Winter Skincare Update
My Winter Skincare Routine for Mature Skin…
While I periodically try to simplify my skincare routine, I always end up adding back products over time. (But it’s not as intimidating as it might look. 😆) I’ll be honest, most days I approach skincare the same as flossing and brushing my teeth. Sure, I like products that smell and feel good, but it’s mostly about the results for me, and the process isn’t something I tend to linger over. My morning and evening routines each take around 5 minutes.
Winters can be dry here, so I’m all about hydration. Here’s my daily régime de soins de la peau:
AM
- I don’t wash my face in the morning, just rinse with water, then pat dry.
- When the air is dry, I’ll mist with a little of the Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence to face and neck.
- While my skin is still damp, I’ll apply the Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum. This was recommended to help retain moisture in the skin.
- Then the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum. I’ve been using this one for a while and really like it.
- Eye Cream: love the Brian + MW Illuminate & Contour Eye Treatment. I don’t have a lot of issues with puffiness or dark circles, but this eye cream has noticeably reduced the crepe-y texture and redness on my eyelids.
- Moisturizer: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I won’t pretend the pretty rose fragrance isn’t part of the allure, but this also really absorbs into my skin and feels like it seals in moisture.
- Brian + MW Firming Neck & Throat Creme (not shown). When I use this regularly, it really does firm and improve the texture of the skin on my neck. (Just ran out, need to reorder!)
- SPF: I use a barrier sunscreen every day, even if I’m not planning to be outdoors very much. I started using this Elta MD Clear SPF 46 a few months ago and have been pleased with it.
PM
- I’m still using and loving the Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm (c/o, not shown) nightly. It removes makeup but leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated, not tight.
- Then a shot of Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum.
- Exfoliation is key to preventing dullness and allowing active ingredients in products to penetrate the skin, so I use prescription Retin-A nightly. (My dermatologist feels a lower percentage formula used nightly is most effective.) I don’t have an issue with it being irritating, but some people do. If your skin can’t tolerate prescription Retin-A, a retinol product like Colleen Rothschild Mandelic Acid Radiance Serum or Brian + MW Super Radiance Exfoliating Freshener can be gentler but still effective options.
- Then the Brian + MW Illuminate & Contour Eye Treatment.
- I’ve been using the Colleen Rothschild Extreme Recovery Cream (c/o) as my nighttime moisturizer, and though it feels very light going on, it’s soothing and does seem to keep my skin from drying out overnight. (I also like the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream, but it’s a heavier one.)
- Brian + MW Firming Neck & Throat Creme
- Once a month or so, I replace the last two steps with Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask, and leave on overnight. (This is also my Not-So-Secret Weapon for keeping my skin hydrated on long flights…apply after takeoff, remove before landing, then apply moisturizer & sunscreen.)
Both mornings and evenings, and usually once mid-day, I apply a little bit of Brian + MW Re-Creation Lip Treatment. This stuff is amazing for preventing dryness & flaking, and keeps my lips smooth.
So there you have it, my Winter Skincare routine. All of the products mentioned are cruelty-free except for the Sisley Paris (which is sold in China).
What skincare products do you rely on during dry winter months?
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I love that Elta sunscreen; having tried so many others this is the best there is! Goes on smoothly and leaves no residue.
As to RetinA/Tretinoin: I use the strongest there is every other night on face but use it every night on my hands. After many months…wow, what a difference! Brown spots are so much lighter and skin tighter: highly recommend for hands!
Thanks for this post! And to Libby above for the hand suggestion – i use 50% and if I use it every night I do get a bit too flaky/red – backed off to every other night.
QUESTION: my dermo said to not use moisturizer on top of the RetinA at night …. thoughts on this?
I’ve been told it will work even with moisturizer.
Thanks – I will give it a try and see if I notice a difference.
And Thank you for your posts and insights for those of us “of a certain age”
My derm doc said to certainly use moisturizer on top of RetinA. My skin would be too, too dry not to! I would wait maybe 5 min. to put it on, letting the RetinA soak in.
P.S. I also use the Skin Ceuticals CE Ferulic serum each morning.
My Derm recommended that Elta and it is good.
I had some red and flaky spots and she prescribed this stuff that fights skin mites. It’s a miracle how well it’s worked. It’s the same thing the Vet prescribed to de-worm the dog – just in a topical lotion and marked up about 2000% percent 🙁
I read an account in Vogue about someone who had a skin Spa session and they mentioned washing your eyebrows to reduce the microscopic mites that cause inflamation. Now that I”ve got the flakey thing under control I have been taking a toothbrush and gently washing my eyebrows nightly to see if it will keep the problem from coming back.
I’m sorry if I missed it but what products do you use for the mites? Thank you
Hi Roseag I have rosacea also. My derm subscribed metronidazole gel which works somewhat but gets pricey. I would love to know what your dr suggested as the same treatment for deworming dogs. I have been looking for alternate treatments and this could help. My skin gets those large pimples!
Thanks so much, Marilyn
Roseag, I think I have skin mites in my eyebrows and hairline . My dematologist has never mentioned this.
I am using Head and Shoulders which is helping some. Which Elta product are you using? I checked and there are several to choose from. I would so love to get rid of these flakes. Also, are washing your eyebrows with the same Elta product? Thank you for your answers.
