Winter is coming. It’ll bring Christmas, hot chocolate, and… That’s pretty much all I like about winter.
What I don’t like? The freezing cold temperatures and unrelenting chilly winds that cause havoc on my skin and hair.
Gone is the soft, glowy, flawless skin I enjoyed all summer long. In winter, when I look in the mirror, I see a scaly reptilian with dull, flaky skin and lifeless hair. Ugh.
Not this year. I’m determined to tackle all these problems head-on, so I, and you, can enjoy great skin all winter long.
Here are 7 winter beauty problems, solved:
- Winter Beauty Problem #1: Dry, Flaky Skin
- Winter Beauty Problem #2: Flaky Foundation
- Winter Beauty Problem #3: Sallow Complexion
- Winter Beauty Problem #4: Runny Mascara
- Winter Beauty Problem #5: Red And Itchy Cheeks
- Winter Beauty Problem #6: Chapped Lips
- Winter Beauty Problem #7: Sunburns
- The Bottom Line
Winter Beauty Problem #1: Dry, Flaky Skin
The cold winter weather robs your skin of the essential moisture it needs to stay soft and healthy. Without it, it becomes all dry and flaky. Hello, alligator! In the worst cases, there’s bleeding too. Ouch!
The solution? Switch to a richer moisturizer. Make sure it’s chockfull of antioxidants too. That way, you’ll keep your skin hydrated and wrinkles at bay. Talk about multitasking!
Best Picks:
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($15.99): Available at Dermstore, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, and Ulta
- Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream ($60.00): Available at Cult Beauty, Sephora and SpaceNK.
- Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer ($35.00): Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Feel Unique, and Paula’s Choice
Related: The Best Moisturisers For Very Dry Skin
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Winter Beauty Problem #2: Flaky Foundation
If you’re having a bad skin day, an acne outbreak or discolourations, you can just put foundation on and… Hello, gorgeous, flawless skin! But when your skin is dry and flaky? Your foundation will go on flaky and crusty too! Ugh, so annoying!
Using a richer moisturizer to fix your skin helps. But, it won’t work overnight. In the meantime, what are you supposed to do?
Switch to a more moisturizing foundation, too. Or, if you don’t need much coverage, a BB Cream, CC Cream, or tinted moisturizer that evens out the skintone while boosting your skin’s hydration.
Best Picks:
- Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation ($44.00): available at Cult Beauty and Sephora
- Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation SPF15 (£32.00): available at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, and Nordstrom
- Laura Mercier Silk Creme Moisturizing Edition Foundation ($48.00): available at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Sephora and SpaceNK
Winter Beauty Problem #3: Sallow Complexion
When skin is dry and flaky, it’s not able to naturally slough off dead cells. Instead, they accumulate on the surface, leaving your face dull and lifeless. All the light’s taken out of it.
A little exfoliation can help. My favourite exfoliants contain glycolic acid. They’re multitaskers that exfoliate skin, hydrate it and boost collagen production (bye bye wrinkles!). There’s nothing better for dry winter skin.
WARNING! If you have oily skin or acne, you’re better off with salicylic acid. Unlike glycolic, it gets inside your pores and treats breakouts. You can find out my fave salicylic acid exfoliant here.
Best picks:
- Alpha Skincare Enhanced Renewal Cream ($16.99): available at Ulta
- Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment With 5% AHA ($33.00): available at Dermstore, Paula’s Choice and Selfridges
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution (£6.80): available at Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty
Related: The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid: What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It
Winter Beauty Problem #4: Runny Mascara
Those chilly winds can make you cry. As those two or three tears trickle down your face, so does your mascara. And, of course, you’re always the last to notice! For some reason, people think it’s more polite to let you go about your business looking like a racoon than gently telling you your mascara has smeared… Go figure.
Unless you dig the raccoon look (raccoons do have their charms 😉 ), invest in a good waterproof mascara. They’re more stubborn and able to resist water, sweat, and whatever you throw at it.
Best picks:
- Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara (26.00): available at Debenhams, Nordstrom, Selfridges and Sephora
- Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara ($32.00): available at Debenhams, Feel Unique and Nordstrom
- Dior DiorShow Waterproof Mascara ($29.50): available at Feel Unique and Harrods
Winter Beauty Problem #5: Red And Itchy Cheeks
Brrr! It’s freezing cold outside. And that wind! It makes your cheeks all red. And no, I’m not talking about that healthy I’ve-just-returned-from-a-brisk-walk-in-the-cold rosy cheeks. Nope, this is full on irritation! And there’s nothing pretty about it.
