The routine that's saving my dehydrated winter skin
Banishing the winter uglies
Hello from hibernation season. Here in Colorado, the dryness feels like it’s at its peak. Winter here has a way of draining both moisture and morale… especially when the bathroom mirror reflects back an unexpectedly ashy gray complexion. Just a little jump scare before your morning coffee, yikes.
A decade into high-altitude, low-humidity living, I’ve refined a daytime and nighttime routine that keeps the dryness at bay. Here’s the ritual I rely on to keep this season’s skin bright, plump, and hydrated. Winter uglies, begone.
Night Skincare Routine
Face wash. I’ve been using this Japanese drugstore oil cleanser for over a decade. The rich, oil-based liquid cleanser melts into the skin and removes makeup, sunscreen, and daily grime without stripping moisture. If I have heavier makeup than usual on, I’ll wipe with a muslin cloth. When traveling, I opt for this cleansing balm instead of the oil cleanser. Both cleansers work just as well — but I prefer using the Japanese face wash’s pump bottle at home and a little tub of balm on the road. The 20g container of Elemis balm is perfectly sized for travel. I pat dry with a soft, fluffy hand towel — we’ve switched all of our household bath towels over to these luxurious towels (a trusty Hillary Kerr rec).
Moisturizer. I’ve turned many a girlfriend onto this this Skinceuticals moisturizer, which is designed to repair the skin’s lipid barrier with ceramides and fatty acids. For dehydrated, flaky skin, this cream is everything. It feels rich but lightweight, never greasy, and deeply hydrates my face overnight. Much to my chagrin, my husband swipes it liberally, so I always stock up when there’s a sale. All Skinceuticals is 15% off here today — discount is automatically applied when you add to cart.
Retinol or CC pads. A few nights a week, I use a pea-sized amount of Tretinoin all over my face (also known as Tretinoina… find me buying mine for pennies from a Mexican pharmacy during my annual pilgrimage to the Riviera Nayarit). I alternate evenings with dermatologist-developed Coleman Compound brightening pads, which have been slowly but surely lightening my brown spots. Mrs. Derm says you can use both in conjunction, but my skin tends to be sensitive so I prefer to switch between them. I don’t use either if I know I’ll be in the sun the next day.
Sheet mask. On days I need an extra boost of hydration, I’ll turn on a show and slip on a sheet mask. My friend Jen’s mom always brings her a bounty of Korean skincare back from Seoul, of which I am a grateful beneficiary. She gifted me a stack of Torriden sheet masks — which I plowed through in a few weeks and just reordered. Instant favorite! They’re deliciously juicy and the ideal complement to a night in with the Bridgertons.
Morning Skincare Routine
Vitamin C. After splashing with cool water and patting dry, I squeeze a few drops of vitamin C directly onto my skin, smoothing it all over my face and neck. The Skinceuticals Vitamin CE Ferulic is my holy grail for brightening tone and improving texture. Several dupes have come out on the market, but I don’t believe in messing with a good thing — I haven’t tried another vitamin C product since my first order of this in 2022. My skin loves this and soaks it right up.
Daily sunscreen. I can always count on my girlfriends in Asia to introduce me to the latest and greatest in SPF. My friend Nicole, also a sunscreen fanatic (game recognizes game), brought me a tube of this trending Korean sunscreen when we met up in Hong Kong last year. I’ve since become a die-hard convert. It’s even surpassed my trusty Biore as my most frequently used daily sunscreen. It’s so cosmetically elegant, sinking into the skin instantly and going on seamlessly under makeup. Get the two-pack — it goes quickly because you’ll love using it. The only caveat I’ll add is that I feel like it’s a “light” sunscreen intended for the way Asians go out in the sun, which is… sparingly. For an all-day golf or boat affair, I’d still opt for a sport/European sunscreen like the La Roche Posay Mune400.
Bath + Body Care
Shower oil. I can’t recall what hotel I first experienced the L’Occitane shower oil at — the nourishing, lightly almond-scented body wash has since become a fixture in our shower niche. Paired with a steam shower, it’s a spa-like experience.
Body butter. This Mutha body butter melt feels like a guilty pleasure. On those Everything Shower days, I’ll moisturize head to toe with body butter melt to finish it off. Since all Mutha products are specifically formulated to be pregnancy-safe, you’ll find solace in the 100% clean, natural ingredient list.
Cuticle serum. As previously mentioned, I only recently became someone who has good nails. This cuticle serum is the perfect little self-care moment and an on-the-go savior for my cold-chapped hands.
Bookmarking for 1,000,000 future references because you know that I feel your pain. I have read about the Coleman Compound pads before and I think it’s about time I finally try them for myself.
I love skincare recs!