Winter Beauty Survival Guide: Skincare, Makeup & Hair Tips

Looking for a new winter recipe?

Try two cups of cold temperatures, three tablespoons of harsh winds, one teaspoon of time spent indoors, and a generous dash of dry indoor heat. Mix everything together, and you’ve got a terrible combination that can leave your skin feeling tight, your lips chapped, and your hair drier than you’d like.

Delicious? Absolutely not. But don’t worry! With a few tweaks to your beauty routine, you can help your skin and hair feel their best throughout the colder months.

From keeping your skin moisturized to finding a little balance in your makeup and hair routines, here’s how to give your beauty routine some extra love this winter.

Skincare

1. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

When temperatures drop, cold air, wind, and indoor heating can contribute to dry, uncomfortable skin. And while moisturizing is important all year, winter is a good time to pay extra attention to hydration.

You might find that the lightweight moisturizer you loved during the summer isn’t quite cutting it anymore. If your skin feels tight or flaky, consider switching to a richer cream or a moisturizer designed to help support your skin’s natural barrier.

Look for ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, which can help attract or retain moisture.

And if your skin is sensitive, fragrance-free products can be a helpful place to start.

Pro tip: Apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp after washing your face or taking a shower. This helps trap moisture before it evaporates.

2. Don’t Forget About Your Body

Your face isn’t the only part of you that can get dry during winter!

Your hands, elbows, knees, legs, and feet may need a little extra attention, especially when you’re bundling up in layers and spending more time around indoor heating.

Keep a body moisturizer somewhere you’ll remember to use it, whether that’s beside your shower, on your nightstand, or next to your favorite hand soap.

If your skin tends to get particularly dry, try applying a thicker cream immediately after showering. You can also keep hand cream in your bag for those moments when your hands start feeling like sandpaper.

And don’t forget your lips. We’ll get to those in a minute.

3. Be Gentle With Exfoliation

Exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells, but winter isn’t necessarily the time to reach for the strongest scrub you can find.

When your skin is already feeling dry or irritated, aggressive exfoliation can make things worse. Instead, focus on keeping your skin comfortable and moisturized, and exfoliate only when your skin tolerates it.

If you enjoy exfoliating, choose a gentle product appropriate for your skin type and follow its directions. Avoid scrubbing irritated, cracked, or peeling skin, and remember that you don’t need to exfoliate every day to have healthy-looking skin.

And please, don’t feel like you need to scrub your face into oblivion to achieve a glow. Your skin barrier deserves a little respect, too.

My winter skincare philosophy: Hydration first, experimentation second.

Makeup

1. Ease Up on the Powder

I know. Breaking up is hard to do.

But if your skin tends to get dry during winter, consider easing up on powder products, especially in areas where foundation tends to cling to dry patches.

Powder isn’t inherently bad, and there’s no need to give it up if you love it. However, applying too much can emphasize texture or make your skin look drier than it actually is.

Instead, try using powder selectively. You might only need a little around your T-zone or anywhere you tend to get oily.

The goal is to find a balance that works for your skin, not to throw every powder product in your makeup bag into winter hibernation.

2. Rethink Your Primer and Foundation

If your usual makeup routine isn’t looking quite right in colder weather, your products may need a seasonal adjustment.

A hydrating or luminous primer can help create a fresh-looking base, while a moisturizing foundation may feel more comfortable if your skin is dry.

You could also experiment with a skin tint or a lighter-coverage formula if you prefer a more natural finish.

Whatever you choose, start with well-moisturized skin and give your skincare a little time to settle before applying makeup.

And remember, dewy makeup isn’t a requirement for winter. If you prefer a matte finish, you can absolutely keep it. The best base is one that feels comfortable and looks the way you want it to.

3. Have Lip Balm, Will Travel

Ever walked outside in the cold, licked your lips, and immediately regretted the decision because it felt like running your tongue across sandpaper?

Yeah. Not fun.

My lips have a tendency to get drier than the Sahara during winter, so I need lip balm within arm’s reach at practically all times.

There’s one in my jacket. One on my dresser. Probably one in every bag I own.

NO PLACE IS SAFE FROM THE BALM.

If you’re dealing with chapped lips, look for a simple, moisturizing lip balm with ingredients such as petrolatum, shea butter, or other occlusive and emollient ingredients that help reduce moisture loss.

Apply it throughout the day and before bed, and consider using a scarf to shield your face from harsh winds when you’re outside.

