7 Ways to Protect (and Improve!) Your Skin This Winter

We’ve rounded up key creams, salves and unguents to ensure your winter skin gets the protection it needs.

1. We’ll admit we’re a little suspicious of direct marketing ventures, but were curious enough to try Nerium International—including the Age-defying Eye Serum—after a friend kept turning up looking noticeably younger. It’s chalk full of antioxidants, peptides, plant extracts and the I-FIL4R ingredient derived from white lily and Brazlian ginseng (no artificial colours, dyes, fragrance or parabens). The results are in and we’re smiling (with our smile lines seriously less noticeable). $115, nerium.com2. Designed to deep-clean and detoxify, the Korres Black Pine Detoxifying Mineral Bar lathers to a rich cream and rids your skin of impurities, makeup and excess oil. It targets tone and texture with natural exfoliants, minerals, and antioxidants. $38, Shoppers Drug Mart and beautyboutique.ca3. Inspired by tribal rituals in the Amazon, the Body Shop’s 100 percent vegan Amazonian Acai Energising Radiance face mask is practically good enough to eat: acai berry, guarana and babassu oil all help exfoliate and invigorate tired, dull skin. $28 (80 ml), thebodyshop.ca4. Nighttime is when our skin potions need to do their heavylifting and Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules are up to the task. With ChronoluxAI technology (anti-irritation; cell turnover), sixty capsules work their tiny magic while you sleep: each night, break one open, rub the perfectly measured amount of oil on your face and then crash—it’s skin repair on steroids while you sleep. $135, holtrenfrew.com  HyperFocal: 05. Dermalogica’s new Daily Superfoliant—which hits shelves January 3—smoothes away the damaging effects of air pollutants (brown spots, fine lines, uneven skin tone) with a new super-charged active powder resurfacer. Activated Binchotan charcoal powder binds itself to skin’s impurities and pulls them out of pores; rice bran helps exfoliate; red algae and tara-fruit extract retain moisture. $80, dermalogica.com6. While Victoria Beckham’s Illuminating Cream is sold out practically everywhere, we’re happy to report that Fresh features its own skincare/makeup-hybrid that’s equally as awesome. The Freshface Instant Glow Luminizer—a sheer illuminating cream with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, cucumber extract and evening primrose root extract—imparts a natural-looking glow with micro-shimmer particles (without looking like a disco ball), but also doubles as an effective moisturizer thanks to meadowfoam seed oil. $59, sephora.ca7. This January Kiehl’s partners with the Tegan Sara Foundation with limited edition Ultra Facial Cleansers designed by the award-winning duo—with 100 percent of the proceeds supporting services for LGBTQ youth. Kiehl’s will then host a secret performance with Tegan and Sara somewhere (head to a store to submit your entry!). $26 each, kiehls.ca