Soft Glow, Cold Days: Winter Skincare Refined

Winter brings a certain softness to life—frosted mornings, slower rhythms, and a desire to cocoon. But it also introduces dryness, dullness, and sensitivity that can leave your skin craving a little extra care. I don’t have professional skincare credentials—these tips come entirely from personal experience—and as someone with combination skin, I’ve spent years discovering what truly works to keep my complexion balanced, hydrated, and radiant through the colder months.

A refined winter skincare ritual not only protects your skin from the chill but also transforms your daily routine into a moment of calm, indulgent self-care. Below, you’ll find winter skincare tips drawn from my own experience, designed to nourish deeply, hydrate strategically, and help your glow last long after the snow melts.

1. Keep Your Cleanser Simple and Soothing

Winter is not the season for complicated or overly active cleansers. Your skin barrier is more vulnerable in the cold, so the safest, most luxurious choice is a simple, gentle formula that cleans without stripping.
Opt for a low-foam or cream cleanser with minimal actives—think glycerin, ceramides, oat, or aloe. This ensures your skin starts the routine balanced, calm, and ready to absorb hydration.

A refined winter ritual begins with restraint: simple cleanser, soft skin. Here is a cleanser that I have found works well for me in the winter months. I’ve found it to be extremely gentle against my skin and non-stripping, which works well for maintaining a strong skin barrier.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser: https://amzn.to/48fRoNN

2. Embrace the Power of Layering (Your Most Important Winter Rule)

Instead of relying on one heavy product, winter skin thrives on strategic layering. Think of your routine as a structured wardrobe: a soft base, a warm middle, and a protective outer coat. Layering builds moisture gradually and locks it in for hours, giving your skin a plump, luminous finish even in dry winter air.

I’ve found that layering the thinnest skincare products of my routine has helped my skin drink up exactly what it needs before I apply thicker layers to seal in all of that moisture. Depending on how dry my skin feels that day, I’ll apply 2-4 thin layers of the TIRTIR Light Milk Skin Toner, then follow up with 2-3 thin layers of the SKIN1004 Hyalu-CICA First Ampoule.

The TIRTIR Light Milk Skin Rice Toner is extremely light, making it easy to layer. You can feel its nourishing effects with just one layer, but adding multiple layers will help keep your skin supple through a cold winter day. Another plus about the Light version of this toner is that it is fungal-acne safe!

TIRTIR Light Milk Skin Rice Toner: https://amzn.to/485yZVe

Following the toner with a hyaluronic acid-based ampoule has helped my skin retain moisture throughout the day. The SKIN1004 Hyalu-CICA First Ampoule is extremely uncomplicated and feels soothing to the skin. I also mix a couple of drops of this ampoule throughout the day with my sunscreen whenever I need to re-apply it. That way, I reinforce protection from the sun and rehydrate my skin at the same time. It also helps the sunscreen spread much easier.

SKIN1004 Hyalu-CICA First Ampoule: https://amzn.to/4rnW1hu

3. Upgrade Your Moisturizer to Something Barrier-Boosting

Cold weather pulls moisture from your skin faster than you realize. A richer moisturizer—one with ceramides, squalane, peptides, or shea butter—helps reinforce the barrier and prevent dehydration.
Stronger barrier = softer, calmer skin.

In winter, my combination skin can feel dry in some areas and oily in others. I use Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream as my morning routine moisturizer for lightweight, balancing hydration that keeps my skin soft and radiant.

Tatcha the Dewy Skin Cream: https://amzn.to/3KrtLdg

However, at night my skin requires a heavier moisturizer. I’ve found that La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baum B5 keeps my sensitive, combination skin moisturized throughout the night. This rich moisturizer feels luxurious to apply, and makes me feel safe as I know it’s working to repair my skin barrier while I sleep.

La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baum B5: https://amzn.to/4roKwX9

4. Don’t Skip SPF — Even When the Sun Feels Far Away

UV exposure doesn’t disappear in winter. UV rays reflect off snow, penetrate clouds, and can worsen pigmentation and dullness. A daily mineral or hybrid SPF keeps your glow protected year-round.

Shiseido Urban Environment Mineral Sunscreen is my winter essential — a lightweight, liquidy formula that protects and pampers my skin with ease. It goes on white, but after applying and patting thoroughly into my skin, I have found that it does not leave a white cast on me.

Shiseido Urban Environment Mineral Sunscreen: https://amzn.to/4py3EQJ

5. Incorporate Humidifiers & Overnight Treatments

Indoor heating dehydrates the air, making your skincare work harder. A humidifier restores moisture to your environment, allowing your products to perform at their best.

BLUEAIR Room Humidifier: https://amzn.to/4irXZJP

Pair it with an overnight mask or sleeping cream to wake up with hydrated, cushiony skin. Biodance’s overnight masks transforms my skin while I sleep. By morning, it feels plump, radiant, and perfectly refreshed — true luxury in a single mask.

Biodance’s overnight masks: https://amzn.to/43TUbv0

6. Treat Your Skin to Gentle Exfoliation

Winter exfoliation should be light, refined, and infrequent. Choose enzymes or low-percentage acids once or twice a week to smooth away dullness without disturbing your barrier.
Think softness—not harshness.

On days that I feel I need a gentle exfoliation, I go for a salicylic acid face wash, so that the exfoliating chemicals do not have to stay on my skin the entire day. CeraVe’s Renewing SA Cleanser is the perfect face wash for short-exposure chemical exfoliation. It feels cleansing, but not stripping, which is perfect for winter.

CeraVe’s Renewing SA Cleanser: https://amzn.to/4p2d0o9

Winter skincare isn’t just about protecting your complexion from the cold—it’s about creating a ritual that feels soothing, indulgent, and intentional. These tips are drawn from personal experience and tailored for combination skin, offering gentle guidance rather than professional advice. With simple cleansing, thoughtful layering, and barrier-focused hydration, your skin can remain soft, radiant, and beautifully resilient all season long.

Now that you have your luxurious winter skincare routine planned out, learn how you can do a complete winter transformation by reading Winter Arc: Glow-Up and Step Into Your Most Powerful, Radiant Era.