8 swaps I’m making in my winter skin care routine | CNN Underscored

Even though the seasons seem to be confused — I’m writing this on a 78-degree day in New York in November … November! — my skin is already bracing for winter, so I’ve begun making necessary swaps to cycle in my winter skin care routine. This is something I do every year to help keep my combination skin balanced and happy. After all, it’s easier to tackle skin care preventatively rather than try to fix a problem after it’s already wreaking havoc on your complexion.

To make sure I’m on the right track — and, of course, ensure I’m not leading you astray — I consulted two board-certified dermatologists about the changes I’m making to my routine and what you might want to consider trying too.

I always double-cleanse when I wash my face at night, which consists of using an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm to remove makeup, followed by a gel, foam or cream face wash to remove any other dirt or debris. This always leaves me feeling fresh and with a clean slate for my other skin care. For the winter, I’m swapping my second gel cleanser for a cream formula since they tend to be more hydrating for the skin. During the dry climate of winter, it’s important for me to retain as much moisture as possible.

“A cream cleanser will include emulsified surfactants and emollients to moisturize while cleansing,” Dr. Jessie Cheung says, whereas “a gel cleanser won’t add any moisture to your skin, as it is made up of water and surfactants that break down oil.”

However, if you prefer the feel of a gel, Dr. David Kim notes that there are gel cleansers that are gentle on the skin, but it’s foam cleansers that you should really watch out for. “I try to stay away from foam cleansers since they’re more drying,” he says.

This basic, non-foaming cleanser is made with hydrating ceramides and hyaluronic acid, so it leaves skin feeling fresh but not stripped after my second cleanse. It's a go-to if I'm picking up a drugstore beauty haul, and it's a good pick for all skin types.

A great option for combination skin, this creamy face wash creates a satisfying lather that cleanses the skin. It's a product I keep coming back to, as it helps curb my oily T-zone without drying out my cheeks.

Related article 10 drugstore face washes that actually work, according to dermatologists

Following my face wash, I’ll add in a hydrating serum, something that is optional for my skin type during the spring and summer but usually necessary during the fall and winter. According to the dermatologists, the best hydrating ingredients are humectants, which “have the ability to hold on to water/moisture,” Kim says.

“They improve the skin’s resilience and support a healthy skin barrier,” Cheung adds. Humectant ingredients to look out for include glycerin and hyaluronic acid.

This new serum from K-beauty brand Anua contains ceramides, a bunch of rice-derived ingredients and hyaluronic acid for a gentle treatment to support skin health. It also contains niacinamide, which is great for helping with oil control in my T-zone. The texture is light and it even leaves a bit of a glowy finish on the skin, so I'll use it in my morning routine before moisturizer.

You may have heard about snail mucin, but what about jellyfish mucin? According to Mantle, jellyfish mucin is a more effective humectant than hyaluronic acid, so this serum harnesses the hydrating power with a trademarked mPelagic2TM Complex containing jellyfish mucin and deep-sea algae. It also contains glycerin high up on the ingredient list, so it has a gel-like consistency I've found quite effective. Plus, the bottle is much larger than other serums I've tried.

If you lean on the drier side, I recommend this silky serum. It has a thicker consistency that feels slick and cushioning, while the antioxidant-rich formula protects from pollutants and hydrates the skin. I prefer this one in a nighttime routine, as it takes a bit longer to absorb than a hyaluronic acid serum.

Related article Why you should add glycerin to your skin care routine, according to dermatologists

Since I have combination skin, my cheeks can get quite dry in the colder months. They’ll look flaky if I don’t properly moisturize and can even get a bit red. Redness and dryness are often signs of a compromised skin barrier and inflammation. Using barrier-supporting and calming ingredients can help nix these symptoms. Some of my favorites include centella asiatica and ceramides.

“Centella asiatica is an herb with multiple skin-calming benefits,” Cheung says. “It contains anti-inflammatory compounds such a madecassoside and asiaticoside, it offers antioxidant protection and it’s hydrating.”

Meanwhile, Kim says, “Ceramides will help restore the skin barrier and make it less prone to irritation or external damage.” Given their soothing benefits, both ingredients are safe for all skin types.

