. Below, we share our K-beauty recommendations.
To protect your skin year-round, it’s vital that you pay attention to which products are still working for you during the season and which ones aren’t. It might’ve taken a bit for the chilling temperatures to finally hit us, but now that they’re here it’s time to make some skin care swaps.
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Some common skin changes that occur during winter include skin tightness, peeling, dryness, and even cracked skin. Since we know you want none of the above, we’ve compiled a line-up of products that should be in your routine in order to keep your skin feeling (and looking!) refreshed, bright, and hydrated through spring.
Cream Cleanser
Cream cleansers are always a safe bet for the winter months. Why? Well, let’s start by the fact that this type of formula is appropriate for every skin type, and can serve different purposes for each—all super useful for winter. For dry skin, a cream cleanser provides an instant boost of hydration that penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin while cleansing. If you have oily skin, cream cleansers can gently remove buildup and excess oil without disrupting the normal balance of your skin and thus dehydrating it. And if your skin is super sensitive, the consistency and hydration is perfect for not stripping your skin of its natural oils or causing irritation.
Try: Enature Marshmallow Cleansing Foam
Exfoliating Peel
You should consider peeling away (literally) your skin’s winter dryness. When it’s cold, our skin usually produces less moisture and we’re able to both see and feel the dehydration. Chemical peels are made to remove any of that damage and dead skin that we face and leave us with a radiant glow instead. These peels encourage the cell turnover process which helps eliminate any dead skin cells, fine lines, dark spots, and prevents aging. A chemical peel also improves the overall texture of your skin. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about any unwanted flakes or cracking, which can be especially visible underneath makeup. Just be sure to always follow up with moisturizing products and to limit use to two to three times a week.
Try: Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Lemon
Hydrating Serum
Serums are already one of, if not the, most essential part of anyone’s skin care routine. They’re jam-packed with concentrated ingredients that you can directly address your biggest skin concerns with, including dryness and dehydration.
Chilling temperatures, snowy days, and harsh winds can all be very aggressive things to put our skin through, but with the right serum you won’t have to worry about moisture-depletion, flaking, or damage in general. Some ingredients to look out for include ceramides for moisture and anti-aging purposes, hyaluronic acid for replenishment, and vitamin E for repair.
Try: COSRX Hydrium Triple Hyaluronic Moisture Ampoule
Face Oil
Face oils can support your skin year-round, but they’re extra important during winter. During this time of year, you can experience some tightening all over your face as a result of the weather and we know how uncomfortable that can be. Sometimes your traditional moisturizer won’t do the trick alone, and adding in a face oil can help loosen up your skin and get its natural glow back. Plus, oils will seal in all of the moisture you’ve treated your skin with earlier in your routine which is key to maintaining hydration levels.
Try: Rovectin Skin Essentials Barrier Repair Face Oil
SPF
We can’t stress this one enough. SPF is a no-brainer and should be worn every single day, no matter what season it is. During the winter it’s just as important to wear sunscreen as it is during summer. Keep this in mind: the sun can do damage during any time of the year and doesn’t discriminate against any type of weather. Your skin already faces enough from the environment, so there’s no use in putting it through sun damage when you can easily apply some SPF. Plus, if you’re around snow, that reflective surface can increase UV exposure. Use a gentle formula that also contains hydrating and soothing ingredients like the below. It also doesn’t hurt to wear some SPF-infused lip balm while you’re at it!
Try: Acwell UV Cut SPF 50+PA++++ Mild Sun Fluid
