How I adapt my skincare routine for the winters.

From the tropics to the tundra: Making a few easy tweaks to your skincare routine to protect against dryness, flakiness, and irritation, with tips and product recommendations.

It’s that time of year again, when those of us who live in perennial hot and humid climates, bring out our down jackets for a winter holiday. I don’t know about you, but I have, what you’d call, a love-hate relationship with the cold. On one hand, my hair absolutely loves it. Gone is the untameable frizz, and poofy lion’s mane, and in its place are sleek, shiny waves. But my face, oh my face. It gets dry, it gets parched, every crease and fine line is amplified. And I look about 10 years older than I do in the summer.

Living in a warm, tropical climate has taught me a lot about skincare: I swear by gel moisturizers, lightweight essences and serums are my lifeline, and I won’t be caught dead without a very generous layer of sunscreen slathered all over my face. But as I pack my suitcase for a holiday getaway to a colder climate, I know my summer skincare routine probably won’t cut it in the dry climate I was about to go to.

Why Your Skin Needs Extra Care in the Winters

Winter weather does a number on your skin. It’s not just the frigid, dry air outside, it’s the shock your skin goes through when it walks out of that frigid air into the artificially heated indoors. That constant whiplash of temperatures is what strips your skin, leaving it vulnerable to dryness and irritation. On top of that, the lack of natural humidity and moisture in the air can make your skin barrier weaker, leading to redness, itchiness, and even breakouts if you're not careful.

In tropical weather, it’s all about managing excess oil and sweat, but in the winter, the focus shifts to maintaining hydration and protecting your skin from the elements. It’s like a skincare seesaw, and if you don’t adapt, your skin will let you know.

How I Transition My Skincare Routine for Cold Weather

Because I don’t live in a country with a long, harsh winter, and really only need this routine for a few weeks in a year when I’m on holiday, I try not to invest in all new products. I’ve found that making just small changes to my summer routine can help me adapt it for the winter.

1. Skip the Morning Cleanse, and Stick to Gentle Cleansers

Luckily, I love a gentle gel cleanser, no matter what the season. That means I don’t have to invest in a new cleanser for winter. What I change instead is the frequency of cleansing. When I’m in a cold, dry place, I only cleanse my face once a day, as part of my nightly routine. This will usually be part of a double cleanse, where I use a moisturizing cleansing balm first followed by my fave gel cleanser.

Then all I do the next morning is give my face a generous splash of water to wake it up. I know, this might seem alien to those of us who religiously wash our faces day and night, but trust me, your skin doesn’t need you stripping it of moisture twice a day when the weather’s doing enough of that as it is.

My Top Picks:

THEN I MET YOU Living Cleansing Balm

In the warmer temps of my home, I prefer to use Micellar Water for my first cleanse. But in the winters, a cleansing balm feels far more nourishing, and less stripping. One of my personal faves is this light mango sorbet like balm from Then I Met You. The texture, the smell, its effectiveness in removing makeup…*chef’s kiss*

It also comes in a handy travel size, which is perfect if you just want to carry it along for a short winter vacation.

HARUHARU WONDER Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel

I follow up the balm with this textbook definition of a gentle yet effective cleanser. Featuring a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to match your skin's natural balance, it uses naturally-derived surfactants from coconut to deliver a thorough cleansing. But what makes it truly unique is the inclusion of Ferment Black Rice Extract, which infuses your skin with rich moisture and has a soothing effect, making it ideal for colder climes.

2. Layer On the Hydrating Toners

In the tropics, I love a lightweight hydrating toner to spritz over my face right after a cleanse. Just a little bit goes a long way in getting that glass skin glow. But in the winters, that toner gets sucked up into my skin quicker than I can say dehydration. Instead of getting a whole new toner though, I just do as the Korean beauty gurus do, and layer.

If you’re obsessed with skincare socials, you may have heard of the K-beauty 7-skin method, which involves applying seven layers of toner to enhance hydration. I could never wrap my mind around needing THAT much toner until I went on my last winter vacation. 7 is still a little bit of overkill, in my opinion, but what I like to do is apply my toner right after my cleanser, and then layer more toner before each subsequent skincare step. This allows me to add extra hydration to my face (without adding additional products to my routine), and also helps my serums and moisturizers absorb better.

My Top Pick:

I’M FROM Rice Toner

Hot, cold, rain or shine, my all-time holy grail is this hydrating milky toner that’s mostly formulated with rice water, but has additional calming power from niacinamide. It’s light enough for the summers, but works brilliantly in the winters if you layer it in between your skincare products too.

