Slow and layered is the only way.

source_topic: “skincare”

The short answer: vitamin C in the morning, retinol at night, always on clean skin, and buffer with moisturizer if your face feels tight. Winter air is already stripping your barrier — you don’t need to help it.

Vitamin C is water-based and can sting if your skin is dry. Apply it after washing, wait a minute, then slap on a good moisturizer (ceramides, squalane, something not fancy). If it still burns, dilute it by mixing a drop into your moisturizer. Or switch to a derivative like ascorbyl glucoside — less potent, way less drama.

Retinol is more dangerous in winter. Your skin’s natural turnover slows, and alcohol-based formulas dry you out faster. Use it only twice a week to start, and follow the “sandwich” method: moisturizer, then retinol, then moisturizer again. Skip it if you’ve been outside in wind or cold all day. And never, ever use vitamin C and retinol together — one in AM, one in PM. That’s not a hack, it’s basic chemistry.

If your skin still rebels, cut actives entirely for a week and just hydrate. Winter skincare is about survival, not glow. Glow comes back in spring.