I wanted to share some of my favorite face products for winter. It can be very dry with the heaters blasting and the cold air outside. Our skin can really suffer, even if we tend to have oily or normal skin at other times of the year.
My face is usually oily but I get a lot of dry flakiness from either the heaters constantly going or some products made for oily/acne prone skin. I don’t have a ton of experience with dry skin so I asked my dear friend and client Alyssa Kennedy (here is her instagram–> instagram.com/thesafebeautybuzz ) to give her input! Alyssa works for Beautycounter, if you saw her you’d ask what she uses on her face because she’s absolutely flawless! Her skin is always glowing and she attributes that to the products she uses everyday.
You should check out Beautycounter if you’ve never heard of it. They have really great makeup, skincare and children’s products. If you care about reducing the number of chemicals you’re exposed to daily, switching skincare and body products is a great place to start. They aim to produce healthier, safer products for you and your kiddos!
Check it all out here –> Beautycounter.com
Skin care is so important as we age! It’s all about prevention, prevention, prevention! It was ok in our 20’s if we weren’t very serious about it, but now that the 30’s have rolled around we better start taking generous care of it! If you are in your 40’s or 50’s, this is prime time to be using the best products. Just like we need to be more focused on our nutrition and exercise, we should be mindful of what kind of products we put on our skin too. If you want to slow down the ticking body clock, healthy non toxic skincare is out there and effective!
Jessica’s Favorite Products
I am going to start with my favorites! I try to use as many natural products as I can, but I will be completely transparent and show you exactly what I use. These products combat my problem skin the best. I only use a couple of Beautycounter products right now but really want to invest in more. My skin is OILY/COMBINATION.
- My face wash is Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Cleansing Gel
I have been using this face wash for 3 years now and I love the way it cleanses my skin. It really takes off my makeup well and leaves my skin soft and clean. This product isn’t exactly “natural” but I don’t feel terrible about using it as it has many beneficial ingredients.
This is the description on the website:
Cutting-edge plant biotechnology isolates and replicates the perfect rose stem cells for truly astonishing results. With state-of-the-art, 21st century breakthrough technology, five rose plant stem cells – Rose Commiphora, Desert Rose, Damas Rose, Pale Rose and White Rose – are blended with four rose extracts – Rosa Damascena, Rosa Canina, Rose Hip Seed and Rose Water – and Glycolic Acid to help invigorate and improve the look of skin vitality. This powerful facial cleansing gel effectively clears skin of impurities, dirt and makeup that can dull the complexion while helping to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as well as texture. Rose Water adds a light, delicate scent. Leaves skin looking clean, purified, silky soft, rejuvenated, beautiful and youthful.
2. Witch Hazel
My favorite product ever! If I could only take 5 items on a deserted island, this would be one of those items. It has been a GAME CHANGER for me! My skin cleared up 2 days after I began using this. I have been amazed! The best part about witch hazel, it is really cheap! I linked it above on amazon, but that is for a 2-pack.
After washing my face at night I use a cotton pad and witch hazel to go over my whole face. This helps to remove any excess dirt or oil while soothing the skin. It will not dry your skin out at all. In the morning I just use witch hazel again with a cotton pad to clean my skin. I don’t use face wash again in the morning.
3. Eva Naturals All in One Skin Renewing Facial Toner
I love this product! Its been a big component to my skin clearing up too. I spray this over my skin after I have used the witch hazel morning and night. It helps with acne breakouts really well.
The key benefits:
- Restore Your Skin: Put the life back in your complexion with our natural face toner! Powerful ingredients like Vitamin C, Geranium Oil and Bee Propolis renew skin and fight free radicals, giving you a balanced, nourished and visibly radiant complexion.
- Maintain an Even Tone: Our facial treatment is a must-have for your beauty routine because it’s so much more than an ordinary cleanser! Witch Hazel, Aloe and Lemon work together to brighten skin and fade dark spots for a smooth, even complexion.
- Best Toner for Acne: When battling breakouts, Tea Tree, Lavender and Chamomile are your first line of defense! These ingredients make our blend the best toner for face and body as they ease inflammation, calm irritated skin and fight acne-causing toxins.
- Safe, Effective Ingredients: When we set out to create the best skin toner available, we knew we had to use natural and organic ingredients! We even use MSM to help drive our blend deep into the skin for facial cleansing that’s potent and effective.
4. Eva Naturals Vitamin C serum
I use this serum only at night. The reviews are amazing on Amazon and I have loved this too! A little bit goes a long way.
Key benefits:
- Best Anti Aging Serum: Loaded with antioxidants, our Vitamin C Serum helps protect against UV rays while repairing sun-damaged skin. For an anti-aging boost, Hyaluronic Acid provides incredible hydration by holding up to 1000 times its weight in water!
- Glowing Complexion: Acne and other skin conditions leave your complexion looking red and uneven. The Niacinamide found in our formula supports healthy skin by naturally reducing inflammation and soothing troubled skin for an overall more even skin tone! This is also an effective dark spot corrector and hyperpigmentation treatment.
