The Ultimate Winter Skin Guide: Expert Tips, Skincare Ingredients &Treatments
- milanwomennetwork
- Dec 6
- 6 min read
Fellow MWN member, Michalina (founder of LUMÉ), shares a science-backed skincare guide perfect for winter - exactly what every woman in Milan needs. Inspired by her personal journey, she founded this boutique beauty studio as the answer to her own skin struggles. Passionate about helping women give their skin only the best, she reveals her favourite expert routines, barrier-repair ingredients, and the best winter facial treatments to keep skin hydrated, protected, and glowing throughout Milan’s coldest months.
Written by: Michalina Schefenacker (founder & CEO of Lumé)
Nowadays, in the era of Instagram, the internet, and endless filters, we see “perfect” skin everywhere. Social media is filled with flawless skincare routines, trending rituals, beautifully packaged products, and expert-approved steps we are told should work.
But when winter comes around, it often feels like we have a new set of factors to take into consideration!
As someone specialised in facial skincare, my personal journey with discovering what truly works, and what we as women need, shaped the business I would eventually found here in Milan.
From my teenage years onward, I struggled with sensitivity, breakouts, and unexplained reactions. My skin - reactive and fragile - resisted even the most acclaimed products and treatments.
No matter how prestigious the clinic was, I never experienced the deeply attentive, full-circle care my skin truly needed.
After becoming a mother, everything shifted again. The hormonal changes, the exhaustion - and then after moving to Milan, the change in water combined with heavy pollution triggered a new cycle of breakouts and sensitivity.
Feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, I began searching for real answers. I wanted to understand what was happening beneath the surface.
This led me to opening Lumé…
…and brings us now to looking at how we can give our skin what it truly needs in the winter months.
As we can already feel, winter puts our skin under extra stress. Cold outdoor air and dry indoor heating reduce moisture, leaving skin feeling dry, tight, and dull. Your natural protective barrier also becomes more vulnerable.
And pollution adds to this.
In winter, heavier air and limited circulation allow pollutants to linger, increasing oxidative stress and irritation. This can speed up aging and weaken the skin barrier.
Because of these seasonal changes, your skincare routine should adapt too.
Winter is the time to choose richer textures, deeper hydration, and protective ingredients to keep your skin balanced and resilient.
4 elements every woman needs to protect their skin in winter:
Drink water
Aim for about eight glasses (around 2 litres) of water daily. If you do a lot of sports, increase this amount to stay properly hydrated.
Filtered water can improve taste and reduce contaminants, while room temperature water is better for the digestive tract.
Overall, drinking warm water has many benefits - especially now in winter. It supports easier digestion, reduces bloating, aids the body’s natural detoxification process and boosts circulation. All of these points contribute to healthier skin.
Drink water throughout the day - a glass in the morning, before meals, after workouts, and a small amount before bed.
Adjust your cleansing routine
In the evening, double cleanse with micellar water and a gentle gel cleanser. In the morning, wash with water or a mild hydrating milk, then apply a toner suited to your skin type.Exfoliate 1–2 times a week with a mild AHA or BHA.
Use serums that target your needs, then finish with a nourishing moisturiser and eye cream.
Apply a hydrating mask weekly and avoid using the same active ingredients (read below) in multiple steps to prevent irritation.
Eat winter foods for healthy skin
Omega-3 fatty acids: help maintain healthy skin cell membranes.
Example: Fish, walnuts.
Vitamin C–rich foods: support collagen production, strengthen the immune system, and help reinforce capillaries.
Example: Citrus, kiwi and pepper.
Nuts and seeds: help keep skin hydrated, supple, and protected from winter dryness. They also support hormone balance, which often affects skin during the colder months.
Example: Almonds, brazil nuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds.
Ensure these active ingredients are in your skincare products
Moisturisers
Hyaluronic acid - perfect for deep hydration + plumpness Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it pulls moisture from the environment and draws it into the skin. It’s ideal for all skin types.
