The struggles are real: Dullness, dryness, patchiness, redness, unevenness, overall BLAH-NESS. It’s winter, baby! And your skin is feelin’ it. Right? Right. We all want/need to know how to get smooth skin and FAST, lest we succumb to the windy, nasty forces of Mother Nature at her coldest. I joke with myself that it’s just a total crapshoot until springtime, because anything/everything can be blamed on the winter blues. Skin woes? Winter blues. Feeling sad? Winter blues. Hibernating in your house for a week? Winter blues.

The season wreaks havoc, so I tend to take this time to try new products + skincare lines in the hopes of finding some ~balance~ and regaining any semblance of normalcy. Hopefully by now y’all know my lovelovelove for good skincare – and even moreso the WHY behind good skincare. It’s not enough to me to just be told something “will diminish fine lines” or “will make you glow” – I wanna know HOW and WHY, scientifically. Because quite frankly, coming from my own background in marketing…some stuff is just a crock of you-know-what. 😉 And ain’t nobody got time (or dollars) to waste on not-worth-it products that either a.) don’t live up to the hype, or b.) leave you worse than you started.

So I’m SO STOKED to share some skin solultions with my friends at – a newer-to-me skincare brand that quickly skyrocketed (and I mean skyrocketed) to my list of all-time favorites. They’re a more luxe skincare brand, but her products can be used daily and work on every skin type – young to mature, oily to dry (I lovelovelove products like that, because they’re so much better for me to share with YOU!). Everything is formulated with Level E3, which is an exclusive technology that helps key ingredients work harder + smarter (bless up).

Brace yo’selves, because we’re about to hit up SKINCARE SCHOOL, YO.

P.S. A big fat BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION is happening right now in honor of – score 20% off *everything* on their website, through the 1st! (So, stock up now!!!!)

Swap your usual cleansers out for soap-free options. Because soap is drying! Colleen Rothschild’s is fabulous for this! Now, upon first glance, you might be thinking HOLY MOLY, ain’t nobody got time for that pricetag – isn’t it just facewash??? NO MA’AM. This balm removes makeup, cleans pores, + works on your skin’s outer layer of cells so that you literally have smoother skin from its renewal process. It’s such a luxe-feeling balm, and a little bit goes a looooong way. Seriously, it lasts months! And since it dually removes makeup, it’s a great multitasker to have in your regimen.
Opt for double cleansing. I apply the directly onto dry skin (literally right over my makeup), gently massage, and then wipe clean with a warm washcloth. This helps increase circulation in your face, while also helps with any spots that might need to be healed, since blood flow helps with healing! #science.

Moisturize right after washing. In general, your skin can dry out so dang fast if you’re not careful, ESPECIALLY in winter. Apply your mosturizer right after cleansing, to help “seal” in the hydration! (It’s why in-shower moisturizers are a thing!). I see this with Liv all the time – her sensitive little baby skin is SO much better when she gets the full-on pampering treatment with head-to-toe lotion after her bath.
Go for oil-based over water-based products. In general, this will help with water retention. Avoid anything petroleum-based altogether, since thats actually drying! (Common misconception: Petroleum jelly – AKA Vaseline – isn’t hydrating. It’s an emollient, meaking its a skin protectant on the surface, but it’s not actually being absorbed to add moisture! #TheMoreYouKnow)
Drink more water. Hydration Station starts from within! You are what you…drink. 😉 Your skin hydrates from the inside out, so while you can do #AllTheThings topically to look/feel more hydrated, you’ll always look/feel TRULY glowy when you’re drinking your H2O!
Tone with intention. One of this month’s favorites was a Hydrafacial I got in a local salon; the gist is that your pores are totally de-gunked before filling them in with straight up hydration (since you can’t actually SHRINK pores). Starting with a “clean” base is oh so important, so I like to think of that as step numero uno no matter the season. So I typically tone after EVERY cleanse, to make sure I’ve reaaaaaally got a clean base from the get go! And not all toners are created equal. I’m always on the hunt for a toner that not only beats breakouts, but helps aid in the overall rebalancing of my skin, be that through cell turnover or some other goodness. Besides detoxifying, minimizing pore appearance, absorbing excess oil, AND serving as an antiseptic to fight breakout-inducing bacteria, Colleen Rothschild’s helps minimize redness in the skin – hello, perfect for winter. A little bit goes a long way here (as with all of Colleen’s products), so the bottle’s normal price of $32 is fabulous. And couple that with 20% off, making it $25.60…REALLY good deal here, peeps!

