How to Rebalance Your Skin After a Harsh Winter

The riskiest time for our skin may not be when you expect. Yes, winter—with dryness from central heat and harsh, windy conditions—can be rough. But so can the transition into spring and summer as humidity rises, sebaceous glands become more active, and the sun shines into the evening. Pores clog and heavy creams congest. UV exposure rises. There is a lot to look out for, enough to consult a true expert.

Enter Fabricio Ormonde, the New York–based Brazilian aesthetician responsible for the luminous glows of Julianne Moore, Dua Lipa, Ayo Edebiri, and supermodels like Vittoria Ceretti, Gigi Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski. His facials are grounded in progressive, individually tailored care instead of intensive treatments and surgical interventions. “Working in doctors’ offices, everything is aggressive, aggressive, aggressive,” Ormonde told W from his serene Chelsea studio. “I started realizing that you don’t need to hurt the skin to get results. That was a big shift for me. What I realized was: My clients were happier, and they look better.”

This gentle, strategic approach is holistic at heart, taking environmental shifts into account with just as much sensitivity as skin type, lifestyle, and other individualized factors. Below, Ormonde shares his top tricks, recommendations, and secrets for this transitional season.

What’s your skin philosophy?

I have my pillars of skin health: [skin should be] hydrated, balanced, reflect light naturally, clear, even textured, and toned and sculpted. This is what I focus on—it’s possible to achieve with treatments and skincare. Nothing happens overnight. Skin thrives on consistency. This is the first thing I want the clients to understand: How you treat your skin every day is as important as what happens in the treatment room.

I give the analogy of your workout and your diet. You go to the gym, you work out to build muscle and stay lean, but you also need to eat healthy. Nothing’s going to happen if you go to the gym and you’re only eating junk food. Same thing with the skin. What we do here is the workout, the products are your diet.

I’m a big believer in supplements and lifestyle changes. If it’s needed, reduce stress, sleep more. There is a lot of noise about what we should be doing. It’s overwhelming. I don’t believe in 12-step skincare routines.

What should people prioritize as spring arrives? What changes would you recommend we make to our routines?

In the winter, it’s all about protecting the barrier from cold, dry conditions and indoor heat. In the spring, the focus shifts to rebalancing the skin from the winter. Think about gentle exfoliation, hydration, feeding your skin with antioxidants and protection. Sun protection is non-negotiable this time of the year. Take away the heavier moisturizers, because they start feeling occlusive. Use lightweight moisturizers, hydrating serums, antioxidant serums, or even gel-like moisturizers. My summer favorite is the new Creme M.E.C. from Biologique Recherche. It focuses on skin density, but it’s between a gel and a cream. And it has all the skin rejuvenation benefits.

What else is important?

Consistent, gentle exfoliation. You want to exfoliate your skin, but less [than in winter]. Lastly, think of enzymes. There is a product I love with gluconolactone and prickly pear,—the Medik8 Press and Glow. It’s a toner with PHA, it gives a minor exfoliation but is very hydrating and gives you a nice glow. I use it twice a week. It won’t make your skin too photosensitive.

Do you have a favorite sunscreen?

ReVive’s Soleil Superiéur Broad Spectrum SPF 50. It doesn’t feel like sunscreen; it has the best texture.

What else should we be looking out for?

Pay attention to any imbalance, like breakouts, dehydration, and sensitivity. Adjust the skincare accordingly, if needed. I’ll add a vitamin C serum for antioxidant protection or an antioxidant serum, because it protects your skin from the elements and also enhances sun protection when you put on sunscreen. And vitamin C is brightening, so it’ll even out the skin tone. Use gentle cleansers: nothing stripping, nothing exfoliating. Overexfoliating can lead to hyperpigmentation.

When it comes to moisturizing, there are some hydrating serums with peptides, which I’m a big fan of. For spring, I like to focus on monthly facials. The focus is on hydration, balancing the skin, and lifting and sculpting—my signature.

Is there anything we should skip?

Aggressive treatments will increase sensitivity and post-inflammatory pigmentation. Spring/summer is not the time to do anything aggressive. Now, prioritize lifestyle and hydration—not just water, but eating watery fruit and vegetables. And lean protein for the health of your muscles (it’s also great for sleep and stress management).

What about tricks or secrets?

When you use an SPF, use an antioxidant range serum. My favorite is IS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum. It’s good for sensitive skin.

Are there any innovations you would recommend?

I’m a big fan of peptides—chains of proteins that tell cells to function in a certain way. Something I’ve been doing for a very long time is combination therapies, using different technologies. I’m seeing more and more people leaning toward that. You get better results. I recently tried Softwave instead of O Therapy and I liked the results.

Is there anything people usually forget?

Lip exfoliation. Rhode is great—I think they actually make the best.

Any other products you’d like to shout out for this time of year?

Environ C-Quence Serum. It’s a retinoid serum, but they use the form of vitamin eight—so it’s encapsulated, and it converts retinoid acid inside the skin. It also has peptides to stimulate collagen and tons of antioxidants; it’s a complete treatment. Skinceuticals’s P-TIOX is very hydrating. And La Roche Posay’s Hyalu B5 is a combination of hyaluronic acid with B5, which is soothing and moisturizing.