Glycerin - perfect for preventing moisture lossIt also attracts water and helps lock it into the outer layers of the skin, reinforcing the skin barrier.Aloe vera - perfect for soothing + reducing irritationIt delivers lightweight hydration while calming redness, sensitivity, or wind-chapped skin. It’s naturally anti-inflammatory and helps the skin repair itself faster.
Repair barrier ingredients
Ceramides – replenish the skin’s natural lipids, helping rebuild a strong barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out.
Niacinamide – strengthens the skin barrier, reduces inflammation, and improves overall texture.
Squalane – mimics the skin’s natural oils, providing lightweight yet long-lasting moisture without clogging pores.
Anti-aging
Retinoids – speed up cell turnover and boost collagen production.
Peptides – signal the skin to produce more collagen and elastin.
Antioxidants
Vitamin C – brightens the skin, evens out tone, and protects against environmental damage by neutralising free radicals.
Vitamin E – nourishes the skin and enhances its ability to retain moisture while providing strong antioxidant protection against winter stressors.
The best facial treatments in winter
In addition to this, now is also the perfect time to give your complexion an extra boost with targeted treatments.
Professional therapies such as:
Hydrafacial - is a great winter treatment, as it deeply cleanses, hydrates, and revitalises the skin while restoring its glow and strength when cold, dry air tends to strip away moisture.
Gentle chemical peels - are ideal in winter, as it safely removes dull, dry surface cells, promotes skin renewal, and enhances radiance when sun exposure is lower and the skin craves extra rejuvenation.
Microneedling - is perfect for winter, since sun exposure should be limited after the treatment. It also helps repair and refresh the skin after summer damage.
Nourishing LED treatments - are especially beneficial, as it boosts collagen production, soothes dryness and inflammation, and restores vitality to skin that’s stressed by cold weather and lack of sunlight.
All of these treatments are what we offer at LUMÉ (you can book an initial consultation here).
Lumé Milan , Corso di Porta Nuova ,15 Milano
What is LUMÉ?
This is a space where personal stories matter, where your skin is cared for in harmony with the evolving rhythms of life - from adolescence to motherhood to maturity.
A space where we help you understand what is truly happening beneath the surface of your skin.
Every journey begins with an initial consultation - a genuine conversation - and an in-depth skin scan using the OBSERV 520x, a next-generation diagnostic tool trusted by leading dermatologists and beauty professionals worldwide.
This technology reveals 7 different challenges of the skin that are invisible to the eye: deeper layers, early signs of imbalance, hidden stressors.
These aren’t interpreted by automation, but by clinical cosmetologists who understand the nuance of every complexion.
We don’t believe in quick fixes or one-size-fits-all formulas.
Whether your skin needs help soothing acne, softening hormonal discolouration, reclaiming its glow, or calming delicate capillaries, every protocol is crafted with precision, intention, and deep care.
To ensure the highest standard of treatment, LUMÉ uses only world-class, medically approved equipment, including the most advanced microneedling systems found in leading dermatology clinics worldwide, and the one and only original HydraFacial machine.
No compromises here either.
Our approach is modern yet timeless, and rooted in science, shaped by experience, and guided by your skin’s natural rhythm.
Our goal is not artificial transformation, but a return to your skin’s purest, healthiest state - even when facing the challenges of winter in Milan.
Lumé Milan , Corso di Porta Nuova ,15 Milano
Lumé Milan , Corso di Porta Nuova ,15 Milano
If you’d like a taste of all this, please join us for our exclusive beauty experience with Milan Women Network on December 14th.
You’ll have the chance to enjoy an OBSERV 520x Advanced Skin Scan + analysis by one of our clinical cosmetologists to discover what your skin needs to be at its best.
We hope to see you there for a fun evening in good company.
Proofread & Edited By: Ché Maria Milani
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