It’s that time of the year again.

Fall leaves swirl about my feet and I pull my thick, cozy sweaters out of the back of my closet. But it’s also that time of the year when my skin begins to feel tighter and drier, so I adjust my moisturizing routine to combat the dropping humidity and cooler temps.

Here’s the rotation I’m using as we head into winter.

(also, yes I like jars and tubs a lot – how else do you get to every last bit of product?)

Lancer Body Nourish Moisturizer
$80

I’ve adored this Lancer body cream for a while now (I wrote it about it over a year ago here). It is an indulgence at now $80 a jar, but I alternate with less expensive drugstore moisturizers throughout the week. The glycolic acid content helps smooth out any crepey, dry skin, but it is the velvety texture of the cream that makes me keep rebuying the product again and again. I also prefer its slightly tart, citrus scent over the flowery fragrance that often comes along with high end creams.

CeraVe SA Cream
$23

This is actually an excellent substitute for the aforementioned Lancer Body Nourish Moisturizer. The active ingredients are salicylic and lactic acids, and this rich cream is truly a great all-over-body skin smoother. It doesn’t have the luxe texture of the Lancer product, as it’s a bit waxier to the touch, but for about a quarter of the price, that’s a worthwhile trade off. It is also scent free, so you could elevate the experience by adding a few drops of a fragrant body oil while applying. (This one by Aesop would be nice to try. I love their geranium scented products).

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
$17

Ahhh, the classic Cetaphil moisturizer. Honestly, I never used this much until sometime in 2020, when my skin was reacting to perimenopausal hormone changes and grew very blotchy and ruddy along my jawbones and cheeks. My doctor recommended I stop using all of my pricey facial products and try Cetaphil for cleansing and moisturizing. It seemed so drastic, but I was desperate. My skin definitely calmed down after a few months, and these days I don’t rely only on Cetaphil for my face, but it’s still part of my daily routine. I often add it on top of a Vitamin C oil or a retinol serum as a plain & simple moisturizing layer, rather than using other products that might have additional active ingredients. Also, it’s just nice to have a general-purpose moisturizer that can be used for face, hands and body.

Waso Shikulime Mega Hydrating Moisturizer
$36

WASO is actually a new line by Shiseido, in their attempt to attract new customers from the highly desirable Gen Z demographic. The product packaging is sustainable, and the clean ingredients are sourced from local farmers in Japan. I’m mildly offended that Shiseido believes only Gen Z cares about these attributes when shopping, but putting that aside, this Shikulime moisturizer (named after its Shikuwasa lime extract ingredient) is a very nice product. It has a bright, citrus scent, and the texture is thicker than a gel but lighter than a cream – which makes it a perfect fall transitional product. After applying a generous layer at night, my skin does feel bouncy to the touch the next morning. For those with very dry skin, I might add a layer of Cetaphil on top to really lock it in, but for other folks, just this product on its own would be fine.

Inlight Beauty Balms
Face Cleanser $58
Night Balm $75

I have been in love with the ideas of balms since Li-Shan Sung wrote this piece on cleansing balms last year. I began using Inlight Beauty balms back when we were sourcing from them for the FUTURE LYNN beauty shop (RIP), and am still pretty obsessed with them. Yes it’s a little extravagant to order from abroad, and yes the prices are steep, but I am huge fan of waterless formulas and their natural scents are so beautiful. The cleansing balm is a superb fix for any winter woes, as it soothes while lifting dry flakes and debris, leaving behind smooth and soft skin. The night balm is a highly concentrated formula that enriches your skin overnight. Here are a few notes for both products:

• As these are waterless formulas, a little product goes a very long way, so you will find that the jars last a long time.
• They smell amazing. With hints of lavender and citrus, it’s like stepping into a spa every time you apply.
• The texture is perfect for those of you who like to do a little massage on your face. I have TMJ issues, and these products are ideal for a nightly massage of my jaw, cheekbones and temples.

NARS Laguna Bronzing Cream
$38

Okay this is not a skincare product, but I did recently start testing it and am enjoying it a lot. I typically use a powder bronzer from Natasha Denona, but FUTURE LYNN beauty contributor Ashley Zwolinksi recommended this Nars cream bronzer last month. I like the convenience of using fingers to apply the product (thus it’s now permanently stashed in my travel makeup kit), but also, it’s just really nice to have another balm-type product on the face instead of powder, which can feel even more drying on wintry days. The bronzer does have a slight tropical scent, which might be off-putting to those who are sensitive to scent. But on the other hand, for those of us wishing for warm beaches as the December solstice arrives, it might very well be the perfect mid-winter remedy.

all opinions are our own; no free products or compensation were received from manufacturers for these mentions.