As the temperature drops, our skin often waves a white flag. That coveted summer glow can quickly be replaced by a complexion that feels tight, looks dull, and is crying out for a little TLC. But fret not – winter isn’t about hiding under layers; it’s about shifting your focus to recovery. Think of it as a cosy, comforting blanket for your skin, designed to repair, replenish, and restore its natural radiance against the elements.

This season, it’s time to trade harsh actives for hydrating heroes and barrier-supporting saviours. It’s not about doing more, but about being smarter with what your skin truly needs to thrive. Ready to reclaim your glow? Get ready to swot up on the art of winter recovery skincare.

Double Down On Hydration
When the heating is on and the air is cold, moisture is the first thing to vanish. Lightweight lotions might not cut it, so it’s time to embrace richer, more nourishing textures and reach for ultra-hydrating serums. Look for formulas containing powerhouses like hyaluronic acid for multi-level plumping, glycerin to draw moisture into the skin, and polyglutamic acid to lock it all in.

Hero Product: Augustinus Bader ‘The Rich Cream’ – £348
This cult-classic and celeb go-to is the ultimate winter recovery elixir. Its patented TFC8 technology helps to support natural cellular renewal and repair, while a luxuriously rich blend of oils and shea butter creates a formidable barrier against the elements. It deeply nourishes, soothes any sensitivity, and leaves skin profoundly plump and glowing.

Also Love: Byoma ‘Hydrating Serum’ – £16
Boost your skin’s moisture levels with this lightweight serum that works to leave skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. Formulated with a Tri-Ceramide Complex, squalane, and glycerin, it provides a surge of instant hydration, helps strengthen the skin barrier and minimises water loss to combat winter redness and flakiness. It’s the perfect, gentle base layer of hydration under your rich winter cream.

Reinforce Your Skin Barrier
Your skin barrier is its first line of defence. A compromised barrier leads to sensitivity, redness, and dehydration. Look for formulas packed with ceramides and fatty acids to help repair and fortify.

Hero Product: The Ordinary ‘Soothing & Barrier Support Serum’ – £17.30 
The perfect powerhouse product for compromised skin. Formulated with a complex of eight key technologies – including essential lipids, vitamins, and phytosteroids – it works to instantly soothe redness and actively restore your skin’s protective shield. Clinically proven to deliver an 86% increase in hydration and provide barrier repair within just two hours, it’s an ideal, targeted solution for relieving irritation and improving texture for a calmer, more radiant complexion.

Also Love: Kiehl’s ‘Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream’ -£38
This intensive cream that acts as a rescue treatment for dry, sensitive skin. Its unique Advanced Barrier Technology mimics the skin’s natural lipid structure to deeply repair, while potent levels of colloidal oatmeal and beta-glucan work to instantly soothe irritation, visibly reduce redness, and reinforce the skin’s defences. It absorbs quickly with a balm-like richness, transforming even the driest skin to feel soft, smooth, and comforted.

Gently Exfoliate & Illuminate
While harsh scrubs and strong acids can strip winter skin, gentle, enzymatic exfoliation is your secret weapon for brushing away dull, dead cells and revealing the brightness underneath. Lactic acid hydrates as it smoothes, while polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) are larger molecules that provide superficial, non-irritating resurfacing. These are far gentler than their harsher counterparts.

Hero Product: Votary ‘Sensitive Resurfacing Peel’ – £52
This is a must-have, instant-fix skin transformer. Powered by 10% lactic acid – the highest percentage permitted in the EU – it professionally refines texture and boosts luminosity without the typical irritation. Uniquely, it’s backed by calming lactobacillus ferment and horse chestnut extract to reduce redness, making it a barrier-safe treatment that reveals fresher, more even-toned skin from the very first use.

Also Love: Biossance ‘Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum’ – £50
A fan-favourite that uses gentle 10% vegan lactic acid to resurface and visibly firm, while squalane provides cushioning hydration. It works while you sleep to melt away dull, dead skin cells, ensuring you wake up looking fresh faced and fabulous with a more even, luminous complexion – all without drying skin out.

Add A Mask…

Think of a face mask as a concentrated shot of recovery for your skin – a weekly non-negotiable to deeply replenish what the winter environment steals. While your daily routine maintains the baseline, a mask provides an intensive surge of hydration and nutrients while boosting your glow. Even better? They work in minutes. 

Hero Product: Caudalie ‘VinoHydra Moisturising Mask’ – £24
This is a true drink of water for parched skin. Powered by polyphenols, organic grape water, and organic centella asiatica, it delivers an immediate quench of moisture, leaving skin feeling unbelievably soft, soothed, and plump. Made with 98% natural origin ingredients, it’s hydrating, regenerating, anti-inflammatory properties help reinforce the skin barrier.

Also Love: Susanne Kaufmann ‘Glow Mask’ – £61
Brighten your complexion and boost hydration with this revitalising mask, designed to energise the skin for a more even, radiant appearance. Papaya powder gently exfoliates and minimises pores, while red date seed and raspberry extracts deliver antioxidant protection and replenish lost moisture. Enhanced with ginger root and caffeine to boost cell metabolism, this vegan-friendly treatment promotes a more even tone and leaves you with a luminous, energised glow.

Words by Frankie Jabarkhyl