Winter is coming… the season our skincare routine dreads the most. While your schedule gets packed with weekend ski trips and cringey company holiday parties, your face and body get dried out and irritated by the combination of cold, windy weather outdoors and the heat cranked up indoors (plus all those dehydrating holiday cocktails). All of this means it’s time to take your skincare routine to the next level. We’ve compiled a list of simple, tried and true tips to help maintain healthy, bright and hydrated skin all season long!

1. Ramp up the moisturizing

While the bears get to hibernate, we have to hydrate. Moisturizing early and often is one of the best ways to keep your skin hydrated throughout the winter. But the trick here is to opt for creams instead of lotions as it gets colder. Since creams have a lower water content than lotions, creams are thicker and can provide an extra protective barrier to lock in that moisture. For added benefits, we also recommend incorporating body oils like coconut oil, rosehip oil, and tea tree oil into your routine. As always, but particularly in winter, drink a lot of water!

2. Curl up by the humidifier

We love relaxing with a glass of wine by our parents’ fireplace as much as the next person, but unfortunately, all that time around heat sources like fireplaces, furnaces, and heaters create an arid environment, drying out your skin. You can help combat dryness by using a humidifier to help keep moisture in the air. If you can, keep one in your bedroom and anywhere else you spend a lot of time during the winter.

3. Use gentler products

It’s generally best to avoid products that contain alcohol and fragrances, since both can irritate and dry out your skin. These damaging effects can be even worse and harder to combat when the weather gets cold and dry. Regardless of the season, it’s important to always check the ingredients label of your skincare and opt for natural products that are alcohol and fragrance-free.

4. Eat your antioxidants

Antioxidants aren’t just found in your AM/PM serum application. Incorporating antioxidants into your diet can also help your skin appear brighter and more youthful. Make sure to load up on berries, dark chocolate (important one), beets, pecans, and other antioxidant-rich superfoods this winter.

5. Not so hot and steamy

After being out in the cold or the snow, taking a long hot shower or soaking in the tub is the obvious way to immediately warm up. While this feels lovely in the moment, super hot water can not only dry out your skin, but strip it of its natural oils too. No thanks. Do your best to keep your showers shorter (water conservation is cool, too) and use warm water instead of hot.

P.S. - Take a minute to moisturize your clean, exfoliated self! If that sounds like a lot of effort, we feel you. Try Jergens wet-skin moisturizer that makes it so fast and easy, you really have no reason not to.