FIVE SKINCARE MUST-HAVES FOR WINTER SKIN

Recently, my blogging besties talked about the different skincare items that we used. Even though we are all roughly the same age and all blondes with fair skin, we all have different skin types. When I decided to write this article on skincare, I didn’t want only to give you options that I use since your needs or budgets might be different from mine. So, I turned to my besties and asked what the items they considered “skincare must-haves were.” Be sure to check out their favorites at the bottom of today’s post.

Five skincare must-haves for winter skin

As the days get shorter and the weather turns cooler, our skin takes an extra beating from the harsh, dry air. As the weather changes, so too do many products in my daily skincare routine. I find that my skin needs a little extra attention to combat dry skin, and changing up my skincare routine in the winter has helped provide more hydration and soothe many problem areas.

I incorporated a lot of products in my winter skincare routine, but these five products have saved my winter skin and are what I would consider skincare must-haves!

A gentle facial cleanser

A good facial cleanser sets the foundation for your skincare routine, and it is part of my skincare must-haves list. It’s an essential part of keeping your skin clear and looking youthful. Facial cleansers remove dead skin cells, oil, and makeup, but many cleansers are too harsh on our skin, stripping our skin’s barrier of its natural oils and leaving us feeling dry and uncomfortable. Our skin takes an additional beating in these colder months, making it more critical than ever to use a facial cleanser designed to combat winter’s effects on our skin.

One great way to combat the effects of the colder weather is to use a gentle facial cleanser. Gentle facial cleansers are lightweight formulas and are typically free of added fragrances and irritants, leaving your skin clean and moisturized. These mild cleansers are designed for dry or sensitive skin and contain skin-soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid or aloe vera. For those prone to more oily skin, gentle cleansers are an excellent option for keeping your skin clean while ridding your skin of impurities.

Cream cleansers are incredibly beneficial for aging skin. A cream cleanser won’t lather like other formulas and is usually known for being gentle on our skin. Formulated with hydrating ingredients, a cream cleanser will remove makeup and soften skin while minimizing breakouts.

I use Redefine Daily Foaming Cleanser. R+F’s foaming cleanser with AHAs gently exfoliates and purifies skin as it removes dirt, oil + makeup. It has Alpha Hydroxy Acids, which gently exfoliates for a more even appearance in skin tone and texture. Natural Amino Acid + Sugar Derivatives that helps reduce the look of lines + wrinkles and boost visible firmness.

Exfoliating facial scrub

As we age, our skin has a more difficult time removing dead skin cells, adding texture to our complexion, and leaving our skin looking dull. An exfoliating facial scrub helps to remove those skin cells, revealing a more youthful glow.

So, what exactly is an exfoliator? Exfoliators are formulated using natural ingredients like sea salt or clay and work by gently scrubbing to remove dead skin, unclog pores, and clean away any oil and buildup accumulated throughout the day. It speeds up our skin’s renewal process, removing impurities to reveal our most youthful skin.

Exfoliating your skin routinely becomes significantly more important in the colder months when your skin is dry and more prone to acne. Gently removing these impurities smooths our skin and decreases buildup to reduce acne, improving your natural complexion. Routinely exfoliating helps to increase collagen production and speeds up our skin’s renewal process.

Exfoliating benefits our skin in many ways and has benefits for the rest of your skincare routine, too. With impurities and dead skin cells gone, our skincare products are better able to penetrate our skin, giving us the most benefits from these products. Exfoliating is beneficial for all skin types and is vital to continue as we age to keep our skin glowing and youthful.

A common fear for those with mature skin is the potential damage that exfoliators can cause. Exfoliators are designed to be abrasive, and scrubbing too rough can cause tiny tears in the skin. But don’t let this make you quit the exfoliation process altogether. How often your skin needs exfoliation is dependent on many factors, including your skin type and time of year. Once a week is standard, but no more than three times a week to prevent any damage from over-exfoliation.

