Advice from the pros on boosting your post-winter skin

You’ve come out of hibernation, but are you feeling ready to face a new season? “After winter I usually see clients with compromised skin barriers,” says Noor Zaytona, a Mississauga-based esthetician and the founder of NZ Skin. “That includes dehydration, dullness, a rough texture, redness and even congested skin due to overlayering of heavy products.”

As we step out into warmer weather and look ahead to more sun exposure, which can further exacerbate those issues, now is the time to get your complexion into top form. “Spring is when the skin barrier needs extra care,” says Victoria Radford, an aesthetician and the owner of Radford Beauty in Toronto.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found significant differences in transepidermal water loss, pH levels and other skin barrier functions between winter and summer among those with healthy and sensitive skin. In Radford’s experience, a seasonal course correction can help. “Ninety per cent of the time, a pause from using anything harsh and a few days in a row of using a hydrating, antioxidant-rich face mask will completely reset the trajectory,” she says.

Second-wave Korean skin-care products to simplify your routine

Whether your goal is hydration, soothing or clearing out pores, a high-performance mask can instantly deliver visible results. But it is important to choose the right one for your skin’s needs. “Please don’t follow trends blindly, it can lead to irritation,” warns Zaytona, who recently had to guide an acne-prone client away from an overwhelming routine of multiple active ingredients and beef tallow. “Trying everything all at once makes skin more reactive,” she says.

For mature skin, look for a mask with peptides, antioxidants, PDRN or mild enzymes. “This skin type needs collagen stimulation for firming and hydration,” she says. If you’re dealing with acne breakouts, try a clay-based formula. Ingredients such as clay, niacinamide, zinc and sulfur are ideal for clarifying without stripping, she says.

Sensitive or reactive skin can benefit from the calming and reparative properties of centella asiatica (also called cica), aloe and colloidal oatmeal.

To transform a dry or dehydrated face, a mask containing hyaluronic acid (an ultrahydrating ingredient also known as HA) that can be left on for an extended period of time gets the pro’s top vote. Radford is a long-time fan of hydrogel sheet masks (as the maker of Fix Face Mask, she started creating her own in Korea more than 10 years ago) and specifically seeks out multiple weights of HA. “The reason this matters so much is that a single molecular weight can only reach one depth in the skin,” she explains. “By layering different sizes and forms you are hydrating the surface, the mid-dermis and deeper layers all at the same time, so results last longer and go further than anything a single-weight formula can achieve.”

Sleeping masks, which are designed to be applied before bed and removed in the morning, are another option. “A cream or gel overnight formula works very well to restore lipid balance, hydration, comfort and elasticity,” says Zaytona.

Whichever mask you choose, be sure to cleanse your face first. “Using a mask on unprepared skin means the product only sits on the surface,” says Zaytona. For an elevated experience, add in gentle exfoliation with an alpha hydroxy acid toner. Look for one with polyhydroxy acid (PHA) or lactic acid if you have sensitive skin. “It clears the path and masking delivers the treatment,” says Radford. “If you exfoliate and then mask, you have just given yourself a true at-home facial.”

Six buys to try

Find the best mask for your skin type, starting at $19.

Byoma Bio-Collagen Radiance Facial Mask

With a blend of ceramides, collagen and cica, a thick layer of this gel mask dries to a thin peel-off film that gives dry, dull skin a hydrated and radiant boost in 20 to 30 minutes.

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty

Suitable for oily and acne-prone complexions, this formula balances kaolin clay that deeply cleanses pores, with ground aduki beans for gentle exfoliation, and honey sourced from local apiaries in Ontario and British Columbia to soothe.

IOPE Expert Retinol Serum Hydrogel Face Mask for Firmness

This hydrogel sheet mask infused with retinol (a derivative of vitamin A known to stimulate collagen production), hyaluronic acid and rose water is ideal for normal to dry and mature skin.

Rhode Caffeine Reset Sculpting Cream Mask

Formulated with caffeine, a popular ingredient in skin care that is touted as an anti-aging antioxidant, this creamy fragrance-free mask that’s suitable for normal to dry skin can be used all over or swiped under eyes as a spot treatment.

numbuzin No.5+ Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Mask

Featuring a roll call of potent brightening ingredients, such as vitamin C and niacinamide, this sheet mask targets dullness and discoloration to help even out skin tone and enhance your glow.

IDC Dermo Hydra Balm SOS Repairing and Moisturizing Mask Cream

Made in Canada, and ideal for dry, very dry and reactive skin, this fragrance-free cream mask can be used overnight and contains avocado butter, cucumber extract, glycerin and squalane to nourish, soothe and strengthen a fragile skin barrier.