from Tania, SKINLIST owner.
In the middle of winter, skin sometimes gives up and becomes dry, sensitive, and irritated, some people can suffer from eczema. I always say that you should not adjust your routine to the calendar, but to your skin condition — so if in cold and windy weather your skin doesn’t feel so well and changes, here are my suggestions for creams that can make your skin’s life easier.
I am starting from the lightest texture to the richest ones. All skins are different, and you will never find two similar ones. In cold weather, it is important to create some kind of shield on the surface, but the thickness and formula of that shield can be different:
— if you have oily, dehydrated skin — it needs water, but it has its own oil, so the cream should be light, “breathable,” creating a really thin shield and not overloaded with oil-soluble components (like ceramides, squalane, etc.)
— if your skin is dry and dehydrated — it needs oils and water at the same time, so here we go with rich textures and a lot of oil-soluble components: ceramides, squalane, oils, and even mineral oil could be helpful.
1. Circadia AquaPorin Hydrating Cream
So, Circadia AquaPorin Hydrating Cream — I am actually using it right now. Light texture, immediate hydration, not heavy at all. It gives really quick hydration but also, over time, stimulates the skin to get more water inside. For oily skin, for those who hate to feel something on the skin, it is a perfect choice. It has a slightly strange light smell when you apply it first, but within a minute it disappears.
2. Plamine Emollient Rich Cream
For me, it is an unusual product because the formula, the name, and the texture at first glance promise that this cream should be really occlusive, but it is absolutely not. It leaves a light, silky finish and is an absolute favourite for those with oily, acne-prone skin, so as usual — look at the product, not at the ingredient list. This cream will cover your skin with the thinnest shield, which you will not feel, and along with protection will give your skin antioxidant defence with my beloved fullerene and the Age-Well approach with exosomes.
3. Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream
A new cream from 2025. I immediately ordered it and used the whole jar. It is a bit similar to the Plamine Emollient Rich Cream in texture, but a little bit more dense. This cream is packed with the latest achievements of cosmetic chemistry and really trendy ingredients, so if you would like something on the edge of Age-Well science — this baby is definitely for you.
4. Meder Salva-Derm Cream Sd7
A minimalistic approach, as my dearest friend Dr. Tiina Meder loves. This cream has only what is really necessary for the skin and helps it work by itself by taking care of tiny but extremely important inhabitants of our skin — our microbiome. Sometimes, and especially if you have truly sensitive skin, less is more, and Meder Salva-Derm Cream Sd7 can be a life-changer. It is richer than the previous three products, but I still recommend it for those who use Meder Equa-Derm Ed7 on a regular basis but need something heavier for cold European winds.
5. Instytutum FIRMAGIC Everynight Firming Mask
Not really a mask — it’s just a name to point out that this cream mask can be used as a mask for 20 minutes, or, on the contrary, that this mask can actually be used as a cream. This is the richest texture among all the products I mentioned, but still it is not as rich as you might think. This cream is about firmness of the skin but again has amazing restorative potential; use it during the day and at night, no problem. A bonus of Instytutum FIRMAGIC Everynight Firming Mask is a neuropeptide that works like a kind of Botox, so if you are not only concerned about the weather but also your facial expressions under cold, rainy wind (joking) — this is your go-to.
I hope my explanation will help you choose the right product, but of course it’s better to ask for advice, which you can always do via our Instagram Direct or contact form. We always answer.
Have a lovely winter
Tania