I am a huge fan of Estee Lauders foaming face wash, it lathers up like a very thick shaving foam and cleans beautifully. Also it smells heavenly and scent is everything to me. I follow with Caudalies Beauty Elixir which I believe is the reason I have incredibly clear and smooth skin. After that anything goes. I have well over a dozen moisturizers and twice that many deluxe samples, a million foil samples, so just slap anything on. I use La Mer’s ‘The Lip Balm’ morning and night which is stupidly expensive but does last a while and certainly lives up to its claims. It is biting cold outside right now and soon I will go for a 2-3 mile run and my face will get blasted, but The Lip Balm means I never ever have dry or chapped lips. Also it tastes like minty chocolate! I also take a collagen, biotin and evening primrose oil daily and think this is as important, if not moreso, than the lotions I use.
I have mild rosacea, so my skin reacts with redness and tiny pimples to many products. Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream with hyaluronic acid (which helps attract and retain moisture) has made a huge difference in my winter skin. I use it only at night, and switcher to a lighter moisturizer — the CeraVe brand, recommended by my dermatologist — during the day. During the winter, when the air is so dry, I also get these painful cracks in the skin around my thumb — a common problem I learned from people’s comments on some other blogs. They recommended the product O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream (I ordered it online from Target), which is amazing. I couldn’t believe it — no cracks! First time in years! You don’t need much, just a dab to work into the skin. Another recommendation that has been like magic: CeraVe Renewing SA Foot Cream. A miracle worker for dry, flaking heels.
Candy, I appreciate your recommendation for the O’Keefe’s cream – I will try it. I have the same problem and it is surprisingly painful.
Candy, I know I must have rosacea but have never gone to a dermatologist. Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Rhonda. When I was first diagnosed, my dermatologist had some immediate changes I needed to make in my face routine, including not using soap to clean my face, which she said was too drying and irritating. She suggested Vanicream gentle facial cleanser, which is a liquid cleanser without dyes, fragrance, lanolin, etc., that you can find in most drugstores. Just that one change made a huge difference. Also, making sure I washed my face towel at least a couple times during the week so I was always patting my face dry with a clean towel. My pillowcase needed to be washed more often too for the same reason. And no more hot water when washing my face either — lukewarm only, to avoid over-drying it. I also had to figure out which foods caused my face to flare. In my case, alcohol (esp red wine) was a major culprit, along with chocolate. (Very sad!) And then, of course, there’s the prescription stuff like azaleic acid and other things, like ivermectin — an anti-inflammatory that also battles mites — which have helped a lot. Hope this helps!
Love the Elta sunscreen! Have been using Augustinius Bader Cream in the morning under Elta sunscreen and love it. In the evening I use the Augustinius Bader Rich cream. Twice a week I use Altreno, which is a prescription retinoid in a lotion that is significantly less drying than most other retinoids. Once a week I exfoliate with Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels. My sensitive, combination skin looks better than it has looked in years!
Re. Sunscreen. Check to see if they contain oxybenzone or avobenzone.They are known as chemicals that can inflame hair follicles and possibly cause hair loss.
Thanks! I always avoid those ingredients as they’re also bad for the environment.
I used Elta MD for years and liked it, then Epionce tinted spf 50 was recommended to me. I absolutely love it! The tint actually looks good with my skin tone (the tinted Elta MD always looked orange) I don’t feel the need to wear foundation, hence less products and chemicals to put on my skin. The tint is such that you can add foundation if you want to and it blends well. It’s also very moisturizing. My new favorite.
My skin is pretty sensitive so I’m careful about what I put on it. I do use sunscreen but I prefer the non-chemical ones. I do have a tinted sunscreen product from Trish McAvoy that I love but it’s a little dark for winter. I use a CeraVe creamy cleanser and a retinol serum by them that has ceramides & HA in it. I put on one drop twice a day. Then I use La Mer Creme at night and in the AM too if I’m particularly dry. I do try to increase my water intake, but it’s hard in winter, I have to admit! I would like to switch to a glycolic acid solution for exfoliating but haven’t done it yet. Right now I’m using a mild oatmeal based exfoliator – maybe when that’s used up, I’ll switch. I don’t generally wear much make-up. I use an eyebrow pencil and lip gloss (usually Burt’s Bees).
I love Drunk Elephant products but the packaging is just SO MUCH PLASTIC, seemingly more than most skin care lines. I’ve switched to Josie Maran and Youth to the People and am quite pleased with both the products and the packaging!!!
Paula’s Choice Super Light wrinkle Defense SPF 30 is my go-to for face sunscreen, has no chemical sunscreens and a slight tint. I’ve used different cleansers from the line, antioxidant serums and bha exfoliant. They’ve partnered with Terra Cycle to send in used bottles and tubes for recycling.
Retinol serums from just about any line either makes my skin flaky or doesn’t do much of anything. For Christmas, I got an eye cream and night cream from La Roche Posay’s Tolerlaine line and so far it hasn’t aggravated my mild rosacea.
Thank you for the Colleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm recommendation. Have been using it for a month or so now ( with baby washcloths from Amazon) and love it. Now starting to use her night cream.
Thank you for all the information. I have a question: why do you exfoliate AFTER you apply the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum and not before? It would seem you are removing hydration. Thank you.
Hi Christi, I don’t exfoliate after the Vitamin C serum. That one I apply in the morning, and then moisturizer & SPF on top. When I say “exfoliate,” I don’t mean a scrub, but rather an application of Retin-A, which is a cream. Retin-A works by removing old skin cells and stimulating the growth of new ones.
Thank you for clarifying, Susan! My Retin-A is a pad and therefore I use under my moisturizer. Love your posts.