3 Ingredients Essential for Winter Skincare, According to Celebrity Makeup Artist Sir John

Plus, these are the ingredients to avoid this season for plump, hydrated skin.

Sir John / Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Today officially marks the first day of winter—and if you’ve already found your skin irritated and dry, you’re not alone. Bitter temperatures, windy days and dry air can wreck havoc on your complexion, but fortunately, there are steps you can take to intervene.

Now is the time to transition your fall skincare routine to your winter one, and we recently chatted with celebrity makeup artist Sir John to learn just how to do so. Not only is the New York native known for his work with the likes of A-listers like Beyoncé, Ciara, Zendaya and Chrissy Teigen, Sir John was also on set with the SI Swimsuit team for our 60th anniversary photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla., this spring.

Below, Sir John shares the top three ingredients to prioritize in your skincare this season for plump, hydrated skin.

Hyaluronic acid

Medicube Triple Collagen Cream, $25.80 (medicube.us)

Medicube

Hyaluronic acid retains moisture, so it’s a must for the winter months. Sir John loves this collagen cream, which is packed with the ingredient that works to both plump and hydrate.

“ Humectant is a molecule that’s going to pull moisture in from the air,” Sir John explains. “One thing I love about hyaluronic is that it holds 10 times or more of its weight in hydration. So it’s like the binding blocks that help out in terms of giving your face beautiful scaffolding.”

Ceramides

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Body & Face Moisturizer for Balanced to Dry Skin, $14.99 (ulta.com)

Ulta

CeraVe, a super affordable pick, protects the skin’s barrier with three different types of ceramides.

“ Ceramides are basically other ways for your skin to retain moisture. CeraVe is a really great drugstore find that has beautiful ceramides,” Sir John says. “One thing that is great about ceramides is that it doesn’t matter if you’re super oily, super dry, it’s really great if you’re very sensitive because it's calming, so ceramides will be really key.”

Niacinamides

Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum, $20.80 (medicube.us)

Medicube

This serum is designed to provide glowy hydration, thanks to niacinamides, which help to both brighten skin tone and protect your skin’s barrier.

“ Niacinamides basically help out with irritation and they happen to be pro-age,” Sir John says. “I don't like to say anti-aging: they help roll over into your mature years softly.”

As for what you should avoid during the winter season, Sir John suggests staying away from alcohol-based products, which will just further dry out your complexion. He also says it’s best to avoid granular or manual exfoliators that can scratch the surface of the skin, and instead opt for chemical exfoliators, if you see fit.