Every time the seasons change my skin freaks out. My face gets scaly,red and irritated and in turn my adult acne rears its ugly head. It looks kind of like this:

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(On a side note, doesn't that look warm and nice? Sigh.) Thus, at least four times a year in this lovely Canadian climate, I have to reinvent my skincare routine. In the fall and winter I'm all about moisture, experimenting with new products to try to reign in my combination to dry skin all while making sure that my new routine won't exacerbate any pre-existing skin conditions. And I've found three pretty amazing ones to share with you that not only help boost hydration levels, they're also anti-aging. I'm talking serums. While serums are definitely pricier than your run-of-the-mill moisturizer, I assure you these are all worth it. What's the big deal with serums you ask? Well, serums generally have a lighter texture than regular face creams and come packed with more highly concentrated levels of key ingredients like hyaluronic acid (a substance that occurs naturally in the body that can hold up to 1, 000 times its weight in water) and vitamins. A serum should be applied as the first layer after washing your face and trust me, if you're a dry skin sufferer like myself you'll see a big difference fast. Here are my recent favourites: The hard-core hydration booster   Developed by Consonant's founder Bill Baker for a friend undergoing chemotherapy, this product has a cult following—and for good reason. Created with cassia angustifolia seed extract and glycerine, your skin will be noticeably more plump with just a few drops. This is also perfect if you're using prescription retinol or have recently undergone a skincare procedure. Consonant Organic HydrExtreme, $72, consontantskincare.com. The moisture-rich barrier builder

 

Made with some serious levels of hyaluronic acid, this serum absorbs quickly and also smells amazing. It also contains katafray extract, sorbier bud extract, Inca peanut extract and red algae to reinforce your skin's natural barrier. You only need two to three pumps of this concentrated serum to prep your skin for the day. Clarins HydraQuenchIntensive Serum Bi-Phase, $58, clarins.ca. The antioxidant-rich serum gel If you've got sensitive skin, this is the serum for you. It contains antioxidant thermal water, hyaluronic acid fragments, arginine and serene which all help balance and rehydrate the skin. This one is more of a gel than a liquid and I'd recommend it for every skin type. La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum Rehydrating Concentrated gel, $41, larocheposay.ca. These are all the perfect first layer to begin your day or before going to bed. Make sure to put SPF on top and feel free to layer a thicker moisturizer on top to seal in all the serum goodness. Tell us, what's your favourite skincare product for cold weather?