Dr Yasmin's Winter Night Skincare Routine for Dry, Dehydrated Skin

My Winter Night Skincare Routine for Dry, Dehydrated Skin

Winter is hard on skin. The temperature drops, the wind picks up, and then you walk indoors into dry central heating that pulls even more moisture out of your face. By January most people notice the same things: skin that feels tight after cleansing, flaky patches that catch the light, and a general dullness that makeup won't quite fix. As the founder of Wellface, I see it in clinic every year around this time.

In a recent reel I talked through my own evening routine and the changes I make once the cold sets in. It isn't complicated, and it doesn't involve a shelf full of products. What it does involve is cleansing properly, being a little gentler with your actives, and layering hydration in the right order so it actually stays in the skin overnight.

Below is my routine explained step by step, along with the reasoning behind each choice and a few notes on who each product suits. Think of it as the longer version of the two minutes I spent talking you through it in front of the camera.

Start by cleansing twice, properly

The first thing I stress, and I mean it, is to wash your face twice in the evening. Not once. Twice. I joke that in my head the steps go "number one, number two, and number two again," but the point is serious.

A single cleanse at the end of the day rarely gets everything off. The first wash lifts away the surface layer, so makeup, SPF and the grime that settles on your skin from a day outdoors. The second wash actually cleans the skin underneath, clearing the sweat, pollution and oil that the first pass loosened but didn't fully remove. This is what beauty therapists call a double cleanse, and it matters more in winter than people realise, because everything you layer on afterwards works better on a clean surface.

A quick practical note. You don't need two different products to do this, although some people like to use an oil or balm first followed by a gentle cream or gel cleanser. What you're avoiding is scrubbing. Winter skin is already compromised, so use lukewarm water rather than hot, and press a soft cloth or your fingertips over the skin rather than dragging. If your face feels squeaky and tight afterwards, the cleanser is too stripping for the season and worth swapping for something creamier.

Ease off your retinol or tretinoin for the season

Once the skin is clean, I move on to my retinoid. I'm a long-term fan of tretinoin and retinol for the way they smooth texture, soften fine lines and keep the skin turning over, but in winter I deliberately dial it back.

My approach is to keep the strength low, around 0.025 per cent tretinoin, and to reduce how often I use it. Where I might apply it five nights a week in milder months, I drop to three in the depths of winter. The logic is simple. Retinoids speed up cell renewal, which is exactly what you want, but that process can leave the skin barrier a little more fragile and prone to dryness. Combine that with harsh weather and you get redness, flaking and irritation. Using less often gives the barrier room to cope.

How to reduce retinol without losing the benefits

If you've built up a good tolerance over the year, you won't lose your progress by going from five nights to three. The results from retinoids come from consistent use over months, not from hammering the skin every single night. Some people find it helps to apply their retinoid to dry skin, wait a few minutes, and then follow with moisturiser, which softens the effect. If you're brand new to retinoids, winter is not the time to start high. Begin low, go slow, and let one of the Wellface doctors guide the strength that suits your skin.

The velvet combination: vitamin C peptides and SuzanObagi

This is the part of the routine I light up about. After my retinoid I layer a vitamin C peptide cream together with a SuzanObagi MD treatment cream, and the way I describe the result is that the skin ends up feeling "like complete velvet."

There's real science behind why these two work well together. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps brighten a dull winter complexion, supports collagen and mops up the free radical damage caused by pollution and daily stress. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that signal to the skin to firm and repair. Pair those with the SuzanObagi cream, which brings its own dose of vitamin E, more vitamin C and a low-strength retinaldehyde (a gentle member of the retinoid family), and you get a layered treatment that hydrates, brightens and works on texture all at once.

Because the retinaldehyde here sits at a gentle level, it complements rather than competes with the tretinoin step. The overall effect is a cushion of active ingredients that feels rich rather than harsh, which is exactly what dry winter skin is crying out for. Layering the creams while the skin is still slightly damp helps them sink in and lock moisture underneath.

