How to survive winter without turning into a dry leaf Tips for sensible, enjoyable, and protective skincare, with products that really make a difference
Winter always arrives the same way. First a “well, it’s a bit chilly,” and then suddenly we find ourselves searching for portable heaters, comforting herbal teas, fluffy robes, and creams everywhere. And while we try to adapt to the advancing darkness and cold, our cheeks, lips, hands, and even cheekbones start begging, “Mercy!”. No, our skin isn’t being overly dramatic, it's simply fighting to retain water, protect the barrier, and limit the aggressions it will face in the coming months. Because cold outdoor air, indoor heating, friction from scarves and sweaters, and extremely low humidity make its hydrolipidic film crumble like sandcastles under a wave. That’s where dryness, redness, cracking, patchy shine, and the classic feeling of “tight face” begin. How do we fix it? With strategic skincare. No need to overdo it, but it’s essential to care for the skin barrier as if it were our best winter coat. This is the perfect time to nourish, pamper, and shield, just like when we put on our warmest duvet jacket or order a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and zero guilt.
Skincare to protect your skin from the cold ahead of winter 2025
The first step is always cleansing, but gently
Before adding a thousand products, the real upgrade starts with what we remove. If our cleanser leaves the skin feeling tight, we’ve already lost half the battle. In winter, cleansing means removing impurities while maintaining functional oils and moisture, as if we were washing something precious and not a greasy pan. This is where creamy cleansers, gels, and mousses come in, sensory and protective. Tatcha The Rice Wash, enriched with naturally hydrating rice powder, offers a soft and creamy experience that turns cleansing into a ritual moment of beauty, perfect when you’re dreaming of Japan while actually living among radiators and tax codes. If the skin needs an ultra-gentle touch, Korff Intense Barrier Mousse and SuperYou Detox Cleansing Gel, with superfoods like antioxidant-rich Matcha tea water and Bakuchiol, arrive like guardian angels that don’t scratch, strip, or irritate. For the more “green-addicted” souls, Eterea Prodigious Helix line, based on microfiltered organic snail mucin, has the talent of cleansing while repairing, hydrating, and preparing the skin, like the perfect starter for the next steps.
The repairing phase: toners, essences, eye products, and masks that make the difference
If in other seasons we can “play” with minimalism, winter doesn’t like shortcuts. Toner, essence, mask, and eye contour may look like small steps, but they have an impactful aesthetic and functional role. These different, coordinated, and intelligent skincare layering steps help weave an invisible protective duvet on the skin. The secret is not to hydrate a lot, but to hydrate on multiple levels, just like wearing thermal underwear, a sweater, and a coat. And without forgetting the most delicate areas such as the eye contour. A great option is Age Absolu by Uriage, a new densifying eye balm which, thanks to a new-generation collagen booster complex and a selection of premium dermatological actives, gives the gaze new density, hydration, radiance, and a visibly smoother and plumper tone. In the case of dryness, irritation, or redness, Rilastil’s Difesa cream is a valid choice, developed to counteract inflammation while preserving the epidermal barrier. Another new entry for your winter skincare routine? Freshly Cosmetics Hyper-Concentrate Eye Serum, combining eight natural clinical technologies such as ayurvedic complex, vegan hyaluronic acid, rhodella violacea, and kangaroo paw, with visible results in 14 days. When you need a shock treatment or immediate cocooning, Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask with Hydro Cera-nol enters the scene like a cosmetic infusion of water and lipids, perfect when the skin looks tired, dehydrated, dull, or marked by cold. Equally excellent is MASQMAI’s Collagen Recovery Mask, combining hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights, and extracts of rice, coix seeds, and ginseng with energetic amino acids and nucleotides. For fans of the hi-tech cosmetic world, Comfort Zone's Skin Regimen Lx Instant Smoothing Dry Sheet Mask is a great choice: a liquid-free mask that activates upon contact with water for a futuristic, luxurious, and surprisingly effective ritual. And for a seasonal pampering moment? Sephora’s Caramel Macchiato Face Mask wraps the skin in hydration and softness.
