A Celebrity Facialist Reveals Her Secret Weapons for Fighting Very Dry Skin

We'd like to challenge you to check your Insta feed this very moment and not feel at least a twinge of jealousy as you scroll through all the fresh and dewy celebrity faces that fill it. It's tough to see when — like almost every other every normal human being on the planet — your skin turns dry and flaky the moment winter rolls around. The difference between you and them? They know the right people. 

"Dry skin in the winter months is a challenge for most people” — even celebs, says Graceanne Svendsen, celebrity facialist and practice manager with Shafer Plastic Surgery who quietly tends to some of the most famous faces in N.Y.C. “Lack of moisture, hydration and warmth — both internally and externally — create dryness," she explains.

Even if booking a weekly facial à la your favorite stars isn't an option (a woman can dream!), you can still keep your complexion looking just as dewy as Svendsen's high-profile clientele with her five favorite products that’ll let you pretend winter has officially been exed off the calendar.

“I LOVE this product — it’s a simple, inexpensive secret weapon to combat dehydrated skin,” says Svendsen of the multitalented mist developted to calm sensitive skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis in patients at La Roche Posay’s famed Thermal Center in France. “It can be used in a variety of ways: Use it as a morning mist before you apply your moisturizers and serums. Mist as a makeup primer. It helps to hydrate all skin types and conditions,” she explains.

“Skinmedica has always cornered the market on over-the-counter, prescription-strength products that would typically only be available in the physician's office,” says Svendsen. And their super-hydrator powered with hyaluronic acid — a molecule that holds 1000 times its weight in water — might be their most effective yet: “With five different types of hyaluronic acid, HA5 Hydrator is perfect for all skin types, all year round — but most especially in the winter months, when the heaters and radiant heat make my patients' skin extra dehydrated.”

“Great for every skin type, condition, and generation, Senté DRC helps lock in moisture, and uses the first big breakthrough in new molecule technology: Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA),” which boosts elasticity and hydration, notes Svendsen. “My patients love DRC as their go-to moisturizer post laser,” she adds, thanks to its superpowers of healing skin after even an intense laser or microneedling session.

“Serums are such an important part of any regimen. Every patient can use serums — and should,” says Svendsen. “SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel is one of my staff's favorite product picks. The texture is super light and smooths out fine lines and wrinkles. It’s especially great for acne patients as it replenishes much needed hydration for a patient population notorious for over cleansing and over exfoliating, which strips our skin's natural barrier.”

“I love this particular product for its instant plumping benefits. Made for extremely dry skin, the cream uses Avéne's thermal spring water from a tiny village in France, along with vitamin E technology and specialized lipid mixture to nourish, hydrate and protect the skin's barrier function,” explains Svendsen.