My Top Tips for Winter Skin. The 3 Products Your Skin Needs Right Now

By Stacey Hollands, Founder & Dermal Therapist, Lust Minerals

Every winter, without fail, I start hearing the same things from our community.

"My skin is so dry all of a sudden."
"I've got blackheads I never had before."
"My moisturiser has stopped working."
"My skin looks dull even when I've just done my whole routine."

And every year, my answer is the same: winter changes your skin and your routine needs to change with it.

Here's what's actually happening, why it matters and the three products I recommend every single year for winter skin.

Why Winter Is Harder on Your Skin Than Any Other Season

Most people blame winter dryness on the cold. But the cold is only part of it.

The real culprit is transepidermal water loss, the process by which your skin loses moisture through its surface every single day. In summer, humidity in the air helps replace some of that lost moisture. In winter, the air is dry, both outside and inside, thanks to heating and nothing replaces it.

At the same time, cold temperatures cause your skin's blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow to the surface and limiting the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to skin cells. Cell turnover slows. Dead skin cells accumulate faster than your skin can clear them. Congestion builds up underneath.

The result is skin that feels tight, looks dull, is prone to rough patches and blackheads and seems resistant to every product you throw at it.

That last part is important. If your skincare feels like it's stopped working in winter, it probably hasn't, it just can't penetrate the layer of dead skin cells sitting on the surface.

Which brings me to the first product on my list...

Product 1: AHA Exfoliating Lotion

For dry, congested, rough skin and blackheads.

I've been a dermal therapist for over 19 years. And in that time, if there's one thing I've seen consistently, it's this: most people are not exfoliating enough and in winter, that one gap in their routine is responsible for most of what they're experiencing.

The dullness. The congestion. The products that seem to stop working. The makeup that sits on top of your skin instead of blending into it. Nine times out of ten, it all comes back to dead skin cell buildup.

Here's what most people don't realise: your skin sheds naturally every 28 days or so. In summer, warmer temperatures and better circulation keep that process moving relatively smoothly. In winter, everything slows down. Those cells don't shed as efficiently. They stack up on the surface. And they create a literal physical barrier between you and every product you apply.

Your moisturiser can't get through it. Your serum can't get through it. Even a very good cleanser can't remove it, because these cells are still loosely attached to the surface, they just need a little help letting go. That's what AHA exfoliation does.

AHAs are alpha hydroxy acids, they work by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. Not scrubbing, not buffing, not abrasion. Just a gentle, chemical loosening that clears the surface properly and reveals the fresher, brighter, more hydrated skin underneath.

Our AHA Exfoliating Lotion uses a clinically studied AHA complex that's effective enough to make a visible difference, but gentle enough for regular use even on sensitive skin. It decongests pores and clears blackheads by removing the material that causes them. It brightens and evens skin tone by clearing away the dull, dead surface layer. And it dramatically improves the penetration of everything else in your routine because the path is finally clear.

I notice a difference in my skin within 24 hours of using it. By the third or fourth use, people around me notice too.

How to use it this winter

Apply to freshly cleaned skin (after cleansing) 2 nights per week. I do personally do Sundays and Wednesday.

After cleansing, pat your skin dry, AHAs work better on dry skin than damp. Apply a thin, even layer to your face and neck. For more advanced users: 2-3 layers as desired. Leave it for 20 minutes. Then cleanse to remove and follow immediately with your Hyaluronic Acid Serum, any other targeted serums and then your moisturiser while your skin is primed and ready to absorb them.

Always, always wear SPF the next morning. Exfoliated skin is more sensitive to UV damage. This is non-negotiable (daily is best)!

One thing I tell everyone who adds AHA to their routine for the first time: give it two- three weeks before you judge it. Your skin needs time to adjust. In the first week you might notice very mild tingling or a small purge as congestion clears. By week two, the skin that appears is usually the best it's looked in months. After a few solid weeks your really notice how smoother your makeup sits and your products start to penetrate better.

What to expect

Week 1: Skin feels smoother to the touch. Foundation sits better. Moisturiser feels like it's actually absorbing.

Week 2: Visible improvement in brightness and skin tone. Blackheads and congestion start to reduce.

Week 3–4: Skin looks genuinely smoother. Clearer, more even, more radiant. Other products work noticeably better and you'll notice when you forget to use it.

Product 2: Rejuvenation Oil

For dry, scarred or dehydrated skin and the glazed skin finish.

I want to address the thing I hear most often when I recommend facial oils: "Won't it make my skin greasy?" or "I can't use oils, I'll break out."

I understand why people think this. For years, oils had a reputation in skincare, particularly for oily or acne-prone skin types. And some oils absolutely clog pores or sit on the surface without absorbing.

But the right oil? The right oil is one of the most effective things you can add to a winter skincare routine.