I found out about this K-beauty serum on TikTok, and when I saw the under-$20 price tag I knew I had to try it. It has a super-gentle, unscented formula made with centella asiatica that sinks right in and makes my face feel soothed almost instantly. It's so good that I'm now eyeing the other products in the Wonder Releaf line.

Deinde's products are made to tackle "inflammaging," or how inflammation and signs of aging are linked. The serum contains soothing naringenin (a patented polyphenol), skin-evening niacinamide and a collagen-boosting tripeptide to support the skin barrier and reduce signs of aging.

This formula contains ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids — three elements that make up the skin's moisture barrier — to help strengthen and hydrate the skin. It gets its golden color from two types of seabuckthorn oil, which also give it a rich feel. Since it's a serum-lotion hybrid, it may be hydrating enough for some skin types to forgo additional moisturizer on top.

Related article What is inflammaging? Dermatologists explain how it affects the skin and how to treat it

I’m a fan of lightweight gel moisturizers, except during winter. During the cold, dry season, I need a thicker face cream. But there’s a fine line between a rich formula and one that just feels heavy.

Cheung says to look for a winter moisturizer that combines “humectants that will pull moisture into the skin (hyaluronic acid, glycerin), occlusives to seal that moisture into the skin and prevent evaporation (lanolin, shea butter) and emollients to soften and smooth the skin (ceramides, squalane, dimethicone).”

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Kim also notes that you can stick to a simple formula instead of “overly complicated moisturizers with vitamin C, peptides or other actives. The goal is to restore your skin barrier.” He also says you’ll want to properly moisturize the rest of your body, so it’s worth grabbing a body lotion you’ll use regularly.

This is an amazing basic cream that I love. It's made with five ceramides, panthenol and glycerin to amp up the hydration factor. It has a thick consistency that melts into the skin and provides a nice buffer in cold weather.

This is another great basic option. It's a straightforward moisturizer that has has a balm-to-cream formula that keeps my skin hydrated and even calms irritation with colloidal oatmeal.

An affordable and effective moisturizer, this ceramide-rich formula also contains one of my other favorite hydrating ingredients, squalane, as well as shea butter, making it one of the most oil-rich moisturizers we've tested.

One of the easiest ways to ensure that your skin stays moisturized is by applying a facial oil as the last step of your skin care routine. Oils are emollients, which Cheung says “deliver lipids into the skin to fill in the cracks in the skin barrier and form a protective layer at the surface to soften and smooth the skin while also reducing water loss.” In other words, a face oil will seal in the hydrating ingredients you applied beforehand and help them penetrate.

Face oils aren’t for everyone, though. Those with oily or acne-prone skin types will want to look for noncomedogenic oils like jojoba, argan, marula and grapeseed oil or avoid them altogether. Kim advises steering away from oils for those skin types, saying, “No matter how cold the weather is, there are many other ways to moisturize the skin without using oils.”

Since I have skin that can be dry in some spots and oily in others, I’ll apply the face oil only on the dry areas, as I don’t need to load more oil onto the areas where I’m prone to higher sebum production, like my forehead and chin.

A little goes a long way with this face oil. It has a floral scent thanks to the camellia seed oil and some jasmine extract and a lovely mid-weight consistency that conditions with olive, grapeseed and evening primrose oils.

This cult-favorite serum is a splurge but delivers results and feels great on the skin. It's full of powerful botanical extracts and oils, some of which come from a 21-day infusion process. Whenever I start using this face oil again, my skin looks more even and glowing within a week.

Related article The 22 best face oils for soft and dewy skin, according to experts

My skin can usually tolerate exfoliating scrubs, but if my skin barrier is compromised I’ll usually take a break or opt for a chemical exfoliant instead. (We have a whole guide on the differences and benefits of chemical versus physical exfoliants if you’re not familiar.)

Kim and Cheung confirm that making that swap is better for sensitive skin. “Chemical exfoliants can be more gentle than physical, mechanical scrubs that can create micro-tears and inflammation,” Cheung says. “Chemical exfoliants work by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells, and [beta hydroxy acids] will penetrate deeper into pores to dissolve oil. These chemicals also provide anti-aging benefits with collagen stimulation.”

