Winter skin care routine & tips for healthy, hydrated skin

We love winter for the fluffy blankets and cozy clothes, but we’ll skip the dry, dull skin, chapped lips, and cracked cuticles - thanks! Low humidity, even lower temperatures, and indoor heating work together to pull the moisture from your skin leaving it dull and dry. 

Why you need to change up your skin care routine for winter

This means it is especially important to up our skincare game during these months to keep your complexion healthy and glowing. There’s no need to totally overhaul your skincare regimen. Simply add in a few of our honey-infused recommendations to keep you glowing till spring!

When humidity is low, your skin will lose a lot of moisture to the environment. Preventing dry skin requires both humectants and emollients to draw in moisture and lock it in (in that order). We recommend swapping your lighter moisturizers for richer formulas, exfoliating less often, and using a calming cleanser as a few basic first steps in your winter skin care routine.

Skin care tips for winter

Your face has thinner and more sensitive skin than the rest of your body. It is also most exposed during the winter time, making it necessary to protect it.  Here are some of our best winter skin care tips:

Step 1: Cleanse 

Start out your routine with a gentle cleanse. During the winter, it’s important to ensure that none of your products are drying out your skin (including your cleanser). Opt for a cleanser that is sulfate and phthalate-free, as they often strip the skin of its natural, replenishing oils. Try using a cream or milk formula if you have especially dry skin and make sure you’re using warm (not hot!) water when washing your face - hot water will irritate and dry out your skin even more. 

Step 2: Serum

Use your lightest product, like a serum, first.  This will allow the skin to absorb the product and ensure that there aren’t any other products blocking its penetration. Opt for a hydrating serum to draw moisture into the deeper layers of your skin (such as a Hyaluronic Acid). 

Serums are lightweight skincare products that contain a higher concentration of active ingredients (such as Hyaluronic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C), compared to typical moisturizers. They can help to brighten, hydrate and provide a variety of benefits, depending on the types of serum you use. 

Step 3: Moisturizer

Follow your serum with your face cream (moisturizer). Moisturizers have a thicker formula to create a physical barrier that locks in hydration and prevents skin from drying out. In addition, they assist the uppermost layer of the skin, helping it to retain moisture. 

Step 4: Face Oil

And now for the magic - lock it all in with the Honey Infused Face Oil. Winter is the ideal time to add oils to your routine, whether your skin is oily or dry. The Honey Infused Face Oil will help to soothe your skin, lock in hydration and enhance the skin barrier to help prevent moisture loss. You can either mix it in with your moisturizer (morning and night) or use it as the final step for an indulgent winter skin ritual. 

This antioxidant-rich, fast-absorbing daily face oil is formulated to nourish skin with the transformative benefits of Mirsalehi Honey, natural actives, and freshly cold-pressed botanical oils from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden. Be sure to apply the oil all the way down to your neck and décolletage!

Extra: Gua Sha Routine with Face Oil

If you have time for an extra pampering moment, use your Gua Sha to help decrease tension, reduce puffiness, and give skin a rosy appearance. Apply 3 to 4 drops of the Honey Infused Face Oil focusing it on the areas where you intend to use the Gua Sha; it’s important to use the face oil liberally, to give the tool enough slip and avoid pulling or tugging at the skin. 

We recommend finding a Gua Sha face map that shows how to direct the strokes when working on different areas of the face in the right way. In general, you can start by lightly pressing the stone onto your jawline and gently gliding it up and out toward your hairline. Hold the tool or stone flat and connected to the skin with light to medium pressure.

Step 5: SPF

If this is your morning skincare routine, it’s important to follow up with your SPF to keep you safe from UVA and UVB rays. This is also important in the winter - the sun can still be damaging even when it’s cold! 

Body care routine for winter

Of course, your face is not the only part of your body that can be left feeling dry and tight during the winter months. Your body will also need a little extra love. 

After showering, when your skin is still damp, take time to massage in the Honey Infused Body Oil. Damp skin will absorb moisture more easily for enhanced results. Our luxurious and lightweight body oil is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that revive dry, tight skin while increasing elasticity. Its sensorial texture delivers instant hydration that will give you your healthiest skin yet. 

For an extra boost of moisture, you can apply your favorite body lotion or milk on top of the Honey Infused Body Oil once it has been fully absorbed. This is because our body oil is very lightweight and will absorb quicker than most oil-based moisturizers. 

Problem areas: tackling extra dry areas

Sometimes a simple moisturizer just won’t cut it - you may need something thicker and more heavy-duty to tackle those real problem areas (the common culprits are elbows, knees, cuticles, etc.). These areas of skin are designed to move so that you’re able to stretch and bend, meaning that they contain fewer oil-producing glands that help naturally moisturize your skin. With fewer of these glands, the skin here is thicker and more prone to dryness. Winter weather unsurprisingly makes the situation even worse. 

To keep these problem areas nourished and deeply moisturized, add our Honey Infused Beauty Balm into your winter skincare routine. Beauty balms are formulated to be intensely nourishing to the skin. They contain highly-concentrated natural ingredients that promote healing and soothe dry, chapped skin and protect the skin barrier. 

This rich, moisturizing product will also help prevent sensitive areas from becoming dry or irritated due to the wind and cold. Simply apply a layer of the Beauty Balm to your exposed areas before heading out the door, and during your nighttime routine to promote recovery of dry skin overnight. You can apply it on top of your regular body lotion, or even on top of the Honey Infused Body Oil for a double dose of honey hydration.

Routine for soft lips

Winter weather can leave your lips feeling chapped and dry. This is because the skin on your lips is especially thin and can easily become dehydrated when exposed to the wind and cold. 

Start off with one of our favorite winter skincare tips - using honey as a gentle exfoliator to help get rid of dry flaky skin. To do this, dampen a face cloth with warm water, and press this on your lips for a couple of minutes to help soften the skin. You can then mix together 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of sugar (use honey from your local beekeeper to support local beekeeping efforts!) Spread a thin layer of this delicious exfoliant onto your lips. Gently massage the mixture into your lips working in a circular motion. Finally, wash off the exfoliant with warm water.

Follow up with our Honey Infused Lip Oil to nourish and hydrate your lips, while locking in moisture. Gisou’s Honey Infused Lip Oil is made with antioxidant-rich Mirsalehi Honey and intensely hydrating hyaluronic acid. It also contains our proprietary Mirsalehi Bee Garden Oil Blend with fatty acids to instantly smooth, condition, and restore dry, chapped lips and protect them from the elements. 

You can apply this product when you’re out and about, to keep your lips hydrated and give them a glamorous glow. Or you can apply a generous amount before bed for an overnight treatment. 

Wrapping up

There you have it! Our step-by-step guide to keeping your honey-infused glow year-round.