Glowing Skin, All Winter Long

Get your friends asking, “How does your skin look so fabulous?” with these tips!

Which words come to mind when you think of winter skin? Dry? Ashy? Dull? It’s time to transform those adjectives into healthy, glowing and gorgeous. Banish bad skin this winter with these tips from professional makeup artist Mally Roncal.

Choose a heavier moisturizer. If you’re using a light moisturizing lotion in the summer, you’ll need a little extra oomph when winter starts to dry out your skin. Opt for a rich, nourishing product, like Dove Cream Oil Lotion. (Link opens in new window.) “Really slather it on at night, paying attention to flaky, dry areas,” she suggests. Roncal also recommends using eye cream in winter. “And don’t forget lip balm before bed,” she adds.

Exfoliate. “If you don’t already exfoliate, add that to your routine,” says Roncal. Whether you choose an expensive exfoliating product or a $3 tube of apricot scrub, the trick is to be gentle so that you don’t harm already delicate skin. To exfoliate while moisturizing, use a rich moisturizing cleanser, like Dove Melanin Radiance Body Wash (Link opens in new window.), or try Roncal’s favorite trick: Apply Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly (Link opens in new window.) to your skin, and then use a wet washcloth in a circular motion to buff away dryness.

Embrace creamy makeup. Creamy foundations are helpful in winter because they are more emollient, says Roncal. But the problem is they “travel” — meaning that they often end up accumulating in creases. “So use a makeup primer first, and set your makeup with a light powder,” she advises.

Remember sunscreen in winter too. “We tend to think of summer as the only time we need to wear sunscreen,” Roncal says. “That’s absolutely not true; wear it year-round.” Apply sunscreen after your moisturizer.

Raise your moisture content — both inside and outside. “Run a humidifier at home to add moisture to the air,” Roncal suggests. “And be sure to drink lots of water.”

Fake a warm winter glow. Tanning salons? Just say no, Roncal advises. Why subject your skin to damage — and risk skin cancer — when you can get a natural-looking glow with self–tanners? “I’m a big self–tanning advocate,” says Roncal.  When you use a self–tanner, whether it’s a cream, spray or wipe, “you always want to exfoliate all over your body first,” says Roncal. Worried about too much self–tanner accumulating on your palms and discoloring them? Wet a washcloth, put it between your palms, and rub them back and forth, she suggests.