Winter breakouts can be extra frustrating – your skin’s already dry, and acne treatments can make it feel even worse. Harsh ingredients like benzoyl peroxide can leave your skin flaky, red, and irritated, making it harder to heal those stubborn pimples.
Here’s the kicker: studies show that breakouts tend to spike in the winter, increasing by 11% compared to summer.
So, why does our skin act up so much in the colder months? And more importantly, how can we fight breakouts while keeping our skin healthy, hydrated, and glowing?
This article will cover:
Let’s get your skin back to its happy, glowy self!
We’ve all noticed our skin feels drier in winter, but why does it lead to more breakouts? Here’s the science: cold, dry air strips moisture from your skin, which makes your oil glands work overtime.
The result? Clogged pores and more breakouts—especially in the T-zone. Plus, indoor heating (like space heaters and central heating) strips even more moisture, leaving your skin irritated and off balance.
Battling winter acne can be tough, but we’re here to remind you that it’s possible. With the right routine, you can stay breakout-free and hydrated. To stay in the clear, your skincare routine should prioritize hydration, barrier repair, and soothing skin treatments. Look for gentle, restoring ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin to help keep your skin healthy all season long. Adapting your routine will help prevent breakouts and keep your skin glowing through the cold.
If this sounds overwhelming, here are your steps to avoiding dry, acne-prone skin this winter.
It’s really tempting to use products marketed towards acne-prone skin that promise to banish breakouts, but there’s a chance those same products could be stripping your skin of its natural oils.
Avoid harsh acne-fighting products with ingredients like:
Instead of using harsh ingredients during the winter, opt for a gentle, hydrating moisturizer to maintain your skin’s moisture barrier while gently fighting acne.
These are some gentle, acne-fighting ingredients to look for:
A good acne-fighting routine starts with a hydrating cleanser jam-packed with ingredients that nourish instead of dehydrating the skin. When picking a winter-proof cleanser, the key is to balance acne prevention with hydration, so your skin stays clear without feeling tight or irritated.
Look for cleansers with ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, that help lock in moisture while keeping your skin clean and fresh. A gentle, hydrating cleanser can effectively remove dirt and oil without stripping your skin’s natural protective barrier, allowing you to fight breakouts while maintaining a healthy, balanced complexion.
While lightweight moisturizers are great for warmer months, they don’t provide the hydration your skin needs in winter. To keep your skin soft and supple, opt for richer formulas that contain similar ingredients to your cleanser – ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid.
Why are these ingredients so important?
If your skin still feels tight or parched even after moisturizing, try adding a skincare booster to your routine. A skincare booster is a weightless and invisible daily mask you apply over your skin regimen to lock in moisture and provide an extra layer of hydration. It also helps to enhance the effectiveness of your moisturizer by creating a barrier that helps prevent moisture loss while promoting the absorption of hydrating ingredients.
Using a moisturizing booster can make a significant difference in how your skin feels, ensuring it remains smooth, nourished, and well-protected throughout the winter. Whether you're using it overnight or during the day, this extra step ensures that your skin stays fully hydrated and resilient, even in harsh winter conditions.
Exfoliating is so underrated during the winter months when your skin is feeling dry and sensitive. Turns out, it's actually one of the best ways to keep your skin clear and prevent future breakouts. When acne-prone skin is left to its own devices, clogged pores can lead to unwanted breakouts, especially in the winter when your skin may be more prone to dryness and buildup.
However, it’s crucial to be gentle with your exfoliation to avoid irritating the skin even more. Skip the harsh, physical exfoliants, and instead, opt for a mild chemical exfoliant, like lactic acid, which gently dissolves dead skin cells and unclogs pores without stripping your skin’s natural moisture.
Exfoliating 1-2 times a week is typically enough to keep your skin smooth and prevent clogged pores, all while avoiding the over-drying effects that can worsen acne.
The Calm Soothing and Smooth Exfoliating SmartMud™ Duo is our go-to winter face mask set because it perfectly balances exfoliation with hydration and soothing benefits.
The Smooth Exfoliating Sheet Mask contains both lactic acid and salicylic acid, two gentle yet effective exfoliants that work together to dissolve dead skin cells, unclog pores, and smooth the skin’s surface. Meanwhile, the Calm Soothing Sheet Mask is packed with ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide, and pink calamine clay, which help to calm redness, reduce irritation, and enhance the skin’s natural barrier. This combination of exfoliation and soothing treatment makes it an ideal choice for anyone dealing with dry, acne-prone skin during the colder months, ensuring your complexion stays clear, smooth, and hydrated.