My skin is like leather, so exfoliation is not an issue for me. However, I always suggest that you very light rub any exfoliant on an area like the back of your hands before trying it on your face. You always want to make sure that you don’t have an allergic reaction to any product that you are using for the first time.

There are two exfoliants that I use. One is Redefine Daily Clay Cleanser, and the other is Micro-Dermabrasion Paste. The Redefine rich cleanser with Kaolin Clay doubles as a mask to gently exfoliate, purify + smooth skin plus visibly improve fine lines, wrinkles, tone + texture. The Micro-Dermabrasion Paste is a gentle face + body scrub that exfoliates away dead skin cells for smoother, brighter, more vibrant-looking skin after just one use. I use this scrub mostly on my hand, feet, and heels, but you can also use it on your face.

Vitamin C serum

This is one of the hottest skincare additions right now, and it’s easy to see why. This essential vitamin provides us with a host of health benefits, including cell production and immune system support. Applying it directly to our skin ensures that we get the most benefits from this essential vitamin. It’s safe for all skin types, improves hydration, and reduces redness and hyperpigmentation. Basically, it gives us EVERYTHING we want in our quest for the best anti-aging regimen.

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, working to even out blemishes and irritation. It also helps to protect our skin from sun damage. For those with age spots or hyperpigmentation, adding a Vitamin C serum to your routine will help reduce and even fade these spots, giving you a more even complexion. It’s definitely my favorite addition to my skincare routine this year, and I’ll likely make this a permanent part of my routine all year round!

The products that I use with Vitamin C are Reverse Tone Correcting Treatment and Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid. The Reverse Tone Correcting Treatment is a proprietary nighttime complex that combines Vitamin C, Retinoids + Kojic Acid to visibly even skin tone + fades away dark spots. Radiant Defense Perfecting Liquid is what I use instead of “foundation.” It features Vitamin C in proprietary RD3Complex. This 4-in-1 tinted moisturizer looks like makeup but acts like skincare as it repairs the skin’s natural moisture barrier. This complex includes a combination of antioxidants, Peptides, skin conditioners + sun protectants to neutralize environmental aggressors, repair natural moisture barriers, and provide sun protection.

Sun protection

Sun protection is arguably the most essential item to help shield our skin from the sun’s harmful ways. Experts have long said that wearing sunscreen is the most important thing you can do to keep your skin looking youthful, but surprisingly many people forget to include sunscreen as part of their daily skincare routines. Many of us forget about the strength of the sun’s rays during the winter months as the days get colder. However, sun protection is essential all year round, especially for those living in warmer places and those who spend time outside.

The most obvious benefit of sunscreen is protecting our face and skin from damage. We all strive to maintain our skin’s youthful appearance, and even a tiny amount of sun exposure can cause age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. It also protects against a variety of skin cancers. Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that can be life-threatening. Using sunscreen regularly and avoiding too much time in direct sunlight are the best ways to prevent these types of skin cancers.

If you don’t already include an SPF in your daily skincare routine, please consider it! Look for a brand with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Thankfully, many facial moisturizers include SPF in their formulations to hydrate our skin and protect us from the sun’s harmful rays. However, if you prefer your current moisturizer, there are plenty of facial SPF options that you can add that are lightweight and easy to include in your current routine.

Many of the products I use contain sunscreen, so I’m sure to be covered at all times.

ESSENTIALS FACE + BODY SUNSCREEN BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 50 is a non-sticky formula that provides 80 minutes of water- and sweat-resistant broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection to help defend against skin-aging UV rays. My daytime moisturizer also has an SPF 30 that I apply under my makeup. Occasionally, I use a primer under my makeup, containing an SPF 30. It is a 2-in-1 primer, and sunscreen virtually disappears on the skin to deliver sun protection + a smooth, pore-less look. For those who need mineral sunscreen, I love this one, and I use it on my face when I’m at the pool, beach, etc. It is 100% mineral-based sunscreen for the face and defends skin from everyday environmental aggressors that can cause irritation.

