Why you should switch your skincare with the seasons
07.01.26
Cold, dry weather. Indulgent meals and extra bubbly. Little sleep. It’s all a bit much for your skin. Discover how doing less and focusing on the essentials helps your skin stay balanced in winter.
Let’s set the scene. You’re back at home after a few weeks of end-of-the-year festivities. You’ve travelled, had indulgent meals and celebratory drinks, slept less than usual and bounced between dry, heated rooms and cold, winter air. Festive? Absolutely. Skin-friendly? Not so much.
It’s time for your winter reset, skin edition.
Why Winter Skin Doesn’t Want More. It Wants Support.
If your complexion looks duller than usual, feels tighter, dehydrated and sensitive, or has suddenly decided to break out unannounced, it’s not being dramatic. Colder temperatures combined with a busy holiday period have overwhelmed your skin and by January, it’s pleading for a reset.
But what’s actually happened to your skin? Cold, dry air has weakened your skin’s barrier, increasing transepidermal water loss and making your skin more prone to dehydration. Late nights have hindered cellular turnover and increased inflammation. Rich meals and alcohol have contributed to breakouts. To put it simply, December is a stressful period for your skin and it’s yearning for some downtime.
The good news is that resetting your skin doesn’t require adding steps to your routine but rather narrowing it down to the essentials.
Your skin is calling to you, just listen to it. When you do, you’ll get clarity over what it needs.
The answer is refreshingly simple. In winter, the right routine simply depends on what your skin needs most: water, lipids or barrier repair.
“Winter is the season where ‘doing less’ genuinely does more,” says Dr Kemi Fabusiwa, Skin and body care expert at Noli. “A long, complex routine can overwhelm a compromised barrier, pushing it into irritation or sensitivity.”
That means focusing on what it needs more of to help it get back on its feet. Think hydrating, water-binding ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid and barrier-boosting actives like ceramides. Focus on richer textures to help cushion and protect and gentle formulations that won’t strip your skin. And yes, that may mean setting aside your retinoids and exfoliating acids until your skin’s back to its resilient self.
Before adding anything new to your routine, just pause. Ask Noli. Its AI skin diagnostic tool identifies what your skin is missing so you can adjust with expert precision, not guesswork.
The Winter Routine Your Skin Will Thank You For
Come January, you’ll want to be doing less. And that’s a good thing. A strong, stripped-back routine focuses on four essentials.
A gentle cleanser, ideally in a cream or milk formula to protect your barrier from the first step. A hydrating serum packed with hydrating heroes like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. A barrier-focused moisturiser in a rich, barrier-protecting texture. And daily SPF (yes, even in January, because UVA doesn’t take a break).
Everything else is optional. If a product doesn’t clearly support hydration, repair or protection, it can take a seasonal break and come back once your skin’s back on track.
A new year and new skin doesn’t mean more products. It comes down to making better decisions with your skin at heart.
Start by listening to your skin, understanding what it needs and choosing only what’s truly the perfect match. Try our skin analysis now.
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