(Beauty Report Card)

The Winter Skin Care Products I Swear By To Combat My Rosacea & Dryness

Moisturization is key.

Rebecca Iloulian
Writer Rebecca Iloulian's Winter Skin Care Routine For Rosacea And Dryness.
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When winter rolls around, I start to dread the annual skin changes that come with it. I’ve dealt with ultra-dry, sensitive skin and rosacea since I was a kid, but the colder months amplify those conditions causing discomfort throughout the season. My skin tightens up, my cheeks are constantly flushed, and my eyelids often become inflamed, causing dermatitis: rashes, bumps, and redness that can be hard to soothe.

The cool, dry air of winter sets my skin off, then being indoors with dry heat blasting further aggravates the redness. The dryness and rosacea feed off of one another, and it becomes an exhausting cycle trying to calm the inflammation that gradually builds. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my skin’s sensitivities to be more intense.

Though I’ve never considered myself to have bad skin, it’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable with having rosacea. It has a variety of triggers — everything from stress levels and emotions to what I eat and drink. Yet the worst trigger has always been the climate. I’ve tried topical prescriptions to treat it but none have ever made a visible improvement.

A few years back, after a particularly bad case of winter dermatitis, my dermatologist recommended stripping my entire skin care routine and starting over with a clean slate. For a few weeks, I solely used Albolene for everything from makeup remover to moisturizer, until my skin was completely calmed. Once my skin was reset and the inflammation was down, I slowly began adding my skin care (and makeup) products back in one by one to determine which were improving my skin and which were irritating it. After years of trying so many different skin care products, often without much consideration of ingredients, this was a crucial step in my skin care journey toward a happy, revived complexion. I threw out a handful of items that turned out to not be so great, and honed in on the ones that worked best for me.

Though it’s taken me many years of trial and error to find products that truly nourish my winter skin, I’ve finally found a routine that tackles the inflammation and heals my complexion. Below, you’ll find my everyday, winter skin care routine that I follow both morning and night for glowing, hydrated, and most importantly, calm skin.

Clé de Peau
Beauté Enhancing Eye Contour Cream Supreme
$280
My eyes tend to be my biggest problem area in the winter because I’m constantly fighting dermatitis, inflammation, and redness. This find from Clé de Peau is definitely a splurge, but is absolutely worth it. The formula is a rich, thick cream that’s incredibly hydrating and soothing around my eye area. The product contains iris extract, which is known to help improve the skin barrier and lock in lasting moisture.