The serum is the artistic director of our winter glow
When facing the cold, the serum is not optional, it is the product that sets the scene for our face: we either look exhausted like after a long study session, or we display that soft glow typical of a snowy holiday with spa included. What should a good serum do? It supports hydration, strengthens the skin barrier, and fights oxidative stress, discoloration, and loss of firmness. Just like Paula’s Choice 7% Ectoin Booster, formulated to reinforce the barrier while providing deep hydration and a dewy finish. If winter skincare must become a deep hydrating ritual, rich and powerful ingredients are needed. Hyaluronic acid is one of the key actives in La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and Lancôme’s Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum. Vitamin C, found in Augustinus Bader’s The Vitamin C Serum, brightens, balances, and evens the skin without irritation. Collagen peptides, next-generation retinoids, and innovative transdermal liposomes make Foreo’s Supercharged Triple Action Firming Serum unique. Fans of quick skincare, intuitive and zero-waste, can rely on Yepoda’s serum sticks: Age Fix for fine lines, Pore Fix for rebellious pores, and Glow Stick for instant radiance, as if drinking two liters of water while meditating.
The right face cream is the goose down jacket of our skin barrier
In winter, skin doesn’t want lightness at all costs, it wants to feel protected, nourished, and embraced without being suffocated. This is why Skin First’s Crema Viso Cica Barrier™, Embryolisse’s Hydra-Crème Énergisante, and adesso beauty’s Face Recovery Cream are excellent choices for hydration and antioxidant protection that leave the skin firmer, brighter, and shielded. Clinique’s Moisture Surge™ Intense 72h is the classic gel-cream solution that melts into the skin, creating a persistent and comfortable water reserve. Sensai’s Total Form Expert Cream and Payot’s Nutricia Crème confort nourrissante with royal jelly and mimosa honey deliver that velvety, luminous finish that looks like the result of a luxury spa retreat. Looking for sensorial skincare? NEURAÉ’s Crème Énergisante & Raffermissante promises a boost of skin vitality and overall wellness. But when the climate becomes truly harsh and icy, stronger protection is needed. Rhode Barrier Butter, Polåar’s La Véritable Crème de Laponie, and OLEHENRIKSEN Après Skin Rich Rescue are like personal bodyguards for the skin, even against Arctic winds.
Focus on body care
In winter, the body, hidden under layers of wool and puffer jackets, experiences the same thermal shocks as the face but receives much less attention. Fortunately, just a few consistent gestures can change its day: a warm (never hot) and quick shower, followed immediately by a body cream applied while the skin is still damp to better lock in moisture. Once or twice a week, a gentle scrub reactivates microcirculation and makes the skin smoother and more even. And if we want a spiritual bath, all we need is low lighting, good music, and products from Aesop’s Eleos collection with its botanical essences, or Rituals’ Intuitia scented with saffron, sandalwood, and vanilla. Also perfect are Carezza by Lávika, a cleansing butter with pistachio, shea, and pomegranate that leaves the skin more flexible and sensual, and the Linfa elixir, which adds hyaluronic acid and rosehip for a firmer, more radiant body, with the scent of prickly pear that feels like a vacation even in February. Jours Heureux’s Dream Balm, with almond, violet, rose, vanilla, and white musk, turns the evening routine into a special moment, and Parfums de Marly Delina does the same with rose, peony, and lychee. If we want something more enveloping and gourmand, we can choose EOS Shea Better Vanilla Cashmere, which pampers the skin with a “soft and happy” feel from morning to evening. How about something quick and effective? We should add to our shopping list products with shea butter and urea, such as Lierac’s Replenishing Lotion, Uriage’s Xemose C8+ balm, or Caudalíe’s Vinotherapist Body Butter.
Hands and lips are the true martyrs of the cold season
The face always gets all the attention, but the parts that truly suffer are the hands and lips. Hands, for example, are our everyday calling card, and in winter they become red and chapped. So it’s better to use regularly Avène’s Cold Cream Ultra-Moisturizing, Veralab’s Smoother, or Dermovitamina’s Ragadi. If we want a treatment that is both useful and chic, Prada The Hand adds a luxurious sensorial touch, perfect for a purse or coat pocket. Now, let’s talk about lips. Since they lack sebaceous glands and natural defenses, cold, wind, and temperature changes put them under pressure. And this is where Tatcha’s The Kissu Lip Mask Gold Leaf and Audrer’s Lip Paste with hyaluronic acid, allantoin, and vitamin E; Mo’Stò’s Lip Balm Bae White, which plumps with hyaluronic acid spheres, active wine water from Abruzzo, grapeseed oil, and unripe grape stem cells; and Bonbori’s Mochi Nourishing Lip Balm, containing pomegranate flower extract, ginger, and coenzyme Q10. The chicest? Violette’s Balm Amour, six years in the making, and Byredo’s Chromophobia Lip Balm. For the sweet-toothed, we recommend Glossier’s Sugar + Spice Duo Balm Dotcom kit. Perfect as a Christmas gift, it includes two lip balms: Gingersnap, with warm ginger notes, and Peppermint Bark, combining peppermint with chocolate.