Find a good balance between chemical + manual exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation is one of my favorites things, since I’m always afraid of going all in and abrading my skin with manual. #OverAmbitious. 😉 So chemical exfoliants are great, since they quicken your skin’s cell turnover process and remove dead, dull, dry patches. Actually, what’s happening scientifically (because #science), is a loosening of the bonds between your skin cells, through the acids or enxymes. A great way to glow up in winter! Alternatively, manual exfoliation is via something like a spin brush, or a grittier-feeling scrub meant to manually remove any dry skin through friction.
Mix up your masking! I’m ALL FOR a good mud mask. (And if ya need a good one, Colleen Rothschild’s Clarifying Detox Mask is GREAT – has been one of my favorites for years now, since first trying it at a conference!). But simplifying unplugging pores once a week isn’t necessarily enough to beat the winter blues on yo’ face altogether. Right now I’m in lovelovelove with the . It helps gently loosen + exfoliate dull, lifeless skin cells to bring out RADIANCE! All through its cocktail of ingredients: Aloe Leaf Extract to balance + reduce any excxess drying or flaking, Pomegranate Extract for vitamins + antioxidants, an AHA Blend for smoothing + softening, Fruit Enzymes for brightening + evening tone, and Lime Caviar for clarifying + tightening pores!

Up your Vitamin C intake! How to get smooth skin 101 = VITAMIN C, BABY. Vitamin C helps your body synthesize collagen, which is that glory ingredient in skincare that helps your skin, nails, hair, THE WORKS. Your body already HAS collagen (one of our important proteins!), but our production of it slows down as we age (boo). SO intentionally adding more via supplements, peptides, + skincare makes a huuuuuge difference!
Focus on anti-aging NOW. Ain’t nobody got time to wait until it LOOKS like we “need” it – that’s too late! The time is now. A biggie here? Retinol, which is actually a derivative of Vitamin A. I knew when I first dove into retinol in my skincare, I didn’t want to totally dry out my face. Colleen Rothschild’s retinol products are notable because they’re actually nourishing, so you get the benefits of retinol without the sometimes aggravating side effects that other retinoids can cause (like increased flaking/peeling or redness, etc). I’ve been using retinol now 2-3x a week; you can certainly use more if you’re gunning for results, but I wanted to ease my own way in. Speaking of collagen, retinol can cause enhanced collagen production, further smoothing your skin + evening your pigmentation. And speaking of Vitamin C, Colleen’s + are both loaded with it! The is fabulous ebcause it works the magic of retinol without drying you out at ALL It’s formulated with nine different plant-based oils, so it’s working to turnover your skin cells, fight age spots, eliminate dullness, AND replenish your hydration, all in one step. Wild. And the is an actual godsend; it feels SO luxurious. Your skin is so much thinner around your eye, so it’s often one of the first places to show signs of aging! So an eye serum like this is v necessary protection against things like crows feet, etc, because ain’t nobody got time. A key ingredient here is Saloprine 8, which has been clinically proven to increase your skin’s moisture levels by a whopping 6000% (yup, 6000) in 28 days! (28 days can feel like an eternity for anyone like me who wants it and wants it NOW, but let the month pass before making judgment calls!) It’s one of those things that takes ~patience~, since it can take a looooong time to see results, but that’s totally normal so just stick with it! Your skin sometimes just needs to adapt to the retinoic acid in something and learn to tolerate it, so even if you start to see a bit of irritaion after adding retinol/Vitamin A into your routine, that’s normal!

Are you ready to get smooth skin for winter now?

I think today is going to be a snow day over here – we got the most beautiful snowfall last night, so here’s hoping it makes for a good snowball fight this afternoon. 😉

*Thanks to Colleen Rothschild, a brand I lovelovelove, for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions + thoughts presented are entirely my own. Thank YOU for supporting the brands that support Coming Up Roses!