The Ultimate Winter Skincare Routine For A Glass Skin Glow

Yes, a glass-skin glow is totally possible, even in frosty conditions. Step one: follow this expert guide.

Cold winter months call for extra skincare precautions—even for those of us blessed with magically low-maintenance skin throughout the year! Dry outdoor air, harsh windburn and blasting furnaces all conspire to leave our faces feeling dull, flaky and generally cranky.

Fortunately, a good skincare routine can combat that: “Achieving a hydrated, glass-skin glow isn’t the easiest in winter, but it is 100 percent possible,” says Samantha Mae Henderson, National District Trainer for belif, a skincare brand inspired by both apothecary herbal traditions and K-beauty innovation. The basic rules: You want to retain as much moisture as possible, replenish what’s been lost, and then seal it all in. These simple at-home steps will help keep your skin happy, healthy—and dare we say dewy—all season long.

Cleanse super gently. For starters, swap your usual foamy face wash for a more nourishing cleansing balm. The belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, for example, melts from a sherbet-like texture to a cream to an oil, erasing makeup and impurities without leaving your face tight and parched. To protect your skin’s moisture barrier, rinse off with lukewarm (not hot) water, and avoid any friction. That means instead of rubbing with a washcloth, “opt for gently massaging your makeup-removing balm using your hands,” Henderson advises.

Add hydration before your moisturizer. Applying lotion or cream right onto a bare, totally dry face may be common practice, but it’s not the most effective. “In winter, it’s all about layering—not just your clothes, but also your skincare,” says Henderson, who suggests using a toner designed to add moisture, like the belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Toner, followed by a replenishing serum. Then, lock in both with your favourite moisturizer. “In North America, toners are often misconstrued as part of cleansing, but in K-beauty they’re used as an additional layer of hydration.” To apply the hydrating toner, skip cotton pads, Henderson says. Instead, pour the liquid into your hands and softly press into skin.

Make sure you get these ingredients. “When shopping for winter skincare, some ingredients to look out for are hyaluronic acid, ceramides and squalane,” explains Henderson. “These ingredients, or forms of them, naturally occur in our skin and are responsible for plumping up our skin with water and locking it in.” Hyaluronic acid is especially skilled at holding onto water, while ceramides can create a barrier so moisture won’t evaporate. Similarly, skin-soothing squalane can hang onto moisture, without feeling greasy, she adds. You can find both ceramides and squalane in the belif True Cream Aqua Bomb, a lightweight gel-cream that feels like giving your skin a tall glass of water.

Try a daily facial massage. Not only does this feel relaxing, but it can also help increase the absorption of your skincare, says Henderson. Pay particular attention to the delicate zone around your eyes, which is among the first places to show telltale signs of dryness. Her how-to: Apply a nourishing eye cream on your ring finger or use a massage tool, and very gently massage it around your eye area in a circular motion, following your orbital and brow bone. Lightly press on the six pressure points around the eye socket to help revitalize the area.

Help your skin recover if you’ve been outside a lot. If you’ve been facing the frosty elements for hours, make sure you devote a little time to helping your skin bounce back. “It could be as simple as applying the belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask before your outing as an extra protection layer on top of your cream, or afterwards while you sip your cocoa by the fire.” Unlike traditionally goopy masks, this one has a unique jelly-pudding texture that doesn’t feel sticky. Of course, you can also use it as an overnight treatment, which is ideal anytime you want to wake up extra refreshed and radiant.