Retinol serum

Retinol is a form of retinoid that is known for its anti-aging properties. It works by deeply penetrating into the layers of your skin, increasing collagen production, smoothing fine lines, and fading discoloration. It has everything we want in a skincare product, and it’s no wonder it’s included in many anti-aging products.

If you are new to using a retinol serum, the colder months are a great time to begin. A common side effect of beginning retinol is dry skin, which is also common in the winter with dry air. Begin with a mild formula, like 0.05%, and include it in your nighttime skincare routine 2 to 3 times per week. This will help you determine how your skin reacts to retinol. It’s also important to note that retinol should only be used at night, as it can cause an adverse reaction in the light. It takes about 90 days to obtain the best results, but you should start to see some results after only a few uses.

Retinol is not recommended for all skin types. It can be tough on the skin, especially those with extra sensitive skin types. Consult a dermatologist to determine if including a retinol serum in your routine is right for you.

There are many wonderful parts of the winter season, but its effects on our skin may not leave you feeling your best. Though the dry winter air can be harsh on our skin, keeping our skin hydrated is key to maintaining healthy skin all year long. Adding just a few steps to your skincare routine is key to keeping our skin healthy, happy, and hydrated.

The Redefine Regimen is R+F’s best-selling anti-aging skincare routine that visibly lifts, sculpts + firms while minimizing the appearance of lines + deep wrinkles. I use this daily, and most times, two times a day. Combining it with Redefine Intensive Renewing Serum is what I call the Holy Grail of skincare. According to the doctors who invited Rodan + Fields and who also invented ProActiv, this is the one product you should use for anti-aging if you could only pick one product.

Favorite Products Any Time of The Year

While these products didn’t make my winter skincare must-haves list, they are on my ANYTIME skincare must-haves list. Lol!

• R+F Lash Boost –  #1 Lash Serum in the U.S. in 2020!* This lash conditioning serum is applied nightly to promote the appearance of longer, stronger and darker-looking lashes (or brows!)
• Redefine Multi-Function Eye Cream – Younger-looking eyes in a wink! This intensive anti-aging eye cream visibly firms + lifts to improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging + crow’s feet.
• Active Hydration Serum – Quench thirsty skin. Instantly boosts hydration levels by 200% + locks in moisture on the surface of the skin. Add to any Regimen for even better results.
• Total RF Serum – This comprehensive anti-aging serum features RF TriEnergy Complex that energizes millions of surface skin cells by 200% to address all key signs of skin aging.

Blogging Besties Picks

Deborah Boland from Fabulous After 40 wrote a post on skincare, and here is what she had to say: “I’m a huge fan of the brand Colleen Rothschild for its simplicity and quality. Here are her favorite products:

Radiant Cleansing Balm – This is a soft, creamy face wash that looks and feels like butter. It’s their bestseller and I’m not surprised because it feels so luxurious, and it gets everything off, including eye makeup, leaving our skin super soft. I also like the Matcha Tea Treatment Toner – light, fresh, and made from green tea – an antioxidant. Her Supreme Retinol Night Oil– Retinol can feel harsh and drying, but this oil keeps your skin soft and moist while also exfoliating and renewing the skin. I use the oil first at night, followed by the Extreme Recovery Cream -which is super thick and fabulous. I also love her Quench and Shine Restorative Mask, which works wonders to make my hair shiny when it gets dried out.”

Susan Blakey from une femme d’un certain âge also sent her favorite products. It is wonderful to see what each lady loves and uses. Here are her favorite products:

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil and Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen. She referred to these products as “Holy Grail, as in best ever. 😉”

She also had a few products that she loves for the eyes. OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème and Trish McEvoy Triangle of Light Eye Mask patches. She said, “these patches are amazing, really help with puffiness & brighten the under-eye area, and she never travels without them!”

Here is a post that I did waaaay back in 2018 that showed my morning skincare routine. Some of the products have been updated, but I’m still using R+F, and I attribute this skincare line to the aging backward comments that I often get.

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Ephesians 4:2

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