We are just past the middle of winter, and of course with all of the coziness and the snowy activities comes icy temperatures that can make our skin dry, blotchy, and uncomfortable.
We all want to look great for our snowy walks, ice-skating, skiing, and hot cocoa by the fire, and yet sometimes we just don’t know how to keep things under control. Fortunately, we’ve prepared 9 winter skincare tips to help you stay on top of curating your dewy, glowing skin.
1. Milk Cleansing to melt makeup
First off, the importance of thoroughly (and gently!) removing makeup at the end of the day can’t be stressed enough, as any residue left overnight can irritate the skin and clog pores. You want to use something light and hydrating that will actually help to replenish your skin and support its microbiome (the natural outer layer of the skin made up of healthy bacteria) rather than stripping it down with harsh chemicals. Our Milk Cleanser is a great option – it is made with a base of goat milk, coconut milk and milk protein blended with Argan oil, olive oil, and sweet almond oil, essentially a daily spa treatment for your face. And it is sulfate, paraben, petroleum, phosphate, and fragrance-free to ensure zero irritation.
2. Avoid harsh cleansers – toss anything with dying ingredients and switch to our Milk Bar
The number one rule of skincare in winter is – don’t dry out your skin! With this in mind, take a good look at the cleansers you use on your skin and toss them (yes, say goodbye forever) if there are any harsh, stripping ingredients in there (fragrances included). Avoid ingredients like parabens (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl), PEG (Polyethylene glycol), anything listed as “fragrance,” Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and generally question ingredients you don’t recognize – do a quick Google search. I highly recommend our Milk Bar to clarify and balance your skin.
3. Buff your skin (prepping skin for moisture and removing extra dead skin)
Buffing your skin once or twice a week will remove dry, dead skin and actually prep your skin to absorb more moisture. You’ll know how often you need it if you start with once a week and go from there. Our Activated Charcoal Face Scrub is a great option – not only is it a great exfoliator but it is packed with antioxidants to leave your skin radiant. Always moisturize after cleansing!
4. Switch your serum to an antioxidant-rich facial oil
Face oil is the ultimate secret to reviving dry skin – seriously! Just a few drops can do wonders. While serum is a great pre-moisturizer layer in warmer months, winter calls for a little extra soothing. Our 18+02 Facial Oil is packed with 20 superfood ingredients, so just like any good serum, it will load up your skin with nutrients. I recommend a few drops after gently cleansing in the morning and at night, pre-moisturizer, and I also recommend carrying this around in your purse and reapplying just a little as needed when you’re spending time outside or skin is feeling particularly dry.
5. Switch to a heavy face cream (ingredients to look for)
You’ll want to really lay on the moisturizer in winter months – so choose a moisturizer that is really going to soak into your skin and provide a barrier from the winter air. Ingredients to look for include humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid (which keep the skin dewy and hydrated). Our Blaak Face Cream for Dry Skin is packed with these as well as our colostrum and Peptide formula, which not only hydrates but helps to replenish the skin. Use it at night and in the morning in colder months!
6. Layer on your eye care – Light As Air Eye Serum + Light As Air Eye Cream
You want to make sure you are taking care of the skin around your eyes in the colder months as well – your skin is thinner here and more sensitive. Our Light as Air Eye Serum blends goat milk and botanical extracts to really soak in and revive tired eyes (in case any stress came in with the new year!). Follow that with our Light as Air Eye Cream for extra moisture and that essential shield against the cold.
7. Keep using SPF regardless of the weather
The sun doesn’t go away in winter! It is certainly further away and not as warm, but it still has the potential to damage your skin. Find a reliable go-to sunscreen like Beekman 1802's Hello Sunshine Sunscreen.
8. Nail down your nighttime skincare routine
Use the nighttime to replenish. Your skin will absorb what you layer on before sleep, and you will thank yourself in the morning. Our Blaak line is designed for just this – serum, face cream, and eye serum will together pack in the nutrients and the moisture that your skin will need to make it through the following day! Our Peptide complex in each of these products is also created to smooth out wrinkles.
9. Mindfulness & gratitude
One last tool that is important when thinking of glowing skin is the daily maintenance of our inner stillness and calm. At our core, we have the capacity to be utterly peaceful and full of love, and yet daily stress can get in the way of this truth and make us both feel and look under the weather. Meditation is a wonderful way to remind us of the calm, loving beings we are underneath it all so that with practice we can keep ourselves from getting too swept up in the stress of any situation.
I recommend meditating first thing in the morning before you even get to your morning skincare routine. Have a designated cushion or a chair ready for you when you wake up and set a timer for a minimum of ten minutes (I recommend the app Insight Timer, which has a virtual meditation bell as well as many recorded meditations if sitting in silence feels unappealing). Begin to observe your breath by choosing an “anchor” – this can be the feeling of the breath coming in and out of your nostrils or the rise and fall of your chest or stomach. If focusing on the breath causes anxiety, focus instead simply on the sensations in your hands or on the sounds around you. The important thing is to have one point of focus for your attention, and if you observe your mind wandering (which will happen!), gently bring your attention back to that anchor. Even ten minutes of this can really set up your day, and you are more than welcome to repeat in the afternoon or evening! Another grounding exercise for the holidays is to write down five things you are grateful for either in the morning or at night.
In conclusion, be gentle with yourself and with your skin this winter. Take some extra time for yourself in the morning and at night and make your skincare routine one that feels like self-care. Maybe even play some music while you wash and moisturize your face. The winter can feel long and blue, and making sure you feel taken care of inside and out should be a top priority so that you can carry on with all of the beautiful ways you contribute to the world each day!