Here's why: your skin has its own lipid (oil) barrier, a protective layer of fats and ceramides that keeps moisture in and environmental damage out. In winter, that barrier gets stripped. Cold air, wind, heating, they all compromise it. And when your lipid barrier is compromised, no amount of water-based moisturiser is going to fully repair it, because water-based products simply cannot replace what is fundamentally a lipid structure.

A botanical facial oil fills that gap. It works with your skin's own barrier rather than trying to substitute for it. It seals everything underneath it in, moisture, actives, everything your other products have delivered and prevents it from escaping back into the dry winter air.

Our Rejuvenation Oil is formulated with a blend of natural botanical oils chosen specifically for their nourishing, restorative and non-comedogenic properties. It absorbs beautifully, leaves no greasy residue and works for all skin types, including oily and combination skin when used correctly.

Three ways I use it this winter

For the glazed, deeply hydrated skin finish (face):

This is my favourite thing to do with it. After your full evening routine, cleanser, super serums, moisturiser then take 2–3 drops of Rejuvenation Oil and press them between your palms to warm the oil slightly. Then press your palms gently against your face, working from the centre outward.

Do not rub. Press.

Pressing rather than rubbing means you're not disturbing the layers underneath, you're sealing them in. The oil creates a protective film over your moisturiser that locks everything in overnight and prevents transepidermal water loss while you sleep.

Wake up the next morning and your skin will feel completely different. Plump, smooth, with that glazed, lit-from-within finish that winter skin usually makes impossible.

For dry patches and scarring:

Apply directly, a drop or two, to any areas of dry, rough skin, active scarring or post-breakout marks. The botanicals in our Rejuvenation Oil actively support the skin's repair process. They won't remove scars overnight, but with consistent nightly application, you'll start to see visible softening and fading within 4–6 weeks.

Areas that respond really well: the sides of the nose where skin gets dry and flaky, any post-acne marks on the chin or cheeks, and dry patches around the mouth or on the neck that conventional moisturisers don't seem to touch. 

Mixed into your body moisturiser:

This is genuinely one of my favourite winter hacks and one I share constantly.

Pump your regular body moisturiser into your palm as usual. Add 3–4 drops of Rejuvenation Oil. Mix them together with your finger and apply to your body as normal.

Your legs, your arms, your elbows, your décolletage, all the parts of your body that tend to get forgotten in a skincare routine but feel the impact of winter just as much as your face.

The oil transforms any body moisturiser into something that genuinely nourishes rather than just sitting on the surface. The result is skin that looks and feels healthy, glowing and hydrated even in the depths of winter.

What to expect

First application: skin feels immediately softer and more nourished. The glazed finish is visible straight away.

Week 2: Consistent improvement in dry patches. Skin retains moisture better throughout the day.

Week 4–6: Visible softening and may start to see fading of scarring and rough texture. Skin looks healthier overall.

Product 3: Hyaluronic Acid Serum

For deep, lasting hydration, no matter your skin type. Let me clear something up, because I get asked about this constantly. Dehydrated skin is not the same as dry skin.

Dry skin is a skin type, it produces less oil and needs richer, more emollient products. Dehydrated skin is a condition, it's a lack of water in the skin, and it can happen to any skin type, including oily skin.

In winter, almost everyone's skin becomes dehydrated to some degree. The constant moisture loss from cold air and heating means your skin is losing water faster than it can replace it , regardless of whether your skin type is oily, dry, combination or sensitive.

And dehydration shows up in very specific ways: fine lines look more obvious than usual. Skin feels tight even after moisturising. Makeup settles into lines and looks patchy by midday. Skin looks flat and tired rather than plump and alive.

Hyaluronic acid is the most effective ingredient we have for addressing this.

Here's what it actually is: a naturally occurring molecule found in your skin, joints and connective tissue. Its job in the body is to hold water, one gram of hyaluronic acid can hold up to six litres of water. In your skin, it acts as a cushion that keeps everything plump, smooth and hydrated.

The challenge is that your natural HA (Hyaluronic Acid) levels decline with age, starting as early as your mid-twenties and cold, dry environments accelerate the loss of surface hydration regardless of how much HA (Hyaluronic Acid) your body produces.

Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum delivers concentrated hyaluronic acid directly into the skin, where it draws water in and holds it there. It is clinically proven to boost skin hydration by delivering the kind of plumpness and suppleness that winter strips away.

The one thing most people get wrong

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant. That means it draws moisture from whatever is available, ideally from the environment and the surface of your skin. If you apply it to completely dry skin in a cold, dry environment, it can actually pull moisture from the deeper layers of your skin to compensate.

This is why some people find their HA (Hyaluronic Acid) serum makes their skin feel drier instead of more hydrated. They're using it wrong, not because they're not smart, but because nobody told them.

