3 Winter Skin Care Tips to Fight the Chill this Season
We all know what the combination of cold air, low humidity and dry heat running indoors can do to us during the winter season. Our skin is left feeling dry, flaky and itchy. To help you combat the cold, we’ve put together some winter skin care tips. General skin health in the winter means that your skin is free of dirt buildup, both from the external environment and from your own surface oil. If left on your face, these can cause inflammation, uneven pigmentation and acne scarring.
So where do you get started? Certainly a powerful step in the right direction is to have a humidifier. Running the heat non-stop in the office and at home literally dries us out and reduces moisture. Humidifiers put that moisture back into the air, while also keeping our nasal passages clear and healthy. But our skin needs more than that to stay healthy during the winter.
Winter skin care truly is as simple as 1-2-3. Regularly cleanse, then exfoliate and lastly strengthen your skin to maintain that youthful glow all winter long. We can help you formulate a skin care plan perfect for you, but here’s a good guide to get you started!
Winter Skin Care Tip 1: CLEANSE
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you need to stop your healthy habits! Keep up with regular cleansing in the morning and evening. When you come in for your consultation, we’ll discuss your skin type.
For patients prone to dry skin, we love the Ourself Daily Purifying Cleanser with Murumuru butter to hydrate while also removing debris and makeup. For our acne-prone patients, or folks with T-zone oil and combination skin, ZO Exfoliating Cleanser contains jojoba esters to gently exfoliate, along with encapsulated vitamin E and tea tree oil for antioxidant protection.
The Ourself Daily Purifying Cleanser, on the other hand, uses gentle surfactants and hydrating ingredients like with Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a gentle cleaning agent made from coconut fatty acids, to remove impurities while maintaining your skin’s natural moisture barrier — perfect for winter months when skin tends to feel tight and dry.
Both cleansers help soothe irritation and restore balance, leaving your skin fresh and hydrated before moving on to your next step.
Winter Skin Care Tip 2: EXFOLIATE
I cannot overstate the importance of regular exfoliation for winter skin care. Think about it this way — dull, dry, old skin just cakes up on your face, especially when you slather on heavy moisturizers. Exfoliation, both mechanical and chemical, removes dead skin and allows new, healthy skin to surface. This helps improve circulation while also allowing more therapeutic products (like collagen and peptide boosters) to penetrate deeper.
For mechanical exfoliation, the ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish is a solid choice. The fine magnesium crystals in this product remove dirt and old cells while vitamins A, C, and E act as potent antioxidants to protect your youthful skin cells that are now on top. This product is designed to improve your skin’s texture with each use.
For more advanced exfoliation and resurfacing, in-office treatments like the HELIX CO₂ Laser (including CoolPeel, Fusion, and DEKA) take things to the next level. These fractional laser technologies gently resurface the skin to reduce fine lines, pigmentation, and uneven texture — all while stimulating collagen production. The HELIX CO₂ platform allows for customizable treatment depth and minimal downtime, making it an ideal winter procedure when sun exposure is naturally limited.
If you prefer a home-care approach, chemical exfoliants such as retinols or the Ourself Daily Renewal Cream + DRC Rich can promote cell turnover and boost skin renewal. These formulations combine retinoid alternatives and deep replenishing complexes to keep your skin smooth, supple, and radiant.
Winter Skin Care Tip 3: STRENGTHEN
After cleansing and exfoliating, it’s time to strengthen and nourish your skin barrier. This step locks in hydration, protects new skin, and reinforces collagen.
The Ourself HA+ Replenishing Serum and HA+ Replenishing Eye Serum are game-changers here. They deliver advanced hyaluronic acid technology that penetrates deeply to plump and hydrate the skin from within — not just on the surface. These serums are ideal for winter use when your skin needs intensive moisture retention and repair. Pair that with Ourself Daily Renewal Cream or DRC Rich for maximum anti-aging benefits.
ZO’s Growth Factor Serum and Daily Power Defense are great options. Growth Factor Serum helps soothe and firm your skin while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. Daily Power Defense strengthens the skin’s barrier with DNA repair enzymes and antioxidants.
For extra collagen stimulation and rejuvenation, consider a HELIX CO₂ Laser Fusion or CoolPeel session. These treatments can be tailored to your needs — from subtle brightening to deeper resurfacing — to refresh tired, winter-stressed skin.
Consider These Skin Care Tips to Freshen Your Look This Winter
So there you have it — our top 3 winter skin care tips to maintain glowing, healthy skin all season long. Start with consistent cleansing to protect and hydrate, exfoliate to remove buildup and encourage new cell turnover, and strengthen with advanced serums and collagen-boosting treatments.
Finish it off with an in-office HELIX CO₂ Laser session for a true skin reboot. Whether it’s the CoolPeel for gentle resurfacing, Fusion for enhanced collagen remodeling, or the DEKA treatment for deeper rejuvenation, these technologies can dramatically refresh and strengthen your skin.
Come visit us at Tannan Plastic Surgery — together, we’ll develop a customized winter skin care plan that’s right for you, featuring advanced skin care products and cutting-edge laser treatments.
