Winter Skincare Guide: Products to Hydrate and Protect Your Skin

There’s a cozy kind of beauty that comes with the winter. I love the crisp air, comfy clothes, and the switch to more hydrating skincare products! Just like the leaves, our skin changes with the season. The cooler air, lower humidity and indoor heating can all lead to dryness, dullness and irritation. But with a few simple tweaks to your routine, you can keep your skin glowing well past sweater weather.

As a Physician Assistant at JECT, one of my favorite things is helping people understand how to care for their skin year-round. I like to think of winter as the perfect time to reset, refresh and prep your skin for the colder months ahead.

Hydration is key. 

Cooler air holds less moisture, which means your skin loses hydration faster. This is the time to lean into nourishing, barrier-strengthening products. Two of my go-to’s are JECT Lipid Replenishing Cream and SkinBetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment. Both deliver lightweight but long-lasting hydration. This is exactly what your skin craves when it’s feeling dry or tight.

Keep it gentle. Your skin doesn’t need a harsh cleanser right now. Instead, reach for something that cleanses without stripping. I recommend our JECT Gentle Cleanser or SkinBetter Cleansing Gel. They do the job but still leave your skin feeling comfortable.

Exfoliate and renew

Fall and winter can leave skin looking dull, and gentle exfoliation is a great way to bring back your glow. I love SkinBetter’s AlphaRet line, which blends a retinoid with an AHA for visible smoothing and brightening while minimizing irritation. You can use AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads a few times a week or the AlphaRet Overnight Cream nightly. I recommend choosing one or the other depending on your routine and what feels best for your skin. Both are excellent options for renewing texture and maintaining radiance through the cooler months.

For daily defense, make sure to incorporate SPF + antioxidants. Just because the sun feels less intense, doesn’t mean UV damage is any less. Broad-spectrum sunscreen is a year-round must. SkinBetter SunBetter Tone Smart SPF 68 is a great option. It gives a hint of coverage, and works beautifully every season. For a more lightweight option, I also recommend our ISDIN Photo Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50, which comes in both tinted and non-tinted formulas. To enhance protection even further, I like to pair SPF with SkinBetter Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Cream. Its blend of 17 antioxidants help defend against environmental toxins while adding extra hydration, making it the perfect partner to sunscreen for complete daily defense.

Treatments to boost your results

Fall and winter are some of the best times to schedule in-office skin treatments since sun exposure is typically less. At JECT, some of my favorites are light and deep chemical peels, microneedling with or without radiofrequency and PRP, and laser resurfacing with CO2 or BBL/Moxi. These treatments refresh summer-worn skin damage and get you holiday-ready.

To maximize recovery and results, I always recommend pairing treatments with Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar. This lightweight serum is specially formulated to help clear damaged collagen and elastin while supporting the growth of new, healthy fibers. This results in faster healing, less redness, and an overall boost in your skin’s recovery. I like to think of Skin Nectar as your post-treatment go-to. It’s calming, restorative, and designed to get you glowing sooner.

At the end of the day, winter skincare is all about balance. You want to keep your skin hydrated, protect your barrier, and maintain a healthy glow. Small changes now will make a big difference through the colder months.