The winter can zap your skin’s moisture and glow. Here’s how to get it back, according to experts

After an indulgent holiday season, your skin may be paying the price. Not sleeping enough, eating a lot of processed foods and sugar, drinking and smoking can lead to dull skin, says Kathryn Sawers, a certified aesthetician and owner of Collective Skin Care in Vancouver.

Even those on a wellness kick can’t escape the sun’s effect on skin, whatever the season. “Sun damage is the number one cause of dullness as we age,” says Nazli Ghiasi, a dermatologist, owner of MapleDerm and an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Toronto. “Photo-aging is a phenomenon causing pigmentation, uneven skin and loss of elastin over time.”

Lack of hydration can also make your skin look dull and tired, particularly when going from cold outdoor air to indoor heating. “Winter months can enhance transepidermal water loss, an impairment of the natural skin barrier that compromises the ability of our skin to hold on to water, leading to dehydration,” Ghiasi says.

To boost your glow, start with hyaluronic acid. The skin-care ingredient is a polysaccharide that binds moisture in the skin and can hold 1,000 times its weight in water. Sawers looks for products formulated with varying molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. “This means it sits at different levels of the skin,” she says. High weights remain on the top layer, while low ones can sink deeper. Strategic use increases benefits, too. “My clients have better results when they apply a hyaluronic acid serum to damp skin,” Sawers says.

Follow with a face cream that contains ceramides, which Ghiasi considers the most important moisturizing ingredient. “Ceramides are found in the skin-cell membrane and combine with other forms of lipids to form a strong barrier,” she says. “It is the reduction of these moisturizing proteins and lipids that cause skin breakdown and eczema.”

Also consider adding antioxidant ingredients that can help neutralize UV and environmental damage. Both experts advise using a Vitamin C serum daily as part of a morning routine. “It helps reduce inflammation that leads to skin damage, it plays a part in normalizing melanin production, thus reducing the appearance of brown spots or an uneven skin tone, and it’s a precursor to collagen which helps maintain firmness,” says Sawers.

At night, Ghiasi recommends using retinol. “There are many scientific studies showing that retinoids are one of the most, if not the most, important ingredient in reversing signs of aging such as pigmentation, dullness and fine wrinkles,” she says.

Retinol can cause some people dryness or irritation, but this can be mitigated by applying it over a layer of moisturizer and easing it into your routine. “Introduce it twice weekly and increase frequency of use over time as your skin gets used to it,” Ghiasi says.

To reveal a brighter glow, try a weekly targeted skin treatment with exfoliating ingredients backed up by daily SPF use. “Gentle peels with glycolic or lactic acid can give you a quick glow without impairing your skin barrier,” says Ghiasi.

Sawers is partial to Dermalogica Liquid Peelfoliant. “It’s a blend of various hydroxy acids that has resurfacing, hydrating and brightening benefits that leaves skin looking fresh.”

Six buys to try

Meet the glow-getting lineup that works for all skin types and tones.

A quick shake blends this dual-phase formula containing hyaluronic acid, squalane (a lipid derived from sugar cane) and ectoin (a protective molecule) that promises to hydrate, strengthen and firm. Biossance Squalane+ Firm and Lift Dual Serum, buy at biossance.com

Recognized by the Canadian Dermatology Association, this face cream with a trio of ceramides, along with hyaluronic acid, helps to restore the skin barrier with long-lasting hydration. CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion, buy at amazon.ca

Formulated with multiple sources of Vitamin C, including Japanese plum extract, this antioxidant-rich serum treats skin to steady brightening benefits for 12 hours. Tatcha The Brightening Serum, buy at Sephora

This fast-absorbing water-gel is safe for sensitive skin, with a blend of retinol and Vitamin B3 to help reduce discolouration. La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, buy at laroche-posay.ca

A fragrance-free mix of high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid hydrates multiple layers of skin. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift 1.5 per cent Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, buy at Shoppers Drug Mart

Designed for weekly use, a rinse-off chemical peel with 30 per cent glycolic acid helps brighten and smooth skin in just 10 minutes. Peter Thomas Roth Even Smoother Instant Reveal Facial Peel, buy at Sephora