The change from the mild autumn air to the harsh winter conditions presents a particular challenge for skin care. With falling temperatures, dry air and increased heating, the skin often struggles with dryness, redness and tightness. While some of us love the winter months, our skin likes this time less - it has to adapt to the changed environmental conditions, and this often requires an adjustment of the care routine.

In this blog post, you'll learn exactly what happens to your skin when the season changes from autumn to winter, and how you can best support your skin with vegan, plastic-free and sustainable methods. We'll also give you seven helpful tips that you may not know yet!

What happens to the skin when the transition from autumn to winter occurs?

When temperatures drop, the environment changes drastically and this has a direct impact on the skin. There are some major skin changes you can observe in winter:

1. Moisture loss: In the cold air of winter, humidity is often very low, which means that your skin is less able to absorb moisture from the environment. In addition, the dry heating air also draws moisture from your skin indoors. The result is often dry, rough and sometimes flaky skin.

2. Impaired skin barrier: The natural skin barrier, which protects and ensures that moisture remains in the skin, is attacked by the cold temperatures and dry air. A weakened skin barrier often leads to redness, tightness and irritation.

3. Reduced sebum production: While summer and autumn cause increased sebum production, which protects the skin and keeps it soft, this production decreases sharply in winter. The lack of natural oil means that the skin is unable to retain sufficient moisture.

4. Sensitivity to temperature changes: The constant changes between cold outside air and warm, dry inside air put a strain on the skin. These sudden temperature changes weaken the skin, which can manifest itself in redness, dryness and irritation.

7 vegan, plastic-free and sustainable tips for healthy skin in winter

Switching your skincare routine for winter doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require a change in mindset and using products specifically designed to meet the skin's needs during the cold months. Here are seven helpful tips that are not only effective, but also vegan, plastic-free and sustainable:

1. Switch to an oil serum for more moisture
While light moisturizers are often sufficient in autumn, your skin needs deep moisture and protection in winter. A vegan oil serum based on plant-based oils such as rosehip oil, jojoba oil or argan oil is the perfect addition to your routine. These oils contain rich fatty acids that help strengthen the skin barrier and retain moisture in the skin. Unlike conventional moisturizers, oil serums penetrate deep into the skin, leaving it soft and nourished without appearing greasy.

Advantage: Vegetable oils are completely natural, without synthetic additives, and are often offered in glass bottles, which ensures plastic-free packaging.

2. Gentle cleaning with natural cleaning products
In winter, it is especially important not to put additional strain on the skin with aggressive cleaning products. Instead, use a mild cleansing oil or a vegan cleansing milk based on natural ingredients. Cleansing oils are gentle on the skin and remove dirt and makeup thoroughly without drying out the skin. Make sure that your cleansing product is free of harsh surfactants such as sulfates, which can put even more strain on the skin in winter.

Tip: Our natural soaps based on vegetable fats, packaged in cardboard boxes or without any packaging at all, are a sustainable and plastic-free alternative to conventional cleaning products.

3. Protect your lips with vegan lip balm
Lips are particularly prone to becoming dry and cracked in winter. Many conventional lip balms contain animal ingredients such as beeswax. Instead, choose a vegan lip balm that, like ours, is based on plant-based waxes such as carnauba or candelilla wax. These provide just as good a protective layer as beeswax and help keep lips soft and supple.

Plastic-free tip: Our lip balms are packaged in reusable metal or glass containers – a perfect alternative to the usual plastic packaging.

4. Hydrate your skin with a natural facial mist
Many facial toners contain alcohol, which can dry out the skin even more in winter. Instead, you can use a natural, moisturizing facial spray made from aloe vera or rose water. These sprays moisturize the skin during the day and have a refreshing effect. They are particularly practical to have in your bag when you are out and about and give the skin a freshness boost at any time.

Sustainability tip: Make sure that the facial spray is bottled in glass bottles to avoid plastic waste.

5. Use rich night masks made from natural butters
In winter, the skin particularly benefits from intensive night masks that work overnight and provide rich care. Products with plant-based butters such as shea or cocoa butter are ideal as they penetrate deep into the skin and regenerate it while you sleep. These natural ingredients are vegan and very sustainable as they can be organically grown.

Tip: Solid body butter in block form is packaged plastic-free and lasts a very long time because you can use it sparingly. It melts on the skin and offers intensive care. We have provided some great DIYs on our Instagram channel.

6. Use vegan facial oils for the eye area
The skin around the eyes is particularly thin and sensitive, which makes it prone to dryness and fine lines in winter. A vegan facial oil made from almond or avocado oil is the perfect solution to nourish and moisturize the eye area. Gently apply the oil with your fingertips and massage it in lightly - this will keep the skin around the eyes supple and protected.

7. Use predominantly plant-based, plastic-free personal care products
When it comes to personal care in winter, it's important to use products that moisturize and protect the skin from drying out. Solid shower soaps and body butters made from plant-based ingredients like cocoa butter or mango butter are a great alternative to lotions in plastic bottles. They often come in paper or reusable packaging and are completely biodegradable.

Tip: Our showeries or 3in1 shower fluffs contain lots of nourishing oils and gentle surfactants.

What you may already know

Use a humidifier: Heat from heating dries out the air, which leads to dry skin. A humidifier can help increase humidity and reduce moisture loss from the skin.

Drink enough water: Even in winter it is important to drink enough water. Hydration from within is essential to keep the skin elastic and healthy.

Use a gentle scrub: Use natural, gentle scrubs that remove dead skin cells without irritating the skin. A scrub based on oat flour or ground nuts is gentle on the skin and environmentally friendly.

Conclusion: Your skin care in winter – vegan, plastic-free and sustainable

The change from autumn to winter brings many challenges for the skin, but with the right care you can ensure that your skin stays healthy and radiant. By using vegan, plastic-free and sustainable products, you are not only doing something good for your skin, but also for the environment. The tips mentioned offer simple but effective solutions to support your skin naturally while also contributing to reducing plastic waste.

Now it's up to you to adapt your winter skin care routine and choose sustainable, ethical products. This way you can enjoy the cold season with a clear conscience - radiant and well-cared for inside and out!