7 Protective Moisturizers For Glowing Skin All Winter Long

Winter weather – and all that dry, indoor heating that comes with it – is notoriously harsh on our skin. Without proper care, your face can start to look and feel like it’s seriously been through the wringer. We’re talking low glow, reduced plumpness, and an overall dry and dehydrated complexion. One of your best defenses against all the above is to regularly slather a no-nonsense, super protective moisturizer. We’ve rounded up some of our faves below!

1. Freck Beauty Rich Bitch, $32

If there’s one plant that’s ridiculously good at keeping itself hydrated, even in the driest of conditions, it’s definitely a cactus. And that’s the hero ingredient in Freck Beauty’s Rich Bitch moisturizer. Prickly pear seed oil helps calm inflammation and the look of redness while moisturizing and jojoba seed oil doubles down on that hydrating goodness. It also contains kelp extract, which lends some antioxidant prowess to ward off free radicals, as well as rosemary extract which brings on the anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial goodness.

2. WISHFUL Honey Balm, $49

WISHFUL’s Honey Balm is a trifecta of honey, turmeric root, and niacinamide, which joins forces in this water-based balm to deliver luminous, healthy-looking skin. Honey soothes and locks in moisture, turmeric calms and visibly improves overall tone, and niacinamide (vitamin b3) helps even out tone – including the look of pores. It’s def a sweet treat your skin will happily lap up.

3. The Potions Cica Complex Cream Mixer, $15

If you’ve got sensitive skin or are dealing with redness, inflammation, or an otherwise tender-to-the-touch face, this K-Beauty cream by The Potions can help. Its key ingredient is soothing, calming, skin-repairing cica – also known as centella asiatica. Cica Complex Cream is also formulated with antioxidant-rich kelp and ginseng, as well as moisturizing squalane and niacinamide.

4. Love Kinship Supermello Gel Cream Moisturizer, $24

Even if you have oily skin, it’s important to wear a moisturizer every day. This keeps your skin hydrated (oil production doesn’t necessarily mean your skin is hydrated) and it helps balance your complexion. The key is to wear a lightweight moisturizer, like this water-based, lightweight gel cream from Love Kinship. Supermello is formulated with hyaluronic acid to draw moisture from the air to your skin, coconut water to soften and protect, and antioxidant-rich marshmallow root extract to protect your skin from free radicals. It also contains the brand’s proprietary ingredient, kinbiome, a plant-based probiotic that helps reinforce the skin barrier to lock in moisture.

5. Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream, $80

Here’s another soothing option for anyone battling redness, sensitivity, and ultra-dry skin. DeliKate features a peptide and ceramide complex that helps relieve your winter skin woes, nixing the look and feel of redness and irritation while supporting the skin barrier. At the same time, ginger root extract and tasmannia lanceolata fruit extract help calm skin, too.

6. Beauty Pie Pure Oxygen Radiant Glow Moisture Infusion, $85

Source: Beauty Pie

There are some formulas that you keep on reaching for and this is one of them. Formulated with their signature phytoxygen complex, buddleja daviddi leaf, and thyme extract, this lightweight formula will drench your skin in brightening antioxidants, restorative vitamins, and next-level hydration for plump, smooth skin all year long.

7. Innisfree Intensive Hydrating Cream, $24

Straight from the fields of South Korea’s Jeju Island comes a heaping dose of skin-nourishing green tea seed oil. To extract the organic leaves’ goodness, they’re plucked, steamed, and pressed. The result is a luxurious oil rich in 16 hydrating amino acids. In addition to hydrating your skin, this hero ingredient also helps shield you from environmental stressors that can cause signs of premature aging.

Which moisturizers from this list have piqued your interest most of all? And was there a product you think we should have included? Let’s chat below!

Disclaimer: Every product we review has been independently selected and tested without bias by our editorial team. We never take payment to review products, however, some brands allow affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you purchase a product by clicking on one of our links.