The fix is so simple: apply your Hyaluronic Acid Serum to slightly damp skin.

After cleansing, instead of patting your skin completely dry, leave it slightly damp or spritz your face lightly with water and apply the serum immediately. The HA (Hyaluronic Acid) molecule will draw that surface moisture into your skin and hold it there rather than looking for moisture elsewhere.

That one change makes a dramatic difference to how well the serum works.
Pro Tip: Always drink water as directed, it also helps your skin from the inside out.

How to use it this winter

Morning: After cleansing, apply 2–3 drops to slightly damp skin. Allow to absorb for 30–60 seconds, then follow with your other super serums, moisturiser and SPF.

Evening: Apply after cleansing to damp skin. Follow with any other super serums, moisturiser, then Rejuvenation Oil as the final step.

On exfoliation nights: Apply after your AHA lotion, this is the moment when your skin is most primed to receive and absorb actives. The HA (Hyaluronic Acid) will penetrate deeply and hold significantly more moisture than it would on an un-exfoliated surface.
You can use it twice daily, every day. It's one of the gentlest actives in skincare, there is no such thing as using it too often.

What to expect

Day 1: Skin feels immediately more comfortable. Tightness reduces. A visible plumpness returns.
Week 1: Fine lines look less obvious. Makeup applies and wears better. Skin looks more awake.
Week 2–4: Consistently better hydration levels throughout the day. Skin holds moisture even in cold or air-conditioned environments.

How to layer all three products together

Morning routine:
→ Cleanse (double cleanse of an evening)
→ Hyaluronic Acid Serum apply to slightly damp skin, allow to absorb
→ Apply other super serums based on your concerns
→ Moisturiser
→ SPF - every single morning, no exceptions

Evening - exfoliation nights (Sunday & Wednesday):
→ Double Cleanse- make sure skin is completely dry before the next step
→ AHA Exfoliating Lotion: apply and leave for 20 minutes (cleanse to remove)
→ Hyaluronic Acid Serum: apply to damp skin
→ Apply Super Serums as per your skin type and concerns
→ Moisturiser
→ Rejuvenation Oil:  press 2–3 drops over your moisturiser as the final step

Evening - Non exfoliation nights:
→ Double Cleanse
→ Hyaluronic Acid Serum: apply to damp skin
→ Apply Super Serums as per your skin type and concerns
→ Moisturiser
→ Rejuvenation Oil: press 2–3 drops over your moisturiser as the final step

Body (morning or evening, after showering):
→ Mix 3–4 drops of Rejuvenation Oil through your body moisturiser and apply all over

Five more things that will genuinely help your skin this winter

Because a product routine is only part of it.

1. Keep wearing SPF
UV rays are present year-round in Australia, including winter. And winter skin, compromised, stripped, working harder than usual is actually more vulnerable to UV damage, not less. Pigmentation, collagen breakdown, barrier damage: all of these happen in winter under low cloud cover just as much as they do on a bright summer day. Keep your SPF in your morning routine. Every morning.

2. Turn your shower temperature down, even slightly
Hot showers feel incredible in winter. They also strip the skin's lipid barrier faster than almost anything else. You don't have to go cold, just slightly cooler than you're used to. And moisturise within five minutes of getting out while your skin is still slightly damp. That window of damp skin is when your moisturiser will absorb most effectively.

3. Drink more water than you think you need
We're all good at drinking water in summer when we're visibly sweating. In winter, thirst cues drop and we forget. But your skin is still losing water every day, it just doesn't feel as obvious. Dehydrated skin from the inside will limit what any topical product can achieve. Aim for at least two litres a day.

4. Consider a humidifier
If you have heating running for hours at a time in your bedroom or office, you are actively drying out the air around you, which means your skin is constantly losing moisture to the environment. A small humidifier can make a genuine difference to overnight skin hydration, particularly if you wake up with tight, dry skin even after a good evening routine.

5. Don't skip your routine because it's late and you're tired
I know. I've been there. Winter nights make the couch feel like the only reasonable option. But winter is the season when your skin most needs consistency, it's fighting harder than usual to stay healthy and it needs your help. Even a 90-second routine cleanse, HA serum, moisturiser, is infinitely better than nothing. Protect the basics even when you can't do the full thing.

The bottom line

Winter skin doesn't have to mean months of dryness, dullness and congestion.

It means your routine needs to work a little smarter. Clear the path with exfoliation. Deeply hydrate with hyaluronic acid. Seal it all in with a botanical oil. And stay consistent, because skin that's consistently cared for in winter arrives at spring in genuinely better shape than skin that's been neglected.

If you're not sure which products or routine are right for your specific skin type this winter, take our free Skin Consultation Quiz. Seven questions, under two minutes, and at the end you get a personalised routine recommendation matched to your skin type and concerns.

I hope this helps.

Stay warm,
Stacey x