Kim adds that these ingredients are only less irritating if used correctly, noting that alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids shouldn’t be used more than one or two times per week. “Otherwise, it can compromise the skin barrier and damage the skin,” he explains. Which, of course, is the opposite of the results we’re after.

This is one of the most popular chemical exfoliants out there, and it's a great option if you're looking to unclog pores and minimize breakouts. The award-winning formula uses salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid, to gently exfoliate and keep pore-clogging oil at bay.

If my skin is looking particularly dull, I'll use this powerful glycolic acid serum. It leaves my skin noticeably smoother and softer the next morning, yet it doesn't cause irritation or redness. As Kim suggests, I'll only add this to my nighttime routine once or twice a week if needed.

This product combines physical and chemical exfoliators but is gentle enough to use every day. It comes out as a powder, using rice starch and oat to gently scrub the skin. It's then activated by water and turns into a frothy face wash with papaya enzymes to clear away dead skin. Because it's pretty mild, I'll use this when my skin is feeling sensitive.

Related article How to use face exfoliators for softer, smoother skin — and 18 expert-approved products to try now

The cold, dry weather is a big culprit of why skin can feel parched in the winter. Using a humidifier can combat that dryness. With the air more moist, Kim explains, the skin has more moisture to hold on to. Plus, it makes my home feel like a spa.

“Humidifiers will add moisture to the air to prevent transepidermal water loss, thus supporting the skin barrier and relieving dryness,” Cheung says.

The Canopy humidifer comes in several color options and is super simple to use. I like that it's a pretty low-maintenance device. It's easy to fill up, install and turn on, and it has a 36-hour run time, so I can have it on all day as I work from home. It even comes with an essential oil blend so you can infuse a relaxing scent into the air as you run the humidifier.

Our testing team deemed this 6-liter model as the best humidifier of 2024. It efficiently raises the humidity in small to medium-size rooms in a matter of minutes and has app and smart home controls for a seamless experience. You can even set the target humidity for the most comfortable fit.

Read our review

Related article The best humidifiers of 2024, tried and tested

As a beauty editor, I’ve quickly learned the importance of daily SPF no matter the season. Besides the anti-aging benefits, it also helps reduce the risk of skin cancer, which is why sunscreens are regulated as drugs by the FDA. Even in winter it’s important to protect your skin and use sunscreen.

“Even though the sun is farther away during the winter, UV rays are still hitting our skin, causing damage to our DNA and collagen and elastin,” Cheung says. If you’re spending time outside or enjoying winter sports like skiing or snowboarding, “snow and ice will reflect UV and increase your exposure,” she adds. So, yes, switch your sunscreen from your beach bag to your ski gear come wintertime.

“If you’re serious about having good skin, SPF is a daily essential,” Kim says. “Use it every day all year round.”

This zinc oxide mineral sunscreen from Kim's line is one of my favorites. It has a whipped texture and hydrating ingredients like squalane, aloe and glycerin, plus niacinamide to even and brighten. While I prefer the tinted version, there's also a nontinted version.

This mineral sunscreen feels more like a moisturizer than an SPF thanks to shea butter, glycerin and jojoba. Plus, it also features ectoin, an anti-aging powerhouse that hydrates and protects the skin.

It's no secret that K-beauty sunscreens are elite. This is one of my favorite SPFs because of its lightweight yet moisturizing feel. It includes birch sap and hyaluronic acid to hydrate without feeling or looking pasty like other sunscreens.

Related article 35 best face sunscreens, according to dermatologists

For this article, I consulted the following experts to gain their professional insights:

CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to ensure we are testing each product accurately and speaking about pros and cons of each item. For this article, I spoke to two board-certified dermatologists to learn about the best practices for winter skin care.

Read our review

Sophie Shaw is Underscored's beauty and fashion editor. The Brooklyn-based journalist loves getting nerdy about skin care and, on the fashion side, delving into what viral trends are actually worth trying. (Ballet flats are a yes for her, but low-rise pants are a never.)