From a cult lip mask to a 'hydration hero': 6 products a beauty writer can't live without in winter.

When the temperature drops a few degrees, my skincare routine amps up a few notches.

As I unearth my seasonally-appropriate puffer jackets and cute knitted vests, I also switch out some of my beauty products for trusted cold weather faves.

The change in seasons doesn’t mean I overhaul my routine completely. After all, a tailored regimen is always in season. Instead, I make a few tweaks here and there to get the balance just right.

Watch: Horoscopes and Self Care. Story continues below.

Over the years, I’ve found that there are certain products I just won’t — nay, can’t! — get through the colder seasons without. 

With the chillier weather well and truly upon us, I’ve rounded up six products I always add in to in my beauty routine during winter, and where I get them.

A quick reminder that everyone’s skin is unique — always read the label and patch test new beauty goodies and seek advice if you’re unsure if a product is for you. 

I’m not a dermatologist, and these are just my own experiences trialling beauty products.

1. A heavy-duty lip balm.

I may be able to skate through summer with a gloss or a light lippy I’ve yanked from the depths of my handbag. But in winter? No chance. 

As the nights get colder, I simply cannot go without some heavy-duty lip care. Chapped winter lips are not a vibe but are very much a risk without a next-level balm by my bed.

The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, $31, is one of my go-to’s. A friend recommended this little pot of goodness a few years back, and I thought she was surely talking it up a little too much. I was wrong. 

The morning after using this mask, my lips always feel soft and rejuvenated. Coconut oil, shea butter, murumuru seed butter, vitamin C and more make for a nourishing and protecting formula.

Plus, it comes in an assortment of seriously fab flavours ('Berry' and 'Vanilla' are my go-tos).

I’m also a big fan of using the Lanolips 101 Ointment, $14.95, and the lux formula including shea butter, murumuru seed butter and sodium hyaluronate in the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, $40, make it a winner too.

2. A nourishing nail and cuticle oil.

I can’t stress enough how much I rely on a cuticle oil during the cooler months. In winter, hand cream alone just won’t cut it — without a little extra TLC, my cuticles can get so damn dry.

Luckily for me, there’s a bounty of products out there just waiting to nourish my cuticles like nobody’s business. I’ve been using The Body Shop Almond Nail and Cuticle Oil, $16, for years. It’s got a no fuss applicator, so it’s super easy to roll up and paint onto my nails and cuticles before I hit the hay. 

The Kester Black Self Love Oil, $32, is also a goodie, featuring a wondrous blend of jojoba, sweet almond and avocado oils. 

3. A hydrating face mist.

Winter means sitting myself in front of the heater on the reg, my poor skin begging for reprieve.  

The perfect antidote? Apart from cooling it on the heater, a hella hydrating face mist works wonders. I spritz once before my skincare routine to optimise product absorption, and use it as a little pick-me-up for my parched, heater-weary skin throughout the day.

The Avene Thermal Spring Water, currently $14.99, mist is a game-changer. I’ve always got a bottle or two of this on hand, especially in the cooler months. It’s a beautifully fine mist that plays nice with makeup and calms and hydrates like a boss. Plus, you can almost always grab one for a steal price at the chemist. 

4. A soothing face mask.

One of my favourite winter pastimes is soaking in a hot bath, tea in hand while a hydrating face mask works its wonders. It’s a perfect cold weather treat, helping to lock in moisture and bring the relaxing vibes. 

The Frank Body Glow Mask, $25, is perfect for this very activity. Featuring antioxidant-rich goji berry extract, hydrating shea and cocoa butter, and energising coffee seed oil, it’s a dream to use and leaves my skin with a kick of extra nourishment. 

The Avene Soothing Radiance Mask, $41.99, is also top-notch, and I’ve recently been enjoying the ace formula of ceramides, sodium hyaluronate and panthenol in the Go-To Repair Shop Mask, $50. 

5. A next-level moisturiser.

My love for juicy, dewy, hydrated skin means that a great moisturiser is on the agenda all year round, but in winter it’s realllly got to mean business. 

I need something that’s going to lock in all the goodness of the serums that have come before it and help me wake up with happy, nourished skin.

It will come as no surprise that the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, $18.99, makes the list as a very reliable winter night cream option. It’s the barrier-embracing dream that we all know and love.  

I’m also a few weeks into the new Go-To Very Luxe Face Cream, $79, and I’m pretty sure this one is about to make it into permanent rotation — I’m obsessed. With ceramides, pink algae and vegan collagen, it’s absolutely giving hydration hero. 

Listen to You Beauty, From prep the night before, to how to condense your makeup look Leigh breaks down her busy working mum morning routine. Post continues after audio.

6. A gentle body scrub.

Moisturising your body is the bee's knees, but your moisturiser can’t do a whole lot if it’s being blocked by pesky dead skin. I’ve come to realise that a gentle body scrub to buff away said pesky dead skin is a winter essential, worked into your routine around once or twice a week (I don’t want to overdo it).

I opt for formulas that are packed with hydrating ingredients — I can’t stand feeling dry afterwards, even though I know I’ll lather my bod in a nourishing cream. 

I’ve lost count of the number of Frank Body Coconut Coffee Scrubs, $20, I’ve had — it leaves me feeling silky smooth. The Body Shop Shea Body Scrub, $34, is also a frequent flyer in my bathroom during winter. 

These are some of the products I love to add to my existing tailored regime for winter (including SPF, duh!). What are some of your beauty must-haves as the temperature drops?

Feature Image: Instagram/@hannahrabbitt; Mecca; Adore Beauty.