3. Limit or Skip the Exfoliants

I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of exfoliators to begin with. Even in warmer temps, physical scrubs are a big fat N-O in my book, and I don’t find myself reaching for chemical exfoliants that often either. The risk of barrier damage far outweighs the benefit I get from them. A nightly double cleanse has always been more than enough to clean my pores and slough away dead skin. At most, I might opt for a weekly clay mask to clear off any excess gunk that may have built up over time. Suffice to say, I’m not packing any exfoliating acids in my winter holiday bag.

Having said that, I know there are those of you who love your exfoliators and can use them multiple times a week without irritation. Still, the cold can be an altogether different beast. If you have to use your exfoliators, I’d recommend opting for a gentle chemical exfoliant (like a low percentage BHA, or even a non-irritating PHA) once or twice a week max, to keep your skin smooth without compromising its barrier.

4. Upgrade Your Moisturizer

Alas, there are some products which I just have to switch up entirely for the cold, and moisturizer is just that girl. My holy grail, Purito Oat-In Calming Gel Cream, that I usually can’t recommend enough, feels like it disappears in to my skin almost as soon as I apply it. Even layering it doesn’t do much, so unfortunately, a thicker moisturizer must be purchased. For my winter moisturizer I look for hydrating and nourishing ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, squalane, and Vitamin E.

Pro Tip: Local pharmacies and stores like Sephora sell travel or sample sizes (some which you can even get free). I got both, the Then I Met You cleansing balm above and the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream below, free with purchases I made at Sephora. These are a good way to avoid splurging on products you’ll only use for 2 weeks.

My Top Picks:

TATCHA Dewy Skin Cream

OK, yes, this is one helluva boujie recommendation, but just get the smaller travel size or even free sample size from Sephora and thank me later. This ultra luxurious cream packed with nourishing ingredients, like Rice Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Green Tea Extract, Ginseng Root Extract–the list goes on–feels so nourishing and hydrating on the skin, I couldn’t get enough of it.

SKINFIX

Barrier + Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream

This one doesn’t come in a travel size that I know of, but it’s honestly worth the full-size. If you’re looking for a richer, more heavy-duty moisturizer, you can’t go wrong with the Skinfix Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream, formulated with a blend of peptides, ceramides and the brand’s own patented B-L3™ Complex that instantly hydrates and boosts skin radiance.

5. Consider Adding a Facial Oil to Your Routine

This is optional, and if a thicker moisturizer is enough for you, then you can absolutely skip this step (trust me, in normal circumstances, I wouldn’t come 10 feet near a facial oil, but these are not normal times we’re talking about). However, if you feel like even a heavier moisturizer doesn’t cut it, then using a few drops of a nourishing facial oil, especially in your night time routine can help seal in all the hydration from your serums and moisturizers. My personal favourite is the 100% Squalane Oil from The Ordinary which is great for all skin types.

6. DO NOT Skip the Sunscreen (Yes, Even in Winter)

I’ll admit, my toxic trait is that I sometimes forget to wear sunscreen if the sun isn’t absolutely blazing down on me. But just because I’m on holiday, doesn’t mean UV rays are, so skipping the sunscreen is non-negotiable. I even heard that snow can actually reflect UV light, increasing exposure, which made me top up my SPF real quick. When it comes to sunscreen, the best sunscreen is the one you’ll actually wear. So, no need to change up anything, just take your regular sunscreen and make sure you apply and reapply.

Final thoughts

Having adapted to the weather fairly well on my last few trips into colder climes, what surprised me most was how little I really needed to change my routine to adapt it for the winters. For anyone planning to swap climates, the key is to listen to your skin and make little tweaks as needed. Whether it’s layering on extra hydration, switching up your moisturizer, or simply drinking more water, small changes can make a big difference.

Side note: I cannot describe how much I enjoy some of these richer, hydrating products. I never get to use things like face oils in my daily routine, so these additional products felt like a cozy sweater for my face! That said, I’m excited to get back to my tropical routine (and not having to slather on so many layers).

Have you tackled a similar skincare transition? I’d love to hear what worked for you—drop your tips in the comments!

About The Skinimalist

Hi, I’m Mal, a 30-something recovering skincare addict, and this is my blog. A space where I attempt to de-influence you from chasing trends and buying more skincare products you may not need.

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