- Best Acne Treatment: When pores are clogged with dirt and oil, they become larger and more visible. Retinol works to cleanse the pores, thereby making them appear smaller. Add to that the exfoliating effects of Salicylic Acid, and our serum is ready to fight blemishes and improve acne prone skin. A powerful alternative for products like Retin A, aha serums, hydroquinone and other retinoid products on the market.
- Natural Skincare: Packed with vitamins, essential oils, and organic ingredients like Aloe, our organic vitamin c serum is an adult acne treatment and dry skin facial treatment all in one! We focus on natural ingredients to keep our formula safe and effective for all skin types.
5. Beautycounter Nourishing Eye Cream
This is where my Beautycounter products begin! As I stated above, they carry non-toxic skincare and makeup. They are HUGE on leaving out harmful carcinogens & chemicals that are in so many products these days. It’s so important to be aware of what we are putting on the largest organ of our body.
Eye cream! Don’t forget that the delicate skin around the eyes needs some extra attention this winter too. Each of us has something that we’re hoping to accomplish with eye cream… diminish fine lines, lighten dark circles, decrease puffiness.. whatever you’re trying to target, give yourself a little extra protection from the harsh weather by doubling up on your treatment. Instead of only applying your eye cream at night, apply it in the morning too and let it soak in while you’re having your coffee or checking your emails. If you want to leave it on all day, just make sure to set it with some powder before applying your eye makeup.
6. Beautycounter Nourishing Day Cream
I love this moisturizer! I only use this in the morning because after applying serums at night I don’t need it. Its lightweight and perfect for my oily skin. The bottle that I just had lasted me about 8 months using it everyday. Well worth the investment!
Benefits:
Quench skin throughout the day with this lightweight, hydrating face cream. Quickly absorbed and never greasy, the unscented formula contains a mix of organic coconut oil, safflower oil, and aloe to provide nourishing hydration, plus antioxidant-rich acai to protect against dry skin.
Alyssa’s Favorite Products
Alyssa’s skin type tends to be on the DRY spectrum. These products will help immensely if you experience flakiness and roughness throughout the winter.
My favorite product for dry skin this winter is Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm. I would call this my “desert island” product – I cannot live without it! It’s a little pricey, but the uses and benefits are endless… plus one jar will last you forever. The Cleansing Balm is a cleanser – obviously – but it can also be applied as an overnight mask if your skin is feeling especially dry. You will not believe how soft your skin is in the morning! It can also be used as a spot treatment for especially dry areas like your elbows, knees, and heels.
If you’re not ready to invest in the full size, you can shop the travel size Cleansing Balm here: Travel Size
2. Facial Oil
I also love to use facial oils during these cold months. If you’ve never used a facial oil, you are missing out! They provide all sorts of hydrating and anti-aging benefits. Beautycounter offers three facial oils… the #1 Brightening Facial Oil is great for reviving dull skin and lightening dark spots. It also contains Vitamin C which is an essential part of any skincare routine (google it!). The #2 Plumping Facial Oil is ultra-hydrating and is great for diminishing the appearance of fine lines. And the #3 Balancing Oil is perfect for skin that needs calming and soothing (I even recommend this to my oily-skinned client – it really balances out the skin). You can use facial oils on their own or just add 2-3 drops into your nightly moisturizer – so easy!
Shop Facial Oils here: Facial Oils
3. Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream
Although my skin needs some extra nourishment during the winter, I’m not a big fan of heavy-feeling moisturizers. It makes me feel like I’m going to wake up with clogged pores. I love a moisturizer that is super-hydrating, but light-feeling… enter the Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream. First of all, I LOVE the name… “Sleeping Cream” – ha! Yes, it is primarily made for nighttime, but I love to use it during the day too in the winter. This cream contains two forms of hyaluronic acid, which is one of the most effective hydrating ingredients.
Shop Here: Sleeping Cream
The final step in my winter skin routine, is a good lip product. I’m not talking about chapstick. Beautycounter’s Lip Conditioners contain ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter to soothe, soften and protect your lips. I like to apply this overnight so my lipstick goes on smoothly in the morning. It comes in two flavors: Peppermint and Calendula.
Benefits:
Nourish and protect lips with this ultra-moisturizing lip balm, formulated with soothing and softening avocado oil, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, and jojoba oil.
Shop Here: Lip Conditioner
So now that your face is “winterized,” let’s not forget about the rest of your body! I absolutely adore the Body Butter in Citrus Mimosa. The scent is fresh and the feel is fabulous – thick but not greasy at all. This will keep your body moisturized all day long. Throw a Hand Cream in your purse and keep your hands protected throughout the day as well.
Shop Here: Body Butter & Hand Cream
If you have any questions feel free to ask away! If I don’t know the answer, Alyssa will! I hope this can help you. It was really fun to share this with my readers. Please let me know if you could benefit from all of this information in the comments!
Thank you!
xo, Jessica
Do these products work on all skin types and shades?
Hey Raven! Beautycounter – Yes they have a little something for everyone. And yes they work on all shades too.