Best Skincare Products for Winter

As if winter weren’t challenging enough, add winter skin and it’s no wonder it gets a bad rap! I was so excited when Matthew Rodrigues of NBC Chicago Today reached out to talk skincare. Since I was about 2 (okay, maybe 8) I have paid attention to skincare. It stems from doing Nutcracker after endless Nutcracker and having to wear professional make-up at an early age! My mother is also a skincare guru and she was slatering us with stuff early on, while she swore by Satura. My skincare passion has only grown as I have grown older and I was happy to share my best skincare products for winter recommendations with the NBC team and Chicago!

We split up the segment into an overarching theme for all skin types and then dove deeper into different skin conditions. In the interest of time, we were unable to get through all the products that I would ordinarily recommend. However, I will share them ALL here. 🙂

Best skincare products winter skin

Hydrating Cleansing

Skincare 101 is washing your face; “never go to bed with your make-up on”, etc. While most of us are hopefully washing our face, in the winter we need to use that step to also hydrate our skin. Washing my face with a cleansing oil is one of the best things I’ve discovered in the past couple of years because they don’t strip my face of it’s natural moisture. This not only damages your skin but can also cause more problems for acne prone skin, as your oil glands go on overdrive trying to replace the oils that were lost.

The first product I discovered this with was Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm $69. It was truly revolutionary for me because you can also use it as an overnight mask! On the show, I recommended another cleansing oil, that’s really light and gentle, Palmer’s Coconut Oil Cleansing Oil $8.39. For context, I have really oily skin and get pimples from time to time. I use these cleansers in the morning when I’m going to face the cold winter day. At night, I will cleanse with a gentle Charcoal soap $10-25 to purify.

Exfoliation

Why Bother? When you exfoliate you are removing the dead skin cells off your face that can just linger if you’re just washing. When that happens your skin can start to appear dull, and more creased. However, the biggest implication of not exofliating is that the products that you do put on your skin won’t get properly absorbed. They will just sit on top of your dead skin cells, so you’re wasting product! Gasp!

There are two main types of exfoliation. one is chemical with ingredients such as the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (like glycolic, lactic, and malic acids) . The other is mechanical, with exfoliating pad, loofah or small granular product. There are a couple of products that combine both that I really love: Dr. Dennis Gross’s Exfoliating Pads $88 (lasts 30 days) and Goop Glow Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator $125 (lasts 2-3 months). Both of these are not cheap but the way I see it is that a good facial will run you $150-$250. In the end, you will save money. 🙂

Prevention

Ok, so you’re using a hydrating cleanser, you are exfoliating….now what?Prevent future damage with sunscreen! If you’re a regular reader, you probably already know that I swear by Beautycounter’s Dew Skin with 30 SPF! On the NBC Chicago Today show, I brought in another great brand that works really well, especially for the price point; No. 7! This brand makes an awesome CC cream, City Light, with 15 SPF $15, which is the bare minimum you want to leave your house with. If you’re gonna be outside for longer than your daily commute, opt for at least a 30 SPF. I prefer these SPF options because they have a light tinted moisturizer that helps add a glow and color to my skin!

Best skincare products for different skin types

Dry Skin

If you have dry skin, you really suffer in winter! You want to grab an oil based moisturizer, such as Italian Squalene $8 or Sugar Cane Squalene $32, that will seal in the moisture. The price variation really comes into play with branding and perhaps some proprietary add-ons. If you’re price sensitive, start out with a basic plant-derived option. Squalene is gaining a lot of traction in the beauty world because of it’s emulsifying properties. It is easily absorbed into the skin, and has beautiful anti-inflammatory properties that help heal skin conditions such as eczema.

Oily Skin

Ok, so this is obviously me. LOL I haven’t met many people with skin as oily as mine. I wont’ complain much because it does help with anti-aging, but boy is it hard to manage sometimes. In the winter, despite how naturally moisturized I usually am, I feel it too! On the show, I recommended one of my favorite products; SK II’s Facial Essence $99. It’s an amazing base that helps my skin retain hydration without making it oily, helps shrink my pores (a task in of itself) and also helps melasma! If you’ve been pregnant or have hormonal fluctuations, you have probably suffered from it and this as well as this brightening oil help a great deal!

But back to oily skin, one of my favorite moisturizers that still helps me with my anti-aging goals is Beautycounter’s CounterTime Soft Cream $70. It’s light enough for my oily face but feels extremely hydrating and has a cleaner retinol. You can read all about it here.

Acne

Oh gosh, does it ever end?! The random pimple happens to a lot of us still no matter our age. In winter, it’s especially tricky because almost all of the products that we use to treat acne are so darn harsh. That’s why I love my good ole Charoal soap, which I discovered when I was pregnant with Matteo. I knew I needed a cleanser that would treat my occasional pimples but wanted something clean and gentle. So I never went back to any harsh acne cleanser! I use this one $24 now because my face feels squeaky clean but not destroyed after I use it. It also lasts about 2 months!

If you have more persistent acne, I would recommend CounterControl Regimen $120 . I’ve had clients that have had great results in getting their acne under control without drying out their face. Plus, whenever I have a clean make-up option, you know I’ll take it!

Anti-Aging

The holy grail of skincare; anti-aging products! As I mentioned before, I swear by Countertime’s Soft Cream $79 ,Serum $79 & Eye Cream $69 However, in the winter especially, it’s all a cumulative endeavor. You can’t fight aging if you’re skipping any of these steps; hydrating cleansing, exfoliation, prevention. I was so excited to come across Mara Beauty’s Algae Retinol Face Oil $66-$120! Matthew Rodrigues, the co-host of Chicago Today recommended it and his skin is flawless!

I have just ordered it here, and will report back, but here’s why I’m trying it. Firstly, it has Retinol. Retinol is pretty much the only thing that’s gonna fight aging before you head to needles. You know how I feel about THAT. Retinol will help boost colllagen production which is what keeps your skin plump and smooth. Also the reason people are guzzling collagen drinks, but I digress (more on that later). Secondly, it’s a clean beauty product! And finally, it’s in an oil format, meaning it will be beautifully absorbed by your skin and will be more efficient.

Body Skincare in Winter

The focus of the segment was facial skincare, but let’s throw in a few of my favorite body skincare products too! A classic product that I have loved since I was a child is Nivea Cream $o.79! Even the classic smell gives me a major case of nostalgia. There’s a tin container that I love to stash in different bags, totes and coats so that I always have some. The other cream that I really love is Beautycounter’s Body Butter $39. This one has a light citrus scent that’s really pleasant. The last one is Mamma Mio Belly Body Oil $38, which I attribute to my lack of stretch marks with both pregnancies. I used it for a couple of years after having my babies since it was so incredibly moisturizing, especially if you’re stretch mark prone!

Well there you have it! Best skincare products for winter! Please share the segment and this blog post with a friend if you found it helpful. Happy Winter! XO, Z