Beauty
12 Editor-Tested Products To Protect Your Hair, Skin & Lips This Winter
Your apartment’s dry radiator has nothing on this list.
If you’re anywhere east of the Mississippi, we don’t need to tell you just how frigid it is outside. We are deep in the repetitive song and dance of bundling up and wearing the same three snow shoes and coats, and not only are our sartorial choices taking a beating, our skin (and hair) is too. If summer is for sheer tints and swipes of non-comedogenic moisturizers, winter is for slugging, layering, and ensuring no scales or flakes can be seen in between our sunglasses and hats. The lack of humidity and unforgiving gusts of wind can be enemies to our preciously guarded skin barriers, but luckily, we have a small fridge’s worth of products in our arsenal for times like these.
In the interest of keeping things warm, glowing, and icicle-free (yes, that’s our reality right now) we’ve rounded up 12 products below that have gone through the trials and tribulations of negative-degree wind chills and long walks to and from the train in the midst of snowy mornings. Keep reading to get some inspiration for your beauty cabinet while swiping on yet another scarf (or booking a flight to Miami — we can’t blame you).
“This is the final boss of thick facial creams. I had my qualms after reading reviews about potential irritation for sensitive skin, but this took away my redness and sealed my morning skincare for a good 12 hours.” — Kevin LeBlanc, style editor
“Working in the beauty-adjacent space means getting sent lots of gifts of candles and, yes, hand cream. I’ve tried them all, and this one strikes the balance between being too thick and too thin; get the Hinoki scent for delicious reminders of your moisturized phalanges throughout the day.” — LeBlanc
“Dozens of beauty start-ups on Instagram will try to shill their three-digit price-tag humidifiers to you; don’t succumb to marketing. A startlingly simple version that’s only $40 not only keeps my skin plump all night, but I’m convinced it’s the reason I haven’t gotten terribly sick this year. (We’re taking throat hydration into consideration on this list, too.)” — LeBlanc
“The number one enemy of winter is dry skin, but I don’t have to worry about that with this lotion. It’s nourishing, it’s refreshing, and the mix of menthol, ruscus, and caffeine provides a tingling sensation that can only be described as “minty.” Just don’t use it before going outside unless you want your legs to sting.” — Giandurco
“The collateral damage of winter dryness cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to chapped lips. This sweetly scented mask and its adorable spoon-shaped applicator have saved me time and time again this season, thanks to its a glazed shine and hydrating properties.” — Jillian Giandurco, editorial associate
“This is the standard-bearer of body lotions for a reason: non-greasy, non-pilling, unscented, and actually withstands the driest of radiator heat. There are several variations depending on how flaky you’re feeling, but I find the middle-of-the-road option to do the job handily.” — LeBlanc
“My hot shower intake has gone up about 200 percent in the past month, and this underrated (in my opinion) Dyson treasure takes me from wet hair to straight and ready to go out the door in less than 15 minutes — a true essential when trying to avoid hair icicles (unfortunately a real thing).” — Lauren McCarthy, editor-in-chief
“When I lost my purse, this was one of the items I mourned the most — though only briefly, before I picked up a new one. This lip balm gives instant moisture and leaves a juicy, glossy finish without the unbearable stickiness of a lot of similar products (no hair clinging to your lips!). Bonus points for the delectable scents and the fact that it doubles as a lip mask for overnight hydration.” — Katherine Diermissen, social media editor
“Forget what you know about face slugging. With this perfectly thin treatment, you can lock in your hard-won nighttime skincare and wake up without scales on your face, no globs of Vaseline required.” — LeBlanc
“For the ultimate luxury, dab a bit of this on after your body lotion of choice. The scent is slightly feminine but not overwhelming, and this does not leave my sheets (or me) greasy overnight.” — LeBlanc
“The rate at which I've devoured a container of this ultra-rich moisturizer is almost alarming, but nothing else helps combat dry, flaky February skin quite like it.” — McCarthy
“Everyone talks about dry skin in the winter, but the real villain for my fellow bleach-blonde victims is dry hair. This leave-in treatment has done wonders in keeping my hair silky-smooth, even after walking through the chilliest winter winds.” — Diermissen
