Of all the questions I receive, the topic that is by far the most-asked about is my beauty and makeup routine. My skincare regimen changes with the seasons, with more makeup and light moisturisers in the summertime, and the opposite in the winter. It’s especially important for me to care for my skin in the wintertime because the cold, dry air depletes my skin of its natural oils, sometimes leaving it dry in places. Additionally, we keep the indoor heating up, which can also dry out skin. To protect their skin during these dark winter months, some people use a humidifier and limit their exposure to cold winds and low temperatures if possible, but by far the most important thing you can do for your skin is to moisturise regularly and use sunscreen. Here are a few of my current favourite skincare products for caring for winter skin, from a great skin tint to the best sunscreen I’ve ever used, and more…
P.S. It should be noted that these are my favourites for this month⏤I switch up my skincare products frequently, using a range of very high end ones to more budget friendly ones, like these.
Because my skin is a lot drier in the winter, I avoid using full-coverage foundations and use a small amount Westman Atelier’s Vital Skincare Complexion Drops instead. It completely evens out my skin tone and makes my skin feel very hydrated. I like to wear it on no-makeup days over sunscreen for a more polished look than bare skin. I like it so much, I plan on trying it in the summertime on full-makeup days.
I’ve tried many, many different sunscreens, and Supergoop!’s Unseen Sunscreen is by far my favourite. The texture is really nice and it absorbs perfectly into my skin with absolutely no white cast at all. Plus, it works really well as a primer under makeup, making everything that comes after glide onto my skin. I wear this product every single day during the winter, and it may even replace my Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream in the summertime.
For most nights in the winter, I use a few drops of Youth To The People’s Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil every night before bed. It’s good for normal, dry, combination, and oily skin types, is fast-absorbing and packed with rare superberry antioxidants for rapid hydration, promising ‘velvety-soft skin with a healthy-looking glow’. My skin always looks good (and well-hydrated) in the morning after using this facial oil.
If I want a heavy-duty skin reset, I apply Drunk Elephant’s A-Passioni Retinol Cream after cleansing and toning my skin. I don’t use anything else after this product, letting the super-charged, silicone-free formulation with 1% retinol do its job overnight and in the morning, I wake up with amazingly smooth, nearly poreless skin that looks like I’ve been sleeping for twelve hours.
If you’ve ever used Authentic Aleppo Soap, you’ll know how difficult it is to go back to regular soap. At first, the non-perfume-y scent takes some getting used to, but the feel of the soap is so rich and creamy on the skin that you’ll become accustomed to its organic, slightly smokey scent. The bars are oversized, so one lasts a very long time and can be used to wash your entire body, as a shampoo to help fight dandruff, as a shaving foam, and even for laundry. It’s handmade, eco-friendly, cruelty free, vegan and made in Syria.
This organic, eco-friendly French multi-use balm is made of shea and cocoa butters, and sesame, castor, and apricot oils. I keep a container at my desk and use it throughout the day on my hands, which are extra dry during the winter, and normally need extra moisturising because I am a frequent hand-washer. It can also be used on your face and hair, is super moisturising, and smells really good.