Winter Skin Saviours

Winter...?! But Monika, it's only November! I know - it's getting cold out there though, and we should come prepared for the frosty bite of northern winds, armed with serums, creams and balms. Even my oily/combination skin has been rebelling against the changing seasons by withholding its usually generous sebum production, and I have observed some dreadful flakes appearing out of nowhere (and they're not always flakes from the croissant I just ate. Only sometimes).

My everyday line of defense is to up the amp with my serum, and recently I've been using Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum* ($54 for 30ml/$150 for 100ml), which promises to help restore skin's radiance, improve dehydration, minimize fine lines and help protect skin from environmental aggressors, all with the help of proprietary Naturaradiance PB18+ complex. I don't entirely grasp what all that is, but I can tell you that a quick scan of the ingredients' list reveals a couple old favorites: glycerine and squalane to help hydrate, niacinamide to brighten and smooth, and some lovely plant oils to soothe and protect: safflower, evening primrose and rosa canina. This light serum/gel sinks in momentarily, leaving behind no residue, just a beautiful wild rose scent - for me, the fragrance evokes memories of my Polish homeland, where petals are collected from the dog rose shrubs and then made into the most delicious and fragrant jam. But, back to the serum: it hydrates effectively, helps to even out my skintone, and its Persian Silk Extract helps to guard your face against the elements. What's not to love?

Speaking of plant oils, Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil ($50 for 30ml) is a long-standing favorite (click here for a review in my Dehydrated Skin edit). I'd put it away for the warmer months, replacing it with a lighter moisturizer, but now it's back, and oh, I missed it. It has to be said that my skin doesn't entirely absorb it; a fine layer seems to blanket it overnight, but in the morning that's gone, leaving me with supple, soft, soothed skin, ready to face the day - and the cold. I've never observed it aggravating any spots or clogging my skin; if anything, it helps to soothe the red, painful, hormonal bumps I get along my jawline.

Every other day, when I'm feeling fancy, I layer Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum with 2% Hydroquinone ($60 for 30ml; I have a sample here) under the Jurlique Herbal Recovery serum. Fall and winter are a good time to fight hyperpigmentation, and while I don't really have age spots yet, I do have a lot pigmented scars left over from another cystic acne comeback I experienced for most of this year. I encourage you to do your own research on hydroquinone, but regardless of safety concerns, I can tell you it works - I pat it concentrating on the areas where my scars are the darkest, and they've become significantly lighter in the space of 6 weeks when I've been using the Murad gel; the results are faster and more noticeable than using Vitamin C products for me.

Now, when all of these standard measures fail, I bring out the big guns: Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate ($23 for 40ml/ 1.4 fl oz), a thick, oily repair cream I've previously called Band-Aid in a tube (click here for a full review). With its heftly dose of thermal spring water, mineral oil and zinc (oxide and sulfate), it sits on the skin to help strenghten the lipid barrier and lock in the moisture. I'm not a huge fan of mineral oil or greasiness, but as someone who hails from the Arctic (uhm, ok, Eastern Europe - we get bad winters though!), I'm aware that temperatures below freezing require greasy moisture rather than lightweight hydration. Cicalfate also doubles as my rescue cream when I overdo it on the exfoliation front.

Lastly, so far I haven't found a better lip balm for shrivelled, desiccated lips - the Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm ($19 for 15g, available at nuxe.com) is my bedside table standby. I don't find it smells particularly of honey, more like satsuma orange peel, but it protects the lips effectively with a smooth layer of moisture that feels curiously matte and waxy. I like how long-lasting it is too; in the morning, there's still a bit left on my lips, and they're soft and happy.

I hope you enjoyed this little peak into my winter skincare essentials. Do you change up your skincare routine in the colder months? What are your must-haves for keeping your skin hydrated and protected?

Disclaimer: The product marked with (*)is a press sample I received from Jurlique PR for review consideration free of charge. All other products featured I purchased myself. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as a free press sample. All links are non-affiliate and simply provided for your convenience. Thank you for reading!