How To Prevent and Treat Dry Skin During The Winter

Whether you adapt your routine with a few of these tips (or all of them), the hope is to combat dryness and soothe skin come wintertime. Discover your best winter skincare routine with these 10 tips to fight dehydration and irritation this chilly season.

A Creamy Cleanser

Shelf that harsh cleanser, and replace it with a soothing, calming option. Morning and evening, wash with a gentle cleanser. This is particularly important in the evening, when removing the day’s SPF, excess sebum and dirt, and makeup (if applying).

Our founder Vicky Tsai has perfected her cleansing oil application. “To use a cleansing oil, always begin with dry hands and a dry face,” she says. “Fill your palm with a shallow well of oil and, using your fingertips, gently massage it onto your face – including around the eyes, plus lids – for 15 to 20 seconds. (Not all cleansing oils are safe for use around the eyes, so be sure to check the label.) Splash water onto your face and watch the oil quickly emulsify into a milky layer and effortlessly melt away makeup and debris. Rinse off with a few handfuls of warm water or softly wipe away with wet cotton pads. Oil cleansers are gentle and effective for all skin types.” Also, a word of caution for those who experience blemishes: “Avoid cleansing oil formulas with mineral oil, which is known to clog pores, especially if you’re prone to breakouts,” notes Tsai.

Try: Massage on our bestselling Camellia Cleansing Oil, which is formulated with camellia oil to gently remove stubborn makeup (even waterproof formulas), melt away excess oil, and nourish skin to feel softer than silk.

A Gentle Exfoliant

It can seem counterintuitive to exfoliate when skin is dry, but a gentle exfoliant helps naturally shed the buildup of flaky dead skin cells. And that exfoliation will help your essence, serum, and moisturizers work much better too.

Try: Our natural enzyme exfoliant, The Rice Polish, removes impurities while also providing potent antioxidants and nourishing moisturizers. Many exfoliants contain harsh abrasives and can only be used weekly, but The Rice Polish is gentle enough to be used every day and is a perfect addition to your winter skincare routine. Wet your palms and splash a handful of warm water onto your face. Pour half a teaspoon of powder into one hand and gently rub your palms together to create a creamy, luxuriant foam. Massage gently with your fingertips onto your face in circular motions for 10 to 20 seconds, avoiding your eyes. Rinse well and pat your skin dry with a soft face cloth.

“When activated with water, rice powder not only decongests your pores, but also brightens skin tone, diminishes hyperpigmentation, and enables skin to better absorb the next steps in your ritual,” says Tsai. “Many conventional Western exfoliants contain seeds, salt, or ground shells that can tear and tug at the skin — even weekly use can cause irritation. Rice powders are beloved because they can be used every day without stripping or pulling at your skin. Instead, the foam delicately removes the dead skin cells that make your complexion appear dull.”

A Soothing Essence

It may appear like the classically delicate, almost water-like liquid is insignificant when it comes to fighting chronically dry skin, but looks can be deceiving. Essences are one of the most beneficial additions to your daily skincare ritual, especially during the winter. “A water-light essence floods skin with hydration and amplifies the performance of any treatment – including sheet masks and serums – by channeling it into the skin,” says Tsai.

“The essence, which is patted to the skin twice daily after polishing, should always precede any ritual enhancements like brightening serums, deep moisture treatments, or beauty oils,” she adds. “You may be so enamored with the plumpness of your skin and its resulting luster that you’re tempted to skip the next step. Don’t. The most important job of the essence and its primary function is to make the skin ready for whatever treatment follows. The essence is the first act of giving back to your skin after you have shed impurities by purifying and polishing. Though it takes only seven seconds to apply essence, the act reminds me that many major life events happen in mere moments. Now that I am a devout believer in the plumping power of essence, I look forward to this part of my ritual the most.”

To amplify the benefits, use the essence twice daily on a dry face, after cleansing and before applying any additional skincare steps. Pour a shallow well of essence into one hand, press your palms together, and then gently pat the essence into the skin of your face, neck, and décolletage.

Try: The Essence which boosts the effects of skincare, resurfaces, and hydrates for primed, plump, and petal-soft skin.

Not all liquids are created equal though — look for essences with skin-replenishing ingredients and avoid drying, sensitizing ingredients (like clays, essential oils, and denatured alcohol).

