My freezing temperatures face care routine

It is winter here in Bucharest, freezing temperatures, high snow, weather forecasts predicting even more snow and low temperatures. Until about one week ago the winter was mild and warm. Now it has arrived with a bang! The temperatures are -20,-15 or less at night and -10 or less at day. And my skin is not taking it well. It has become dehydrated, dry, brittle and I got out of my stash the heavy guns : the products which are the most moisturizing and thick and creamy and comforting. So I decided to share them with you. Today's post is all about the face care routine (make-up removal, face hydration, face masks and make-up products). I'll be back with another post on the body care for these freezing temperatures. Let's begin!

Make-up removal

I love to use in these very low temperatures very hydrating, thick make-up removers; for me, these are the oil based make-up removers. It is about efficiently removing the make-up but turning the hydration up a notch! 

I will show you the ones I currently have in my stash, at different price points. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm (32 pounds), L'Occitane Huile Démaquillante Immortelle (22 euros/99 ron), Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm (16 pounds), Soap & Glory™ The Ultimelt™ Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser (10 pounds), The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (72 ron/13 pounds), SEPHORA Ultimate Warming Cleanser (18 dollars), Balea Reinigungs Ol Fluid (14 ron), L'Occitane L’Eau Essentielle Visage Immortelle (as toner - 18 euros) and Melvita Damask Rose Floral Water (as toner - 15 pounds).

Face hydration

The first step is the face oil (more hydrating than a serum for me). I have a selection of face oils such as : ACADEMIE Huile De Soin Hydratante, Hydrating Treatment Oil (266 ron/46 euros) - in use, L'Oreal Nutri Gold Extraordinary Oil, NUXE Huile Prodigieuse - Multi Usage Dry Oil (17 pounds), Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, mine is sample size (58 dollars/from 280 ron), L'Occitane Imortelle Precious Serum, mine is sample size (245 ron) and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (36 pounds) and Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate (36 pounds).

After letting the face oil to sink into the skin I add the face and eye cream : current eye cream - Estée Lauder Resilience Lift, current face cream - Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentré (13 pounds). Other options : Estée Lauder Resilience Lift face cream (aprox 330 ron), Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture 24h (discontinued) and Xerolys Face Cream Moisturizing Emulsion for Dry Skin (35 ron).

Face masks

If my face still doesn't feel moisturized enough I turn to face masks once or two times a week, I have few moisturizing ones, most of them are cleansing for my oily skin. For a better moisturization I can use : Montagne Jeunesse Red Hot Earth Sauna Face Masque, one of my favourites (5 pounds/10 ron), Lioele Esential Honey Mask (8 ron), Lioele Esential Aloe Mask (8 ron), Sephora Lotus Sleeping Mask (4 dollars) and an unusual one Sephora Instant Moisture Mask (comes in a shaker).

Lip care

And last, but not least the lip care. If I don't hydrate my lips with a balm all the time, they will dehydrate so badly that they crack. Therefore I have a small collection of lip balms in different parts of the house and different bags. They are : Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm (60 ron/23 dollars), Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sunscreen SPF 15 my very favourite in the winter time - review soon (17 pounds), Yves Rocher Candied Orange and Cinnamon lip balm (2 dollars) and NUXE Reve de Miel Stick Levres Hydratant Lip Moisturizing Stick (5.50 pounds).

Sun protection

In the winter time the sun protection is a must! The snow bounces back the sun rays so the face sometimes is more damaged than in the summer time. So don't leave the house without an SPF protection, the higher, the better! 

And I will stop here, before this post will become even longer. I will add the make-up section in the body care post that will follow. I wanted to share with you my go-to moisturizing products I have in my stash, hoping it will be useful for you. For me moisturizing is key in keeping my face happy in the cold winter temperatures. Tell me What are your go-to products in the winter time ? Until next time,