On days when you know it’s going to be cold outside, you layer. Perhaps you put a shirt on under your sweater, then maybe you add a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. It’s more effective to pile on multiple things that work in different ways to protect you from the cold instead of expecting a single item to do it all, and the same applies to your skin care.
“A layering approach works better than you’re just depending on one product to completely moisturize your skin,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Southern California.
- Shirley Chi, MD, board-certified dermatologist specializing in medical and cosmetic dermatology
The best way to do it? With the “moisture sandwich” method that’s recently picked up steam on social media. The practice involves starting with a humectant-rich hydrating serum (which will pull moisture into the deepest layers of your skin), following it up with water (which will get sucked down into your pores with the help of the humectants), then finishing it off with an occlusive moisturizer (which will seal in all of the moisture from your other steps). This will help you get maximum hydration from all three products, priming your skin to properly defend itself against the cold.
And expanding the number of products you’re using doesn’t have to break the bank. Below, we’ve got five combinations of serums and moisturizers—none of which costs more than $30—to help you make your very own moisture sandwich. Shop our combos below.
5 serum-moisturizer combos that make perfect moisture sandwiches
Marine moisture
This serum is made with marine-derived vegan water reservoirs that attract and hold water like hyaluronic acid, but feel lighter than HA does. It’s also got microbiome-friendly and hydrating ingredients like marine bacteria, Hawaiian red algae, glycoproteins, and micro-filtered blue-green algae.
Mushroom magic
Snow mushroom is super hydrating and can hold up to 500 times its weight in water. Plus, it contains high levels of polysaccharides that calm and moisturize the skin. It’s also made with niacinamide to help calm skin and regulate oil production and zinc PCA to help control oil and moisture levels in the skin while reducing the appearance of pores.
Intensely hydrating yet weightless, this moisturizer combines a blend of low- and high-weight hyaluronic acid molecules to work within different layers of the skin, reishi mushroom to rapidly soothe redness and irritation and fermented chaga mushroom to protect the skin against irritation.
Vitamin C protectors
The Maelove Glow Maker is a dupe for the beloved SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum. It combines 15 percent vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, giving your skin the antioxidant boost needed to protect against free radical damage. It also includes hyaluronic acid to hydrate and a blend of botanicals for extra nourishment.
This Bliss moisturizer combines vitamin C with the brand’s patented tri-peptide blend to boost skin’s natural elasticity while delivering intense hydration. Green tea extract steps in to complement the vitamin C, increasing the cream’s ability to protect against environment-induced skin damage.
Rosy cheeks
Get hydrated, radiant, pumper-looking skin with this serum. It combines 1 percent hyaluronic acid with rose water to replenish moisture while soothing and softening the skin.