The solution? Toners, serums, and moisturizers full of aloe vera, green tea, allantoin, chamomile, and other soothing agents. They calm down irritations, reduce redness, and help skin get healthy again.
Best picks:
- Bioderma Sensibio AR Cream ($24.90): available at Dermstore and Feel Unique
- Niod Modulating Glucosides ($21.00): available at Escentual and Skinstore
- Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum ($34.00): available at Dermstore, Paula’s Choice and Selfridges
Related: 9 Soothing Ingredients To Calm Down Sensitive And Irritated Skin
Winter Beauty Problem #6: Chapped Lips
Winter isn’t happy with destroying only your skin. It must cause havoc on your lips as well. Cracks, bleeding, peeling… It’s not a pretty sight. It hurts, too.
Being a lip balm addict doesn’t save you. But switching to a more hydrating, richer formula will. In winter, it’s all about hydration.
Best picks:
- Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 ($7.50): available at Look Fantastic, Nordstrom, Sephora and Ulta
- La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Lips (£4.50): available at Feel Unique
- Lanolips 101 Ointment Superbalm ($16.95): available at Feel Unique and Ulta
Related: 5 Ways To Treat And Prevent Chapped Lips
Winter Beauty Problem #7: Sunburns
I bet you didn’t expect to see sunburns here. Aren’t they a summer problem? Not really. You can get a sunburn all year round. Especially when you go on holiday in the mountains.
You’re way closer to the sun, but the cold temperatures and snowy paths fool you into thinking you won’t get burned. You skip the sun protection. Next thing you know, you’ve got a sunburn.
Luckily, there’s a very simple solution. Pile on the sunscreen! And don’t forget to reapply it regularly throughout the day.
Best Picks:
- Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 ($34.00): available at Cult Beauty, Sephora, and SpaceNK
- Elta MD UV Lotion Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 Plus ($35.00): available at Dermstore and Walmart
- Niod Survival 30 (£25.00): available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, and Feel Unique
Related: 6 Things To Look For In A Sunscreen
The Bottom Line
Don’t let winter woes catch you unaware! Follow the tips above, and get ready to rock healthy skin, flawless makeup, and a kissable pout through rain, snow, and hail all winter long.
Cracked skin on hand, itchy legs, dehydrated and flaky face, parched lips…
Petroleum jelly on hand and lips, AHAs on the face and body lotion on legs.
+ We got a humidifier for our home. I think it helps – we don’t wake up with stuffy noses anymore.
Ana, ohhh the joys of winter! It’s so awful for skin, isn’t it? Glad you found something that helped. A humidifier is a godsend at this time of year indeed.
I’m going to get SunUmbra next and I’m going to click it through your link. 😀 I am running low on sunscreen.
I love the products you’ve picked. :]
I’ve been using a waterproof mascara that mostly lengthens (MAC Extended Play Gigablack Mascara) and gives me really long lashes and then I add volume, focusing on the outer corners, with Chanel Le Volume. I’ve used Chanel Inimitable waterproof in the cobalt, limited edition blue they had and I LOVED the formula. The next one I’m going to get is probably going to be Inimitable waterproof because it holds a curl so well and I don’t have to buy two mascaras… though I tend to buy more than one anyways hehe… or buy another before I use up my previous ones.
I have dry skin and my lips and hands get chapped so having hand cream with me is really important. I used to LOVE Caudalie’s hand cream which smelled like orange creamsicles but now smells more citrusy and stronger. L’Occitane is alright but I like Neutrogena’s Norweigan formula (inexpensive, too) the best. Kiehl’s is awesome but I wash my hands a lot and for the cost effectiveness, I highly recommend Neutrogena’s. It’s a semi-translucent cream that feels kind of like vaseline but blends and absorbs without being greasy.
As for lips, I like lip butters or just any lip balm.
Since it’s cold out, I really love minty lips as it makes my lips feel cool. (Buxom lip glosses helloo!)
And drier skin in general makes me reapply body butter more than once during the day when I can.
Janessa, thanks. The Sunumbra sunscreen is really good, I’m sure you’ll like it too.
I really love Chanel mascaras too. They are so volumizing. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg. But if you want thick, long lashes, they’re worth it. Neutrogena’s cream is pretty good too. Very moisturizing, and a steal at that price. 🙂