Adding a hydrating face mask to your routine can be a game-changer, replenishing moisture like no cleanser or face cream can. Use a nourishing mask once a week to provide deep hydration and help restore moisture to your skin, preventing the tight, flaky feeling that often accompanies cold weather.
Look for masks that contain ingredients like aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. Aloe vera provides cooling and soothing effects, perfect for calming any inflammation or redness, while hyaluronic acid helps to lock in moisture and plump up the skin.
A hydrating face mask does more than just quench your skin’s thirst – it also helps calm the irritation and inflammation that can flare up from acne treatments. By using a hydrating mask, you can replenish your skin's moisture barrier while still targeting acne without causing excessive dryness or irritation. These masks not only help reduce redness and calm inflamed skin but also create smoother, more balanced skin.
Dealing with active breakouts right now? Let’s heal them quickly and efficiently without making your skin dry out. Prevent acne scarring or dark spots by avoiding harsh ingredients or high concentrations. Instead, opt for products that will get rid of your pimples and heal irritation.
Pimple patches are a game-changer for treating active breakouts without drying out your entire face. They work by absorbing excess oil and gunk from pimples while protecting them from bacteria and picking. The Breakout Box includes salicylic acid and hydrocolloid patches to help reduce redness, calm inflammation, and speed up healing.
When your skin is inflamed and breaking out, a sheet mask with calming ingredients can work wonders to reduce redness and irritation. Look for masks with ingredients like tea tree oil, willow bark, and peppermint, which help soothe and clarify your skin. The Good Fight sheet mask has the power to calm even the most sensitive, irritated skin while keeping your skin balanced.
We mentioned hydration as a key element in preventing future breakouts, and it’s just as important when curing active ones. If your moisturizer isn’t doing it for you, try a thirst-quenching sheet mask with hyaluronic acid and B5 to heal dry patches, retain skin moisture, and boost skin radiance.
Believe it or not, exfoliation actually helps acne heal. However, it needs to be done gently or it will cause irritation and even infection. We swear by the Smooth Exfoliating SmartMud™ No-Mess Mud Mask because it gently dissolves and sloughs away dead skin cells without irritating or drying out your skin.
If you’re sooo done with breakouts and ready to move on, it’s time to rebuild your skin’s barrier. This will help you prevent future breakouts, fight off environmental aggressors, and get back to a healthy, dewy glow. A barrier-boosting sheet mask can help to neutralize the skin and promote a more resilient complexion.
We also recommend restoring the skin’s natural radiance with a glowy sheet mask. This will help even out your skin tone while illuminating its surface to bring a natural radiance to the skin. Don’t forget that brightening face masks with ingredients like licorice extract can also help reduce dark marks from acne scarring!
If you’re doing all of these tips and still can’t seem to achieve hydrated, calm skin this winter, you might be making a common winter skincare mistake that’s preventing you from making progress. Avoid these bad habits in your winter skincare routine to work smarter, not harder:
Avoid these 3 winter skincare mistakes:
If you’re using abrasive exfoliating scrubs or alcohol-based toners in the winter, you’re stripping the skin of its natural moisture. These products can leave your skin feeling raw and sensitive, especially when it's already stressed by winter's cold, dry air.
Instead, opt for mild chemical exfoliants and alcohol-free toners that contain soothing ingredients like rose water, glycerin, or aloe vera to hydrate and balance your skin’s moisture levels.
Overwashing your face strips your skin of natural oils and could be the root cause of your dryness, irritation, and skin imbalance. When the skin is dry, it produces more oil to counterbalance, which leads to breakouts. Excessive washing can also damage your skin’s barrier, making it more sensitive to the winter elements.
Instead, wash your face once in the morning and once at night. This will remove dirt and excess oil without over-drying.
We get it – it’s winter and the hot water just feels sooo good. However, using hot water to cleanse your face strips your skin of natural oils and can cause – yep, you guessed it – more dryness, irritation, and redness.
Instead, wash your face with lukewarm water to avoid stripping the skin’s natural oils. Afterward, gently pat your face dry with a soft towel to lock in moisture.
Your winter skincare routine should be just as enjoyable as your summer one! Don’t let breakouts dull your shine – treat them the right way while keeping your skin healthy and hydrated. Remember to:
Understanding what causes winter breakouts and making smart skincare choices are the first steps to loving your winter skin. It’s possible to keep your complexion clear, soft, dewy, and radiant even when you’re battling the dry winter air. Just remember to skip the harsh products that promise to ban acne while moisturizing and prioritizing exfoliation! With a little extra care and attention, your skin can thrive all winter long.
Ready to build out your new favorite winter skincare routine? Check out more products to expand your collection!
