Winter. We said it. It's coming, cold weather is coming. As you trade in your sleeveless shirts to make room for sweaters in your closet, there is another cabinet to look through – your medicine cabinet. Your skin needs different help during the colder months and starting now will put you in a great place come even colder temperatures. And to our LA friends, much of this advice applies to the cooler, drier seasons, too.

Add a hyaluronic acid to your night routine.
Here’s a theme you’ll see lots of as the weather gets colder: cold weather can suck the moisture out of skin, so it’s important to give your skin more hydration than you think it needs. Add a hyaluronic acid serum to your routine to not only keep the moisture locked in but also to help your products penetrate better. “Everyone penetrates on the different levels, so you have to use different amounts of it depending on what your skin needs. Some people can handle a heavier percentage, and some people are better off just with lighter amounts. But everyone can benefit from adding it to their winter routine,” our Skin Therapist Ramnit B. recommends.

Swap out lighter oils, like rosehip, for something heavier, like carrot seed oil.
“I put oil on morning (under my sunscreen) and night because otherwise, that wind will go right through it,” our Skin Therapist Natalie F. says. “I’ll usually use Naturopathica’s Carrot Seed Oil because it balances and soothes my skin, while also giving it another line of defense.” Another option is the One Love Organics' Skin Savior Multi-Tasking Wonder Balm which changes from a balm to a more liquid consistency when heated in your hands. “That balm is amazing. I use it for facial massage with clients who are dry and aren’t able to keep moisture because it penetrates deeply. It really is a savior.”

Grab your winter moisturizer to give your night routine a kick.
When it’s hot as a volcano out there, like it was this year, the last thing you might be interested in is a thicker moisturizer. But don’t forget to bring that jar back out from medicine cabinet or grab a new one in the shop, as the cold sets in. “The night time is when you really want to seal it all in,” Natalie F. says. “I tell my clients – put on your serums, put on your heavy moisturizer at night. Protect that barrier at all costs!”

(Remember, open products have a shelf life of 6 or 12 months. Check that symbol on the back. And while not all products may "spoil" as dramatically as leftovers in the fridge, they can lose their effectiveness and ingredient power, like crackers going stale in the pantry if we're staying in the kitchen here.) 

Swap your "watch TV and use a detoxing mask" hobby for a "watch TV and use a hydrating mask" hobby.
While it's important to always exfoliate and detox, winter months are about hydrating instead of pulling away. “Put away the detoxing masks. Clay masks, for example, are better for warmer months,” our Skin Therapist, Samantha M. says. “You should still exfoliate twice a week but think about changing your goals from trying to take off to trying to put in.”

Keep an eye on the moisture in your room.
Some apartments, especially in New York, can’t control their heat. I know our LA readers are like, “Wait, what?” But this is what we deal with! Because the room can get so hot, it makes sense that you’d want to keep the window open. If you’re going to keep it open, and honestly, even if you’re not, it's time to get a humidifier. “That dryness can really get you fast,” Natalie F. warns. “If you don’t plan ahead then that is eight hours that you’re sitting in dry air, wasting your product away. We love humidifiers, from the chic vase-looking ones to that penguin shaped one.

If you’ve shelved your retinol, look into adding it back in.
Said more broadly, 'tis the season to do the deeper work with deeper ingredients since you don't have the sun and fun and sweat to contend with. With regards to retinol, because Vitamin A can make you sensitive to the sun, your Skin Therapist might have recommended pausing on it for the sunnier months. Now that night will be rolling around at 3pm, getting a retinol back into your routine might be a good addition. “Retinol is great for the winter when you’re not spending hours at the beach,” our Skin Therapist, Jenna W. says. “It’s the only good thing about losing the sun!” However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will still be sensitive, which brings us to our last point...

Don’t forget your SPF!
Just because the sun is setting on our summer doesn’t mean there will be no sun this winter! Don’t skimp on your daily SPF. Sun damage can happen in any season, and while we will be spending more time inside, UVA rays can go through glass so that desk window isn’t as much of a shield as you might think.