Bringing some glow back to dull winter skin

by girlseeksjoy · Published January 10, 2023 · Updated October 30, 2023

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

UPDATE: this week only (until March 10th), you can boost your winter skin with a free full-sized bottle of the All Bright Vitamin C serum (valued at $90, and listed below as an essential product in boosting my skin’s glow) with orders of $125+ as a part of Beautycounter’s 10-year anniversary celebration! Check it out here!

I’ve been away from New England winters for a little bit too long. I wasn’t prepared for what the cold air would do to my skin. Dry. Dull. Oh, so very pale. My current skincare routine needed a little “glow up” as they call it. I needed a winter skincare routine to revive my poor dull, dry winter skin.

After poking around the interwebs searching for what I need to add to my skin to give it a little lift, over and over again I saw vitamin c come up as a solution.

I had completely forgotten about my beloved vitamin c serums that I was using daily back in California before we sold everything and packed our little family of five into a 200+ square foot travel trailer. All things must be pared down, I thought.

So the other morning I took out a couple of vitamin C samples that I had sitting around my work closet and put together a new routine for the winter—within a couple of days I could see life creeping back to the surface.

As a busy mom of three little ones, I still can’t justify having an indulgent skincare routine of 30 different products, so my winter routine is still relatively short and sweet.

First things first

Before I jump into products that will help increase moisture and glow, let’s talk about what you can do from the inside out first.

Hydrate- I know that for me personally, winter is a time that I forget to drink enough water and guzzle coffee more than usual because—all the cozy stuff, please. But drinking water, or herbal teas if it must come in a hot form, is going to go a long way in keeping your skin glowy this winter.

Avoid hot showers- I’m not going to sit over here and tell you, don’t take hot showers. I wouldn’t like that advice all that much myself. However, hot showers or washing your face with super-hot water does cause your skin to dry out and can cause damage to the moisture barrier of your skin. Try washing your face with lukewarm water instead.

Morning winter skincare routine

Cleanser– I’ll be honest. I don’t wash my face every single morning. Sometimes I just put a cloth on my face and call it good—especially in the winter. I’m a little worried about over-cleansing my face when it’s already dry. But when I do—which is 3-4 mornings a week, I use this cleanser which has phytic acid to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells, and it’s gentle enough that it doesn’t mess with your moisture barrier.

Toner- I love this toner. It’s feels like a cross between a serum and a gel, so it goes on super smooth and feels cooling on my skin. I need extra moisture in the winter, and this whole line seems to do it for my skin through the winter.

Vitamin C serum- I have been seeing this everywhere—this seems to be the magic ticket for brightening dull winter skin. I love this one because not only does it brighten but evens skin tone as well—not to mention smells amazing. Read my full review on our vitamin C serum here.

Moisturizer- This is my favorite everyday moisturizer. I go a little heavier at night, I’ll show that in a second, but for the day this is my go-to.

Evening Winter Skincare Routine

Cleanser- same as above but I use this every single night. Although, if you have super dry skin, I will possibly recommend this one. I love the oil cleanser for dry skin, but sometimes the active ingredients are just too much when our skin is just really craving moisture.

Toner- Same as morning.

Serum– Every other night I use my beloved overnight resurfacing peel. This product for sure has made a huge impact on my skin’s appearance since I started using it a few years ago. On the nights that I don’t use this, I have been just giving my skin a break. Read my full review on our overnight peel here.

Heavy Cream- what I like to take in my coffee and what I like to put on my face before hitting the pillow. This cream is so thick and cooling. It’s important to have a thick cream on your face at night if you have dry skin as a protectant between your skin and that pillow of yours. Apparently, you’re supposed to wash your pillowcase every three days—who is doing that?!

Tip: don’t forget your neck! My skin was looking super thin and crepey the last month or so, and as soon as I started slathering on the cream on my next too, the appearance improved right away!

Extras

Here are a couple extra products that I use from time to time or would suggest to help with dry winter skin.

Mask- this mask is kind of like the peel but on steroids. It’ll do what the peel does over the course of the night in 10 minutes because it uses a blend of chemical and physical exfoliants. I don’t use this a ton, but once a week would give your skin a great brightening boost.

—or—

This mask- I love this balm. I haven’t ordered it in a while because I just can’t use all the things all the time! Haha! But this balm is great to use as a super hydrating mask overnight once a week if you have really dry skin.

Glowy Makeup

These three products make me feel the glowiest all year long, but in the winter they add a welcome boost.

Glowy-tinted moisturizer- it has sheer coverage with a touch of dew. Despite its name being a “tinted moisturizer”, I wouldn’t skip your regular moisturizer. However, this foundation DOES have some vitamin C in it—our unsung winter hero—to help brighten and even skin tone. Read my full review here.
Cream blush- Once I tried cream blush, I wondered why I hadn’t been using it all my life. I feel when I use powdered blush, it makes my dry skin look even drier. Cream blush adds a little touch of dew, and a little extra moisture, and goes on smoother. Make sure, however, that you’re exfoliating or it may go on a little cakey!

Hyaluronic lip balm- Lips are skin. So, lips deal with dry, dull winter skin too! I always struggled with dry, chapped lips as a kid. As an adult, I try to avoid getting to that point—although when I do, a quick scrub with my toothbrush or a honey and sugar scrub will usually do the trick. Lip balms are a biggie for me, but I still like a little bit of color. These lip balms look beautiful, and are rich in fatty acids so they add moisture, they’re nourishing, and because they’re so hydrating, help plump up the appearance of lips over time.