I love the ’ber months. Give me a crisp, gray, rainy November afternoon over some sticky, sweaty 90-degree nonsense any day. You may not share that sentiment, but this time of year feels inherently comforting, and as a grooming editor, I find it’s when the more ritualistic side of self-care becomes especially appealing.
As Adam Hurly, founder of Blue Print by Adam Hurly, puts it, “You know that feeling of being excited to crawl into bed in the winter, with the heat turned up and your heavy comforter ready to envelop you for the next eight hours? There’s something equally satisfying about transitioning one’s grooming routine in the same vein.” Of course, there’s a practical side to all this pampering, too. “Skin gets chapped if we don’t take care; it looks pallid if we don’t cushion it,” Hurly adds. “Self-care becomes necessity, so we prioritize it more, and it satisfies on contact.”
Consider this an ode to grooming products that feel even better when the weather is cold, and the mood turns introspective: sumptuous body creams, nourishing oils and indulgent face masks that feel like comfort food for the body and turn any old evening at home into something more spa-like. The skincare benefits matter, of course, but here, it’s more about the sensory experience: the textures, the scent and the simple satisfaction of taking a beat. With the holidays and all their inevitable obligations looming, a little extra TLC couldn’t hurt.
Rich body cream
The What: The post-shower indulgence.
The Why: A rich body cream becomes pretty much non-negotiable once temperatures drop. It helps replenish lost moisture, tackle dryness and make your skin feel, well, like skin again. But beyond the practical benefits, there’s something wonderfully indulgent about slathering on a sumptuous, fantastic-smelling cream after a hot shower on a chilly fall or freezing winter night.
Le Labo Hinoki Body Cream
Of course, the scent gods at Le Labo make one of the best-smelling body creams around, with a woody, aromatic fragrance that transports you straight to a Japanese forest. But its rich, buttery texture, courtesy of shea butter and avocado oil, makes it so damn satisfying to use. It melts into the skin, leaving it feeling soft, nourished and smelling downright fantastic.
Aēsop Resolute Hydrating Balm
You’ll see Aēsop on this list twice because, well, few brands marry the sensorial and effective skincare quite like the Australian apothecary. This sumptuous body balm is packed with nourishing ingredients, including shea butter, wheat germ oil and sweet almond oil, to help soften and hydrate winter-weary skin. And then there’s that gorgeous spicy, woody aroma, which smells positively holiday-like in the best, most distinctly Aēsop way possible.
Hand cream
The What: The cold-weather necessity (with a luxurious twist).
The Why: If there’s one part of my body that takes the brunt of winter’s whims, it’s my hands. A nourishing hand cream is essential for soothing rough patches, replenishing moisture and keeping my skin from feeling like sandpaper. And if I’m going to reach for hand cream several times a day, whether at my desk or beside my bed, it might as well feel like a little indulgent ritual. These two are about as rich and sensorial as hand creams get.
Blue Lagoon Skincare Hand Cream
If anyone knows a thing or two about the havoc winter can wreak on skin, it’s the Icelanders. This mineral-rich hand cream from Blue Lagoon is one of the most hydrating I’ve tried, period. Housed in a handsome blue tube and powered by the brand’s signature geothermal seawater, it supports the skin barrier and keeps dryness at bay with a slightly clinical (in the best way) feel. There’s no added fragrance, just a faint botanical aroma from the ingredients, but the sheer nourishment speaks for itself.
Flamingo Estate Manuka Rich Cream
If you’re willing to splurge on a truly luxurious hand cream, this one from Flamingo Estate is worth every penny. Rich and indulgent, with an almost cloud-like texture, it combines nourishing oils to lock in moisture, while manuka honey, calendula and shea butter help soothe and soften dry skin. It’s fantastic for hands but works just as well on other dry patches, too. And that intoxicatingly herbaceous aroma is reason enough to keep it within (hand’s) reach.
Body oil
The What: The slickest part of your cold-weather grooming routine.
The Why: Body oils have exploded in popularity in recent years, and frankly, it’s easy to see why. A good body oil helps lock in moisture while leaving skin silky soft with a little extra glow. But much of the appeal is the experience itself. Often infused with aromatic botanicals, body oils make hydration feel decidedly more sensorial. Massage a few drops into damp skin after a hot shower and let their aromas slowly unfold for an almost meditative experience.
