How to prepare your skin for the cold? 7 simple tips for winter
The first cold days are here, and often, our skin is the first to feel it.
It feels tighter after cleansing, looks drier, loses some of its radiance, or suddenly calls for a richer texture than it did in summer.
This doesn’t necessarily mean it has completely changed. In winter, it simply has to cope with new challenges: the cold outdoors, indoor heating, wind, temperature fluctuations… so many little changes that can disrupt its balance.
The good news is that you don’t need to change everything.
A few simple adjustments are often enough to help your skin get through winter more comfortably.
1. Understanding how your skin changes in winter
In winter, the cold air outdoors and the heated air indoors are often drier.
Your skin can therefore lose moisture more easily and become less supple. You may notice tightness, dry patches, or a duller complexion.
This is particularly noticeable on the face, which remains exposed all day. Yet the first mistake would be to immediately use more products.
Before adding new steps, it is better to ask what your skin really needs: more hydration, more nourishment… or simply more gentleness.
If you find it difficult to tell the difference between the two, you can also read our article Dry or dehydrated skin: how to tell the difference?
2. Hydrating and nourishing: two different needs
We often use the words “hydrate” and “nourish” as if they meant the same thing. Yet, they address two different needs.
Hydrating means helping your skin maintain its moisture level.
Nourishing means providing it with oils, particularly plant oils, which help maintain its suppleness and protective barrier.
Your skin can therefore be dehydrated without being particularly dry. Conversely, dry skin naturally lacks more lipids and will often benefit from more nourishing skincare.
In winter, you often need a little of both.
3. Keep a good moisturizer as your base
Even when it is cold, moisturizing remains the first step in a simple facial routine.
Our Cocooning 24h Moisturizing Cream was designed as a daily cream suitable for all skin types.
Its formula includes natural-origin hyaluronic acid, organic aloe vera, plant-based squalane, and our HPL® Biocomplex.
The goal is not to accumulate several creams depending on the season, but to start with a good moisturizing base that you can then adapt to your current needs.
Why only one moisturizer from Cocooning?
Because we love simple routines.
We prefer to offer a versatile moisturizer and then allow everyone to enrich their skincare with a few drops of an elixir when their skin needs it. This avoids accumulating several jars of cream and makes it easy to adapt your routine throughout the seasons.
4. Add a few drops of elixir when your skin needs more
Winter is often when facial oils naturally find their place in your routine. But again, there is no need to use a lot.
A few drops are enough.
You can apply your elixir before your cream or add one or two drops directly to your moisturizer in the palm of your hand.
The texture then becomes slightly richer and more enveloping, while keeping your routine very simple. This is particularly pleasant in the evening, when you want to turn your facial skincare into a little ritual.
5. Green Elixir or Yellow Elixir: which one to choose in winter?
Both elixirs can complement the Moisturizing Cream, but they address slightly different needs.
The Green Elixir for nourishing and preserving suppleness
If your skin becomes drier in the cold, lacks suppleness, or seems to need more nourishment, the Green Elixir will generally be the best choice.
Its formula includes organic hemp oil, olive squalane, tamanu oil, edelweiss, and green tea. It helps nourish the skin and preserve its suppleness against dryness.
This is the one I would recommend first for dry or mature skin that tends to feel tighter in winter.
The Yellow Elixir for radiance and dull complexions
When your skin lacks radiance or looks duller during the winter months, the Yellow Elixir is a great alternative.
Its formula includes organic rosehip, olive squalane, edelweiss, calendula, carrot, and mallow.
It complements dull or marked skin and adds a more luminous dimension to your routine, with the delicacy of orange blossom.
6. Avoid overly aggressive cleansing
When your skin becomes drier in winter, you may be tempted to cleanse it more, especially if it looks less radiant or more uneven.
But this is precisely when it needs more gentleness.
Overly harsh cleansers, too-frequent exfoliation, or very hot water can weaken the skin's hydrolipidic film and accentuate feelings of tightness.
In winter, therefore, opt for gentle cleansing with lukewarm water and space out exfoliation if your skin seems more sensitive.
The goal is simple: cleanse the skin without removing what it needs to protect itself.
7. Pay attention to the dry air from indoor heating
We often think about the cold outdoors, but heated air indoors can also affect the skin.
When the heating is running continuously, the air often becomes drier. Your skin can therefore lose moisture more easily and feel more uncomfortable throughout the day.
A few simple steps can help: ventilate rooms regularly, avoid overheating your bedroom or living room, and do not stay too close to a heat source.
If you notice that your skin starts to feel tighter as the heating is used, this is also a good sign to slightly adapt your routine.
Sometimes, protecting your skin in winter also starts with the environment you live in.
The Cocooning facial routine for winter
In the morning
Cleanse your skin gently, then apply the Cocooning 24h Moisturizing Cream to your face and neck.
If your skin is particularly dry, you can add a drop of Green Elixir to your cream.
In the evening
After cleansing, apply two to three drops of Green Elixir if your skin lacks nourishment and suppleness, or Yellow Elixir if it lacks radiance.
Finish with the Moisturizing Cream or mix one to two drops of elixir directly into it.
A simple, adaptable routine that is easy to adjust to your skin's needs throughout the winter.
Your questions about skin in winter
Why does my skin become drier in winter?
The cold, wind, drier air, and indoor heating can promote moisture loss from the skin and weaken its protective barrier. It can therefore look drier, less supple, or feel tighter.
Should I change my moisturizer in winter?
Not necessarily. A good moisturizer can remain the base of your routine all year round. When your skin calls for more nourishment in winter, you can simply complement your cream with a few drops of an elixir or facial oil.
What is the difference between the Green Elixir and the Yellow Elixir?
The Green Elixir is particularly suited for dry or mature skin that lacks nourishment and suppleness. The Yellow Elixir is more focused on radiance and dull or marked complexions.
Can you mix an elixir directly into your cream?
Yes. Place your usual amount of cream in the palm of your hand, add one to two drops of elixir, mix gently, then apply to your face and neck. It is a very simple way to adapt your skincare to your current needs.
How many drops of facial oil should I use?
A few drops are generally enough. Start with two to three drops for the entire face, neck, and décolletage. When mixing the elixir into your cream, one to two drops are generally sufficient.
Should I exfoliate my skin in winter?
Yes, but not excessively. If your skin becomes drier or more sensitive, space out exfoliation and opt for gentle methods. Overly frequent exfoliation can accentuate feelings of tightness.
Can heating dry out the skin?
Very heated indoor air is generally drier. This can accentuate dehydration and feelings of discomfort. Ventilating regularly and avoiding overheating rooms can help maintain a more pleasant environment.
Listen to your skin rather than the season
Ultimately, there is no single perfect routine for winter.
Some skin will need more nourishment from the first cold days. Others will continue to enjoy a very light routine.
The best approach is to observe your skin.
If it feels tight, lacks suppleness, or becomes drier, gradually enrich your skincare. If it remains balanced, there is no need to do more.
A good moisturizer, a few drops of elixir when necessary, and above all, a lot of consistency: sometimes, simplicity is exactly what your skin needs.
