Navigating Winter Care for Your Face

Many months ago, a reader asked me if I’d ever write a guide to using the skin care, how to choose the appropriate products? The answer is, yes, here it is.

First of all, you need to observe your skin. Although it’s an art, going deeper than the surface, the surface is where we can begin to read clues. Below I’ll mention products’ attributes and skin tendencies that match, and use my skin as an example for nuance.

Start by simply noticing whether dryness or oiliness prevails; whether your skin has glow or is dull ; contracted, puffy or congested; or any breakouts. Are you dehydrated, internally? Sometimes pinching your face somewhere can inform you of its elasticity. Your pinched skin should rebound immediately if fluids are adequate. In winter, though, hydration from fruits, soup, water with a pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon juice is just as important as in summer.

Going a little deeper in, how do the muscles of your face and neck feel? Does tension exist around your mouth, your eyes, in your jaws, scalp, neck, shoulders, chest or forehead? Does becoming aware of these tension spots release the tension and allow blood flow, which can be felt as moving warmth or tingling?

Stress can set off a concatenation of side effects, from dehydration, to chronic contractions that suppress circulation, oxygen and lymph flow. These in turn, encourage furrows, blemishes, and dullness. Could you take a minute or two out every day to check into the sensations behind your face? Familiarity with your stress-holding places brings you into active participation with the story your skin tells, before you ever apply anything topical. Simply, bring your awareness into concentration and inwardly move this attention to part of your face, or a feature.

As an example, explore your mouth, first noticing any surface tension in this region, slowly and with an open interest, not “doing” anything, but noticing. Then, explore the interior of your mouth, as if tracing the entire cavity with your attention, lower palate, upper palate, tongue, and where the jaws meet the temporal bones, then back all the way to the occiput. You can do this with your eyes, forehead, cheeks..anywhere more “space” is needed. Feel your blood flow more freely and your breath deepen.

Non-topical face care is every bit as important as applying products. Facial massage, reflexology, lymphatic massage, cupping or Gua Sha improve, at the very least, lymph movement and blood flow. They also assist with diminishing lines, firming, giving a lifted appearance, and help products to penetrate more deeply, very important for dry skin.

I’ve mentioned this before, but proper care in the cleansing ritual is the first, and sometimes dramatically transformative step, in bringing skin to health. Let’s look at the difference between Lumina & Leaf Love cleansing oils. Leaf Love is a boon for skins needing more nourishment or lipids. Its detoxifying activity is gentle and soothing, and this oil even doubles as a perfect lymph massage potion. My old-ish skin loves this cleanser especially from autumn through cool spring weather. In winter, I apply a generous spritz of Evening Blossom afterwards, which helps keep everything well hydrated, with the lightest touch of occlusion.

Actively decongesting and clarifying, Lumina is perfect for tendencies towards blemishes, oiliness, inflammation, even certain cases of rosacea. In my personal routine, I switch to Lumina in warm weather, if milia appear (hi stress!) or randomly, if I simply sense a need for deeper relinquishing of toxins, or clarifying texture. As Lumina is a lighter, “drier” oil, I do usually need to apply hydrosol and a serum afterwards, except in humid summertime. There are proponents of twice daily cleansings, but I prefer evening, and very occasionally, a splash of water in the morning, keeping the acid mantle intact after waking, washing off the day at night.

Hydrosols, or a “hybrid” of hydrosols and botanical infusions/extractions, are a non negotiable step before applying a waterless balm or serum. Applying a balm or serum without hydrating it first is incomplete care. Tender Flower products, eschewing the (necessary but chemically derived ) emulsifiers & preservatives, simply separate the aqueous and lipid components of a moisturizer, or cream, which combines both, into two steps/products, which actually delivers more botanical activity than possible in one cream or lotion.

For winter I chose to offer the extra hydrating Evening Primrose, a special co-distillation of Rugosa & Multiflora Rose, firming and brightening Elderflower and balancing Rose Geranium hydrosols. The Evening Blossom mist is an evening product, formulated to encourage the skin’s innate lipid/ water balancing activities, occurring during sleep. Eos Complex Mist is a bright, nutrient-rich (full of fruit vitamins) hydrator, an intentional partner to the Hibernal balm, and new serum, Hesper. Eos is like a liquid lightbeam for your face.

After spritzing your hydrosol or mist, you want to immediately apply a serum or balm. You may even opt to layer: hydrosol, serum, hydrosol, balm, for example using Eos, Hesper, Eos and Hibernal. Or substitute a hydrosol between the serum and balm steps.

Why would you do this? One scenario: it’s very dry and/or cold and your skin needs extra protection & nutrients. Another: you are working on certain skin issues for which either Bright Star or Hesper under a balm would be helpful in winter or for very dry skin. Bright Star is enzymatic & brightening, for targeting hyperpigmentation and sun damage. It’s even more effective for many applied at night, in this sequence: cleanser, Evening Blossom, Bright Star, Evening Blossom. I discovered this while experimenting, perfect for very sensitive skin where sun exposure + Bright Star was too much input.

Hesper, although brightening too, is much more firming, revitalizing and texturally clarifying. It’s plusher, lipidwise, than Bright Star, making it perfect as a stand alone light barrier protection, yet still allows a balm layered over it, to penetrate. For anyone who still has Rosalia serum from summer left, she also works well with Hibernal or Lush Rose balms. One more note about Hesper: lovely for discouraging milia & breakouts.

And now we’re down to the balms, which give the most barrier protection from the elements, and a slow release delivery of nutrients and plant medicine. Hibernal is my skin’s most favorite, for although dryness tends, it also tends towards congestion and inflammation. The glow from using this deep red balm plus Eos is enough to overcome mild winter blues. Add Hesper in the ritual, and we have a recipe for serious illumination.

Another tidbit: because Hibernal balm was formulated in a way to correspond with the subtle activities of light, it is also perfect in summer for addressing too much sun, including sunburn, or, prophylactically to strengthen the skin in sun ( though you still need sunscreen for blocking certain frequencies). If you find yourself with leftover Hibernal balm, try it in summer, too, when the light is intense.

Lush Rose balm is perfect for very dry skin, skin in need of intense barrier repair and protection or normal skin. Pair it with either the special edition Rugosa & Multiflora Rose hydrosol, the Rose Geranium, Elderflower or Evening Primrose hydrosol. For extra oomph and clarity, layer Hesper serum in the hydrosol, serum, hydrosol, balm sequence.

And don’t forget your lips! Elemental lip balm, sans beeswax, is perfect for lips needing anti-chapping help. Spritz your lips first with hydrosol,for even better results.

Did you try the “face meditation”? If you did, notice any connection with your heart center in the process? The heart chakra is the number one point where healing forces converge and distribute to anywhere in need. This meditation, which I discovered many years ago while laying down, suffering a migraine, is wonderful for opening the face too, bringing our heart right into it. This is where real beauty begins.