Frama Herbarium Body Oil
One of the more interesting body oils out there, this botanical treatment from Danish design house Frama is as much about the scent as it is the skincare. Orange, juniper, rose and ho wood come together in a beautifully nuanced composition that’s equal parts green, woody and floral, with a subtle balsamic undertone. Meanwhile, a nourishing blend of safflower, apricot, avocado and jojoba oils leaves skin feeling silky soft and deeply conditioned. As an added bonus, the reusable Italian glass bottle is downright gorgeous.
Salt & Stone Body Oil
Salt & Stone’s MO is fragrance-meets-skincare, and this nourishing body oil delivers beautifully on both fronts. Warm, woody and subtly earthy, with notes of sandalwood, vetiver, amber, cedar and cardamom, the scent is wonderfully cozy. Meanwhile, macadamia oil, squalane and seaweed extracts help lock in moisture, leaving skin silky soft with a subtle glow. Despite all that nourishment, the formula is fast-absorbing, making it a particularly satisfying post-shower indulgence on a cold December night.
Face oil
The What: The hack to put a little glow back in your winter complexion.
The Why: Think of face oil as an extra glow to counter those long winter nights. Rich in nourishing lipids, a few drops help seal in moisture, soften skin and add a dewy radiance to your complexion. But the real pleasure is the ritual: warm the oil between your palms, massage it into your face and take a moment to indulge before settling in for another episode of True Detective: Night Country.
Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment
As a grooming editor, I’ve accumulated more Aēsop products than I know what to do with, but I’m especially fond of the brand’s rich, tincture-like facial oils, in fall and winter. Formulated with botanical oils, including rosehip seed and evening primrose, this nourishing treatment softens and replenishes dry, stressed-out skin while enveloping the senses in a gorgeous, heady blend of rose and earthy undertones.
Wonder Valley Face Oil
Of course, Wonder Valley makes face oil cool. Just look at that retro-chic bottle. But there’s plenty to like about what’s inside, too. Built around the brand’s signature olive oil, this nourishing botanical blend softens, conditions and restores a healthy glow to dry, winter-weary skin. The silky texture feels wonderfully refreshing to apply, and its herbaceous aroma adds a distinctly earthy vibe.
Hydrating face mask
The What: The ultimate stay-in-and-skincare-ify yourself product or for the gloriously antisocial evenings.
The Why: If there’s ever a time to embrace the more indulgent side of grooming, it’s when the weather turns cold. And few products lend themselves to a proper stay-in-and-pamper-yourself evening quite like a hydrating face mask. Packed with moisture-loving ingredients, these formulas help soothe dry, stressed-out skin and give your complexion a much-needed boost. Slather one on, light a candle or incense, put on a good record and let it work its magic.
Jaxon Lane Bro Mask Clay Mask
Jaxon Lane helped make sheet masking a standard grooming fare for guys, and now the brand is back with a clever twist on its cult-favorite Bro Mask. This time, it’s clay in sheet form, combining oil-absorbing kaolin and bentonite clays with niacinamide, green tea and other skin-loving ingredients to help unclog pores and tackle excess oil. Basically, if sheet masks are more your speed, you get the deep-cleaning feel of a traditional mud mask with the convenience of this format. Just apply, relax for 20 minutes, then remove and rinse.
Wonder Valley Olive Mud Mask
Few brands nail the intersection of apothecary-inspired skincare and badass design like Wonder Valley — so good it deserves two shouts. But this olive-powered mud mask is more than bathroom-shelf eye candy. It combines mineral-rich clay with the brand’s signature olive oil to help draw out impurities without leaving skin feeling stripped. And frankly, every proper at-home cold-weather grooming ritual deserves a good mud mask.
Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask
If your skin is craving extra nourishment, this creamy, avocado-packed mask from Kiehl’s is about as comforting as it gets. Formulated with avocado fruit extract, avocado oil and evening primrose oil, it delivers a generous dose of moisture to help soften and replenish dry, stressed-out skin. The thick, almost buttery texture makes application feel like a little indulgence in itself, especially on cold evenings when your skin could use some extra TLC.
Bonus: an aromatic candle
To complete the experience, don’t forget to light a candle. But not just any candle. Leave it to the farm-to-home, sensorial gurus at Flamingo Estate to create one that marries the great outdoors with luxurious spa vibes. Subtle, warming and atmospheric, it’s the perfect transportive finishing touch to a cold-weather at-home grooming routine.
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