Well, the weather has finally gone from almost Spring-like to full-blown Antarctic-like freezing. And with the colder temps, comes drier skin which in turn means it’s time to switch up the ol’ skincare routine!
Since I am one of those lucky souls who deal with both dry skin and acne in the Winter (can’t ever seem to get a complete break from breakouts!), I really need to focus on giving my skin both lots of hydration as well as ingredients to keep blemishes in check.
So, if you’re someone who also deals with both dry/dehydrated/sensitive and acneic skin, then this post is for you! 😀
Bella Aura “Hydra Revive Treatment” – ($135 – code Brie15 saves you $$) – I’ve been a fan of Bella Aura for a few years now and whenever my skin is feeling overly sensitive, irritated, and dehydrated, this is the line I always turn to for help. Every single product is formulated to target pretty much every skin issue and restore skin back to health. Bella Aura combines cutting-edge formulas with ingredients used in ancient beauty rituals to truly enhance the look and feel of your skin. I’d love to say that I have a favorite product, but honestly, I love everything equally! I will say that for this cold weather, the superstar of the bunch is this hydration treatment, which is formulated with Icelandic moss, peat moss, and evergreen fern extracts that help to hydrate, replenish, soothe, and balance skin at the cellular level. A splurge it is, but it is worth every single penny!
ULIV Golden Glow Facial Souffle – ($42) – I was first introduced to this in the November Goodbeing Box and I loved it so much I chose it again for the January box (review to come)! This contains potent plants, EO’s, botanicals and anti-inflammatory ingredients (like turmeric) to help calm and soothe the skin, while also providing powerful anti-aging benefits. I’m so in love with this moisturizer that I am eyeing their other products too!
Gaelle Organic Exfoliant Supérieure & Ultra Sensitive Creme – Gaelle Organic is a brand that I had the privilege of trying out last year (see review here) and I was instantly hooked. Right now, I am loving their Exfoliant Supérieure Refining Treatment ($48 full size, $18 for petite) to exfoliate any dry, dead skin cells away as well as add some moisture thanks to lots of hydrating, organic oils. I use this a few times a week when my skin is looking a bit congested and parched. Their Ultra Sensitive Créme ($82 full size, $27 for petite) is the newest product that I cannot get enough of! Formulated for dry, sensitive skin, this anti-aging moisturizer is incredibly hydrating as well as soothing. It’s extremely thick and rich in texture, so I was worried it would be too greasy on my oily skin – but it isn’t at all! Once it’s absorbed, my skin is silky to the touch and looks smoother and plumped up! Also, this doesn’t irritate or break out my sensitive and reactive skin, which I am happy about. I’m excited to see how my skin looks after using this for a month or more!
Sahajan Balance Toner – ($40) – This lovely toner is infused with Moringa Oil, Rose Water, and fruit acids to gently cleanse and detoxify without irritation. It leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and not tight.
Thesis Beauty Face Oil & Mask for Dry Skin – Thesis Beauty is a new discovery for me, but is quickly becoming a favorite! I am particularly fond of the Face Serum for Dry Skin ($24.95) and have been using it in ways other than as a mere facial serum/oil – like mixing it in my foundation for extra hydration or using it as part of my gua sha or jade rolling routines. The serum (though it feels more like an oil) is made with organic oils and essential oils like jojoba, argan, rosehip, geranium, and patchouli that all work to nourish, moisturize and fight aging free radicals. The texture is thick and rich, but doesn’t feel greasy once it is absorbed and keeps your skin super hydrated all day! The Facial Mask Chocolatier’s Gift ($22.95) is a decadent powder face mask that is for dry, dehydrated and aging skins. It contains organic raw cacao, organic oats, and organic cloves as well as kaolin and Moroccan rhassoul clays and leaves your skin feeling oh, so pampered after! All of Thesis Beauty’s products are vegan and cruelty-free, use organic and natural ingredients, use eco-friendly packaging, are non-GMO, don’t use any fillers or other nasty crap and are 100% effective! They’re also quite affordable too, which I love!
