Damp cold outside, dry heat inside. If you live somewhere with a real winter, your skin goes through a lot from November to April. Six small changes that help.
Winter in much of Canada is hard on skin. Depending on where you are, it's bitter dry cold, or wind, damp chill and freezing rain, and then you walk into a house where the baseboard heaters or wood stove have dried the air out completely.
Your skin feels all of that. Tight cheeks, flaky patches beside the nose, lips that crack. Even oily skin can turn rough and dull.
You don't need a new routine for winter. You need a few adjustments.
Cold air holds less moisture, and heating lowers indoor humidity even further. When the air around you is dry, water evaporates from your skin faster. Add wind, hot showers and big temperature swings between outside and inside, and the skin barrier gets worn down.
The result is usually some mix of dehydration, sensitivity and dryness. If things have gone as far as stinging, start with the 4-week barrier plan instead.
Put the foaming cleanser away until spring. A cream, milk or mild gel cleanser is kinder in winter. On mornings when your skin feels dry, plain lukewarm water is enough.
If you wear sunscreen, keep your evening double cleanse, but a balm tends to feel better than an oil when your skin is dry.
Korean skincare is good at this part. Instead of one heavy product, add hydration in thin layers:
Thin layers absorb better and feel less greasy than one thick one.
Your summer gel probably isn't enough now. Look for creams with barrier ingredients:
If you're oily, a gel-cream plus a hydrating serum may still be enough. Judge by how your skin feels at lunchtime, not first thing in the morning.
A few nights a week, add a protective top layer:
If you're breakout-prone, keep the heavy stuff to dry spots rather than your whole face.
Flaky skin makes you want to scrub. Don't. Exfoliating more in winter usually makes things worse.
UVA is there all year, and snow reflects UV back up at your face. If you ski, snowshoe or just walk the dog along a bright snowy road, sunscreen still matters. A creamy sunscreen can double as an extra moisture layer. See the Korean sunscreen guide for what to check on Canadian labels.
Morning: water or cream cleanser → hydrating toner (2–3 layers) → hydrating serum → rich moisturizer → sunscreen.
Night: balm cleanser (if needed) → gentle cleanser → toner or essence → treatment serum → rich cream → balm on dry patches.
Red, itchy, cracked or weeping patches that don't improve with gentle care could be eczema or another condition. A doctor can help, and the sooner the better.
Clean more gently, add water in layers, and seal it in properly. Make those changes in early November instead of waiting for your face to crack in January, and the season is a lot easier.
Aran is Korean, lives in Canada, and reads Korean labels and research so you don't have to. About Aran · How I write these guides