A Hydrating Serum

Layering on extra hydration during colder seasons will restore lost moisture and relieve dry, thirsty skin. And a super-boosting serum can deliver a much-needed dose of hydration to return skin to the supple, bouncy radiance lost over the wintertime.

Morning and evening, apply a skin-replenishing serum to the face and neck, no need to rinse. Using your fingertips, massage serum into your skin in upward circular strokes.

Try: The Dewy Serum is beautifully restorative and replenishing, and particularly great for achieving smoother, plumper, and dewier skin.

A Rich Moisturizer

A richly restorative moisturizer is a no-brainer when it comes to soothing itchy skin in the winter. Dry skin loves pampering, so hydrate with a rich cream that rejuvenates.

When it comes to moisturizer application, place a pearl-sized amount of moisturizer onto your palm and dot to each cheek, your chin, and your forehead. Then, using your fingertips, massage gently in upward and outward strokes. “My rule for choosing a moisturizer is to look for an antioxidant-rich form that suits your skin type,” says Tsai. “If your skin is dry, opt for a rich cream or beauty oil. If your skin is more oily in profile, try a lighter gel or lotion.”

Try: Grab a plumping, hydrating rich cream, like the award-winning Dewy Skin Cream. The antioxidant-rich formula not only hydrates (thanks to hyaluronic acid), but also combats the effects of free radicals, protects the skin, and strengthens the skin barrier.

Have oily skin or acne-prone skin? Managing it during cold and dry winter months doesn’t necessarily mean loading up on heavy-duty moisturizers. Aim for a series of lightweight products (think essence, serums, and a gel moisturizer) that provide replenishing ingredients without weighing skin down. Try The Water Cream, a clarifying water-based moisturizer that releases a burst of hydrating nutrients and pore-refining botanicals for balanced skin.

A Nourishing Face Oil

Seal the series of moisture-loving products by applying a face oil immediately after a moisturizer. This acts as a protective shield, keeping all the moisture-boosting layers intact and preventing product evaporation. Apply two to three drops to your fingertips and rub them together to warm the oil. Gently pat the oil all over your face, pressing it into your skin. Choose non-comedogenic oils, like macadamia nut oil, rice bran oil, and camellia oil.

Try: Our Gold Camellia Beauty Oil is formulated with extra virgin Japanese camellia oil and 23-karat gold, locking in moisture, adding instant nourishment, and infusing your skin with radiance.

A Lip Treatment

If you seem to suffer from chronically flaky and parched lips in the winter, restore your pout with a leave-on treatment.

Try: Grab the bestselling Kissu Lip Mask, which features squalene, Japanese peach, and camellia oil to nourish, calm, and restore lips’ lushness. Massage a generous, even layer onto clean, dry lips and leave it on to soak in indefinitely. The treatment can be used any time of day, but particularly right before bed is ideal.

An Overnight Face Treatment

If you want to ramp up and enhance your beauty sleep and give your skin a super-hydration boost overnight, apply a mask to your face, eye area, and neck as the last step in your nighttime ritual (use in place of your usual evening moisturizer). You’ll awake to unbelievably glowing, smooth skin.

Try: The new Indigo Overnight Repair treatment, which visibly calms irritation, strengthens the skin’s barrier, and balances the microbiome. After a single night, the intensive treatment makes skin appear more radiant and supple, softer, and even visibly less red and irritated.

A Hydrating Sunscreen

Sunscreen is not just a summer must-have. You need SPF year-round. But not all sun protection is created equally — grab a formula that has hydrating ingredients, like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.

Try: Our newest SPF innovation, The Silk Sunscreen, which has both power-house hydrating ingredients of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, plus a fluid, silky texture that invisibly melts into the skin. And most importantly, the formula has SPF 50 protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

A Moisture-Locking Eye Cream

The delicate area around your eyes is one of the most sensitive spots on your entire body. The skin doesn’t have as many oil-producing glands or collagen as the rest of the face naturally produces, so it needs some extra TLC, especially come winter. Nourish the precious area with a rich, hydrating balm.

Try: The Silk Peony, the bestselling cushiony cream is known for its ability to deeply moisturize while also visibly diminishing fine lines. Ideal for anyone, but particularly those in need of a deep hydration boost.

Sense a theme with these 10 products? Gentleness, hydration, and protection. Winter is no time for harsh treatments or barely-there moisturizers. For the best winter skincare routine, cocoon skin in layers of juicy moisture — from your eye area to your lips, ensuring your skin looks not only healthy but also happy this winter season.