14 Essential Beauty Products to Combat Winter Dryness

Colorado’s high altitude is tough enough on skin, but add the winter combination of  indoor heat and outdoor cold, and your face and body can become dehydrated, flaky, and irritated. What should you do? It’s all about hydration. Adjust your seasonal skincare regimen by using creams that replenish and protect moisture levels (without feeling heavy). For those extra-dry days, consider putting a hydrating serum or oil under your cream, and try applying face or body cream while your skin is still damp, which helps lock-in moisture. If you’re looking to update your winter skincare routine, here’s a lineup of potent potions to consider:

Creams

Colorado-based clean beauty company MyChelle has one of our favorite, all-in-one moisturizers in their Supreme Polypeptide Cream. This rich formula includes hydrating shea and mango seed butters, rice proteins to improve skin tone, and black currant seed oil to detoxify. If you have sensitive skin or just don’t like fragranced products, choose the unscented version of this cream. $56, mychelle.com

Gel creams—like Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream—will boost moisture levels without leaving an oily finish. They also feel cool when applied, which helps relieve irritation from general sensitivity or, say, post-skiing sunburn or windburn. Tip: This cream does have a slightly tacky finish, so use it at night or wait 10 minutes before applying makeup to let it sink in. $31, vichyusa.com

A must-have, budget-friendly product is La Roche-Posay Toleraine Double Repair Moisturizer. This hydrating and soothing cream protects the skin’s moisture barrier, and is also oil-, Paraben- and fragrance-free, making it a good choice for any kind of skin, including sensitive. $20, LaRoche-Posay.us or drugstores nationwide

Dr. Jackson’s is a British luxury brand that’s becoming better known in the U.S., probably because founder Dr. Simon Jackson’s line combines scientific research with something called pharmacognosy (“the study of natural products and the traditional uses of plants”). This combo makes his formulations both natural and effective. His Day 01 and Night 02 creams are rich moisturizers that penetrate the skin quickly, and keep skin nourished with antioxidants and fatty acids. $62 for 30 ml or $120 for 50 ml, drjackson.co.uk

For aggravated skin needing serious TLC, I found SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 to be a highly concentrated cream that comforts dry, stressed out skin. Its magic ratio of ceramides (fat molecules found in our cell membranes), cholesterol and fatty acids helps protect the moisture barrier and keep skin hydrated. Tip: A little of this cream goes a long way—a dime-size amount should is plenty for your entire face. $127, LovelySkin.com and SkinCeuticals.com

Oils & Balms

Old Orchard Apothecary No. 9 Beauty Balm makes skin feel soft, comforted, and has a pleasant citrusy scent. It is infused with nine organic herbs to restore skin and give it a luminous glow. $68, oldorchard.co

Denver-based Integrative Clinical Skincare is a new nontoxic line launched by Mary Butter and Cat Tatman, editor of the Scout Guide Denver, who together have a combined 36 years experience in the professional skincare world. Their Pure Squalane oil is a good choice for anyone, but especially sensitive types because it’s made from just one ingredient, which helps limit the amount of potential irritants. Squalane is known for being an excellent hydrator, as well as a natural antioxidant. Use it alone or add a couple of drops to your moisturizer. $16, ieskincare.com

Dr. Alkaitis makes their certified organic skincare products by hand in small batches to preserve the ingredients’ quality and effectiveness. Their luminous, hydrating Nourishing Treatment Oil is a lightweight, soothing potion that moisturizes and protects the skin, without an oily residue. How? In Ayurveda, oil balances oil, so this potion balances oil production and even has anti-bacterial properties. Tip: One pump of this oil goes a long way, so although the price may seem steep, the bottle will last you a while. $90 for 4 fl. oz., Vert Beauty, 3442 W. 32nd Ave., 303-623-8378, vertbeauty.com

Serums

If you’re feeling dry, try adding a pump or two of Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum under your moisturizer. This lightweight serum is made up of 75 percent hyaluronic acid—a natural substance found in our skin that can hold huge amounts of moisture. $52, PeterThomasRoth.com

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum feels especially rich for a natural product. It helps with dullness and minimizes fine lines. $69, jurlique.com

The relaxing smell of lavender in Moonlight Skincare’s Midnight Shift Overnight Facial Oil is just part of what makes this product so lovely. This fast-absorbing oil combines the hydrating properties of jojoba and sunflower oils with ginseng and papaya to help increase cell turnover. $34, shopmoonlit.com

Body Moisturizers

Don’t let the somewhat runny consistency of Alba Botanica’s Hawaiian Detox Renewing Lotion fool you; this body cream hydrates with cocoa butter, kukui nut oil, and lotus flower for a solid dose of moisture. The volcanic clay helps clear skin of environmental pollutants. $13.99, area Whole Foods

From its boldly colored packaging to the yummy fruity–floral scent, Sol de Janeiro’s Acai Body Power Cream is an upbeat addition to your beauty regimen. It’s a highly emollient moisturizer, but the whipped texture keeps it feeling light. Bonus: A dose of mica gives you an instant tropical glow. $45, Sephora.com

Local skincare and acupuncture guru Tamara Hutchins has just relaunched her Zen Redhead skincare line, and her Luxurious Body Oil is a star product. Its intoxicating fragrance is a combination of ylang ylang, Damask rose, and neroli essential oils with macadamia, avocado, and olive oils as the heavy-hitting hydrators. The addition of golden mica provides a little shimmer, which is perfect for highlighting your collarbones, décolleté and even your hair before an evening out. $60, zenreadheadskincare.com