Should I change my skincare routine in winter?

Here are our best tips to winter-proof your skincare routine and keep your complexion looking bouncy, dewy and radiant all year round.

Your skin is more dehydrated and sensitive during winter, but that doesn’t mean you need to abandon your usual exfoliation routine! Instead of a physical exfoliator (such as a scrub), try sloughing away that top layer of dry skin with chemical exfoliators, such as AHAs. For a night-time treatment that instantly boosts radiance, try Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare’s beloved Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel (with its trio of exfoliating acids), or add an exfoliating toner – we love MECCA COSMETICA’s Glow Giver Exfoliating Solution – to your usual skincare routine. Have congested-yet-sensitive skin? Reach for Tatcha’s The Rice Polish: Gentle.

Curious about face oils? Winter is the ideal time to add one to your routine, whether your skin is oily or dry. Oils help to soothe the skin, lock in hydration and boost the skin barrier to help prevent future moisture loss. Either mix in with your usual moisturiser (morning and night) or layer over the top for an indulgent winter skin ritual, and make sure you apply all the way down your neck and décolletage! We love Eve Lom’s Radiance Face Oil (a favourite for boosting dry or mature skin) and Summer Fridays' Heavenly Sixteen™ All-In-One Face Oil, the ultimate oil for oily skin types!

While skincare devices are helpful all year round, they’re a perfect addition to your winter routine as they help to boost the effectiveness of your other skincare, while targeting specific concerns. The drying effects of winter weather can lead some skin types to overproduce oil to compensate, which can cause breakouts. BeautyBio’s GloPRO® Facial Microneedling Regeneration Tool® is the perfect first step in your Sunday night self-care routine.

Sort out dry, sensitive winter skin (without stripping) by changing up your cleanser to gentle, nourishing formulas. We like the one-two punch of a balm followed by a cream or gel cleanser. MECCA COSMETICA’s Mecca-morphosis Purifying Cleansing Balm, with its super silky texture and calming botanicals, works well for naturally dry and sensitive skin types, while acne-prone or oily skin types can reach for Glow Recipe’s gently exfoliating Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm. As a soothing second step, fans of KORRES’ Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser | Pre + Probiotics praise its ability to remove impurities while leaving skin smooth and soft, while REN Clean Skincare’s Evercalm™ Gentle Cleansing Milk was a MECCA Beauty Election 2022 finalist for its ability to effectively cleanse and purify even the most sensitive skin.

Infuse your skin with hydrating serums and moisturisers in winter. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera, all of which happen to be present in Charlotte Tilbury’s cult-favourite Charlotte’s Magic Cream™. Developed to prep supermodels for the catwalk, it’s essentially dewy skin in a jar and works wonders both with and without makeup. AM or PM, slip an extra hydrating serum into your routine – we love MECCA COSMETICA’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Serum, which is also spiked with niacinamide and aloe vera, and the MECCA MAX WATERCOOLER Calming Hydration Serum (which keeps things looking plump and hydrated with vitamin B5 and green algae extract).

Hot showers are a must when the weather turns colder, but while they may keep you nice and toasty, they can be harsh and drying for your skin. Level up the hydration with face masks and a nourishing body lotion. Go-To’s Repair Shop mask has become a fast MECCA favourite; specifically designed to rescue, soothe and restore your complexion, it includes skin barrier-reinforcing ceramides, provitamin B5 and sodium hyaluronate (a form of hyaluronic acid) to seal moisture into the skin.

Looking for an indulgent addition to your winter masking routine? Treat yourself to Chantecaille’s ultra-luxurious Gold Recovery Mask. A revitalising multitasker, it contains a super soothing blend of 24-carat gold and silk, plus nourishing plant oils and a gently exfoliating probiotic ferment.

For extra hydrated results in winter, try a sleeping mask to lock in hydration overnight. Drunk Elephant’s F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial™ and MECCA MAX NIGHT DUTY Hydrating Overnight Jelly Mask are your new best friends.

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times – SPF isn’t just for summer! Winter sunshine can feel less intense, lulling us into a false sense of security, but UVA rays (responsible for premature skin ageing) remain strong all year round. Slather on broad-spectrum protection MECCA COSMETICA To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen Oxybenzone Free Formula is a MECCA bestseller for a reason, layering under makeup like a dream – in the morning and top up throughout the day with Naked Sundays’ Beauty Election 2022-winning, hyaluronic acid-infused SPF50+ Hydrating Glow Mist (no need to rub in!). In addition to sunscreen, always wear protective clothing, eyewear and a hat.