Seal it in with rich overnight hydration

The final step is the one that makes the difference between skin that looks plumped in the morning and skin that has quietly dried out overnight. I finish with my ELASTIderm around the eyes and then an Obagi Hydrate moisturiser over the face.

ELASTIderm is designed for the delicate skin around the eyes, an area that shows dehydration and fine lines first. Obagi Hydrate is a comfortable everyday moisturiser that holds water in the skin for hours, but for the colder months, and for certain patients, I reach for something richer.

Hydrate versus Hydrate Luxe

For most people the standard Obagi Hydrate does the job beautifully. But I make a specific point about older skin. As we age, the skin produces less of its own hyaluronic acid, the molecule that holds water and keeps the face looking full and dewy. Mature skin simply has less natural moisture to draw on, so it needs more help from the outside.

For those patients I recommend Obagi Hydrate Luxe, a thicker overnight cream I describe as feeling "like sheer butter." It's a heavier, more occlusive formula that sits on the skin overnight, slowing the water loss that happens while you sleep and leaving the face softer and more supple by morning. If you wake up with tight, papery skin no matter what you do, this is the sort of product worth trying. Younger or oilier skin types usually won't need something this rich and can stick with the lighter Hydrate.

Why the order of your products matters

Skincare works best when it goes on in a sensible order, and this routine follows a clear logic. Clean skin first, then your treatment actives (the retinoid and the vitamin C peptide layer), then hydration, then the richest, most occlusive cream last to seal everything underneath. As a rough rule, thinnest to thickest.

Getting this back to front is a common mistake. If you apply a heavy night cream before your treatment products, the actives can struggle to reach the skin. Put your lightest, most concentrated formulas closest to the skin and let the buttery creams do their sealing job on top. It's a small thing that makes your existing products work harder without spending a penny more.

Common questions about winter night skincare

Should I really wash my face twice every evening?

In the evening, yes, a double cleanse is worth it, especially if you wear makeup or SPF. The first cleanse breaks down the day's build-up and the second properly cleans the skin. In the morning a single gentle cleanse is usually plenty, since you're mostly removing the products from the night before.

Can I keep using retinol all winter?

Absolutely, you just may want to use it less often or at a lower strength if your skin gets dry or irritated. I drop from around five nights a week to three during the coldest months. Listen to your skin. Redness, stinging and flaking are signs to pull back, and buffering with a moisturiser can help.

What's the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin?

Dry skin lacks oil and tends to be a lifelong skin type. Dehydrated skin lacks water and can happen to anyone, including oily skin types, particularly in winter. Dehydration responds well to humectants and hydrating layers, while true dryness also benefits from richer, oilier creams like Hydrate Luxe. Many people in winter are dealing with a bit of both.

Do I need all of these products to see a difference?

No. The two habits that make the biggest difference are cleansing properly and sealing in hydration overnight. The vitamin C peptide and retinoid steps are where you refine texture and tone over time. If you're building a routine from scratch, start with a good cleanser and moisturiser and add actives gradually, ideally with guidance so the strengths suit your skin.

Is medical-grade skincare worth it over what I can buy on the high street?

Medical-grade formulas tend to use higher, better-stabilised concentrations of active ingredients and are designed to penetrate more effectively, which is why they're dispensed through clinics. That said, more active isn't always better for everyone. The value comes from being matched to the right products for your skin, which is exactly what a consultation is for.

Book a skin consultation with me at Wellface

Every face is different, and the routine that suits my skin might need tweaking for yours. If your skin feels tight, dull or flaky this winter, or you're not sure which retinoid strength or moisturiser is right for you, my colleagues and I can build a routine around your skin type and concerns. We stock the full range discussed here, and our team is happy to help you get the order and combinations right.

You'll find Wellface in Cobham, Esher and Wimbledon. Get in touch to arrange a consultation with me or one of our doctors, and let's get your skin comfortable again before spring arrives.