Try to avoid licking your lips, too. I know it’s tempting when they feel dry, but saliva can make the problem worse.

Pro tip: Staying hydrated is important for your overall health, so keep drinking water throughout the day. And while we’re talking about hydration, eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and other nourishing foods can help support your overall well-being.

Hair Care

1. Make Deep Conditioning Part of Your Routine

Just like your skin, your hair can feel the effects of cold weather, dry indoor air, friction from hats and scarves, and frequent heat styling.

If your hair is feeling dry, rough, or difficult to manage, a moisturizing conditioner or occasional deep-conditioning treatment may help.

How often you need one depends on your hair’s texture, porosity, and overall condition. Some hair types benefit from weekly treatments, while others do well with a simpler routine.

Look for products that leave your hair feeling soft and manageable without weighing it down.

And remember that different hair types have different needs. Curly, coily, fine, thick, and chemically treated hair may all respond differently to the same products, so pay attention to what works for yours.

Pro tip: If your hair feels unusually limp, coated, or overly soft after using a product, you may need to adjust the formula or frequency. You don’t automatically need a protein treatment; focus on how your hair feels and responds.

2. Give Your Hair a Break From Excessive Heat

Seriously, fuggedaboudit!

Your straightener, curling iron, and blow dryer may need a little winter vacation—especially if your hair is already feeling dry or brittle.

Heat styling can contribute to damage over time, so consider reducing the temperature, limiting how often you use hot tools, and incorporating heatless hairstyles into your routine.

Braids, buns, twists, rollers, and other no-heat styles can give you plenty of options without requiring a curling iron every morning.

If you do use heat, apply a heat protectant and avoid using more heat than necessary.

And if you’re wearing a hat most days, experiment with styles that work with your winter wardrobe rather than fighting against it.

One important note: never go outside with wet hair in freezing conditions if it could freeze, and make sure your hair is dry enough for your comfort and the weather.

3. Find a Hair-Washing Routine That Works for You

If you wash your hair every day, you might wonder whether washing less frequently would help during winter.

For some people, it can. Frequent washing may leave certain hair types feeling drier, especially when paired with hot water or harsh shampoos. But there’s no universal rule about how long you should go between washes.

Your ideal schedule depends on your scalp, hair texture, activity level, and personal preferences. Some people need to wash frequently, while others can comfortably go several days between washes.

Rather than forcing yourself to skip a certain number of days, pay attention to how your scalp feels. If your hair becomes oily, itchy, sweaty, or uncomfortable, it’s perfectly fine to wash it.

Dry shampoo can be useful for refreshing your roots between washes, but it shouldn’t replace regular cleansing indefinitely.

The goal is to find a routine that keeps both your scalp and your hair happy—not to see how long you can stretch a wash day.

4. Don’t Forget About Your Scalp

While you’re giving your hair extra attention, remember that your scalp deserves some love, too.

Cold weather and indoor heating can leave some people dealing with dryness, itchiness, or flakes. A gentle shampoo and a routine suited to your scalp can help keep things comfortable.

Avoid aggressively scratching or scrubbing your scalp, and don’t assume every flake is simply dry skin. Persistent itching, redness, or flaking may need a different approach.

And if you regularly wear wool hats or other winter accessories, keep them clean and choose comfortable fabrics that don’t irritate your skin.

5. Nourish Your Hair From the Inside Out

Healthy-looking hair isn’t just about the products you apply. Eating a balanced variety of foods helps provide the nutrients your body needs to support normal hair growth and overall health.

Include sources of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals in your meals. Foods such as salmon, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens can all be part of a nourishing diet.

You don’t need to follow a special winter hair diet or start taking supplements just because the weather has changed. Unless you have a specific deficiency, more supplements don’t automatically mean healthier hair.

Think of this as another reason to take care of yourself from the inside out.

Your Winter Beauty Reset

Winter doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favorite beauty products or completely overhaul your routine.

Sometimes, the little adjustments make the biggest difference: applying moisturizer more consistently, keeping lip balm close by, using heat tools a little less often, or finding products that leave your skin and hair feeling comfortable.

Pay attention to what your body needs, experiment when necessary, and don’t feel pressured to follow every seasonal beauty trend you see online. Because the point isn’t to have a perfect winter beauty routine. It’s to feel comfortable, confident, and cared for—even when the weather is doing its absolute worst.

Stay cozy, moisturize generously, and keep that lip balm close.

Does your beauty routine change during the winter months? Any tips to share?