I hate to break it to you, but winter is on the horizon…

It was a cool 38 degrees today in New York and guess what the forecast for tomorrow is?

SNOW.

Yep. Snow in November.

Part of me is excited for all of the ~Christmas vibes~ and Winter celebrations to come in the next couple of months, but more of me is internally screaming…

Especially for my skin.

My legs and arms are so dry they’re flaky and my forehead has turned considerably more scaly in the past couple of weeks.

Because of that, I’ve started to switch up my skincare routine to make sure my skin is as hydrated as possible through this season. Here are some of my best tips to make sure your skin survives, too!

Drink water

I know you’re eye-rolling right now, like “yes obviously, blah blah blah,” but I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough. Drinking enough water every day will hydrate your entire body, soaking through to your epidermis and keeping your skin from becoming scaly and dry.

Avoid hot showers & baths

This is such a downer since I knowwww the only thing you want to do after spending more than 5 mins outside is run into a steaming hot shower (dramatic?). But taking a hot shower will actually make your skin more dry and take out many of your skin’s natural oils.

Stick to warm water!

Upgrade your moisturizers

Keeping your skin hydrated AF during the Winter is key, so it’s time to upgrade the moisturizers you’re using.

For your body, I recommend finding a cream-based moisturizer as it is thicker than a traditional lotion. Especially if you just can’t resist a good hot shower, this thick moisturizer will be key for you!

For your face, I recommend trying out the new Olay Fragrance-Free Whips Moisturizer. I love this product because it not only intensely hydrates, it also evens out your skin tone and promotes elasticity (a.k.a. the key to youth, no big deal).

Exfoliate, exfoliate

Make sure you are exfoliating 2-3 times a week! This will remove dry, dead skin which is great because 1) you don’t want that flaky stuff on your face anyway, and 2) removing it will help your moisturizer soak in better!

Oils & serums, oils & serums

If you aren’t already incorporating oils and serums into your skincare routine, what are you waiting for??

I have to admit that as an acne-prone girl, the thought of covering my skin in oil initially terrified me, but after noticing that oils actually helped my skin, not hurt it, consider me a convert. I love a good face oil.

For dry skin, argan oil will be the best. And as far as serums go, look for a moisturizing serum with hylaronic acid. Hylaronic acid promotes collagen production (again – hi, youth!) and absorbs a lot of water which will keep your beautiful skin moisturized!

By the way, the order of these skincare products goes like this:

1. Cleanser
2. Toner
3. Exfoliator
4. Serum
5. Face oil
6. Moisturizer and eye cream

Go on a tropical vacation

Of course, if all else fails, a tropical vacation in the sun will moisturize & heal your skin right back to normal!

My favorite sunny Winter getaways from New York are to Puerto Rico (check out Vieques Island for something different & off-the-beaten-path), St. Barths and/or the Bahamas.

Or if Mexico is calling your name, I highly recommend Sayulita (on the West Coast) or Tulum (on the East Coast).

What are you doing this Winter to keep your skin alive and hydrated?

I would love to hear from you in the comments – what works for you and what products are you loving?

xx

(Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Olay. As always, all opinions are my own.)

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