Shea Terra Organics Body Butter & Kigelia Face Cream – Though I have several favorites from them, here are a few products from long time TBE fave, Shea Terra Organics (read past posts here) that I am currently loving, particularly their Kigelia HA Face Cream Age Defense ($38), which contains hydration superstar, hyaluronic acid (2%) in a base of nourishing organic oils like argan, rosehip and raspberry to infuse skin with moisture and Kigelia to firm and tone – I love to use this on my neck, chest, and hands. To keep my body moisturized, I am addicted to their cold-pressed virgin shea butter in Marrakesh Menthe Vanilla ($16), which smells like minty vanilla goodness and moisturizes like a champ! I use this as my nightly body moisturizer as it’s thick and rich and the scent relaxes and soothes me.
Bella Aura Rapid Repair Clarifying Elixir – ($99) – To help treat blemishes, redness, and irritation, but also keep moisture levels in check, this is my current HG serum. It contains concentrated antioxidants from micro silver, Norweigan spruce, black currant seed oil, rosemary, and sunflower seed oil which work to calm inflammation, redness, diminish and prevent future breakouts, as well as replenish moisture. It’s potent, but is gentle enough for the most sensitive skin! I love to layer the Hydra Revive over the Rapid Repair if my skin is really acting up – otherwise, I will incorporate the day and night moisturizers and finish with the Hydra Revive for extra hydration and soothing. 💚 Don’t forget to use code Ecoholic15 to save $$!!
Genetix Organic Face Oils – (code BRIE will save you $$) – I can’t have a dry/acne prone post without including my beloved Genetix Organic face serums! I’ve been addicted to these beauties for a while now (see past posts here) and there’s a reason – they work, they make my skin look better and the ingredients are just awesome. I love all 3 of the serums, but my #1 go to is the Cellular Recovery Serum ($89 full size on sale, $45 for travel size), and I am currently on my 3rd bottle! Formulated for dry, sensitive, acne prone and mature skin, this contains a plethora of nurturing, hydrating, acne busting and anti-aging ingredients, like grapeseed, rosehip, and chia oils, hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, C and E, hibiscus flowers, rosemary, thyme, white willow bark, as well as probiotics to promote a healthy skin microbiome. This also includes melatonin which has been found to counteract ROS, mitochondrial and DNA damage in skin, making it an effective anti-aging ingredient. When I want a super minimal, yet perfect for dry and acne prone skin, this is the product I reach for! The texture is more like a face oil than traditional serum, so if I am using it with other products, that is how I treat it.
Blissoma Photonic SPF Moisturizer – ($39) – If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know of my obsession with sunscreen. Indoors, outdoors, rain, snow or shine, I am never without it during the day. Over the years I have tried a lot of natural sunscreens, and though I have a few forever faves, my current love is this one from Blissoma. This is a broad spectrum natural mineral sunscreen that contains sustainable (and transparent!) non-nano zinc oxide as well the high-quality organic herb infusions and plant oils that Blissoma is known for. It also contains antioxidant-rich Astaxanthin, which not only helps to protect skin against UV damage, but also has moisture retention properties too. It’s also great for reactive skin, so won’t cause breakouts, so it’s a win all the way around!
Current favorite make-up for both dry and acne prone skin:
W3ll People – I was so excited to find this brand at my local Target, and both excited and sad to have found it on clearance (which means it’s at my Target no longer). I immediately snagged the two products that I had been wanting to try and am so glad I did! I’m also a big fan of multi-tasking products, so I really like tinted SPF moisturizers, CC creams or foundations that have SPF in them. The Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer with SPF ($28.99), contains a broad spectrum SPF of pure zinc oxide, as well as active botanicals to provide vitamins and antioxidants to moisturize, nourish and protect. It also contains broccoli seed oil, which provides a silicone-like finish (but without the pore-clogging) as well as ceramides for healthy skin barrier function. The coverage is medium, but buildable and hasn’t broken me out. In fact, this makes my (almost) 48yr old, acne scarred skin look pretty darn good tbh. To set it without drying my skin out, I am obsessed with their Bio Brightener Powder ($21.99), which is a superfine loose powder that offers a soft focus/blurring effect. It contains pearl powder and aloe leaf, which helps it from being drying.
If I have time, I will write a post on my fave Winter hair, body, beauty and wellness products – if not, I’ll share them on Instagram!
Have you guys tried any of these products? What are your favorite cold weather products for dry and acne prone skin?
*All product listed unless otherwise noted were gifted to me by the brands; some affiliate links are used, all opinions are my own. All photos were taken by and are property of TBE, please do not use without permission.