Aida Bicaj's Winter Morning Skincare Routine: The Expert-Approved Products Behind Glowing Winter Skin

Winter is unforgiving. Central heating, bitter winds, and dramatically reduced humidity create a perfect storm for stripped, dehydrated, and lackluster skin — and the instinct to pile on heavier creams rarely solves the problem at its root. For Aida Bicaj, the Tribeca-based skincare expert whose approach has made her one of New York's most sought-after facialists, winter skin is not a crisis to manage. It is an opportunity to work more precisely.

Her winter morning routine is a masterclass in layering: each product chosen not for comfort alone, but for what it does to prepare the skin for the day ahead. Here, she walks through every step — from the first cleanse to the final layer of protection — and explains why each product earns its place.

Step 1: Cleanse Without Compromise — Mansard Baume Initial

The first step sets the tone for everything that follows, and Aida's choice here — the Mansard Baume Initial — is deliberately gentle. This luxurious cleansing balm from Laboratoires Mansard, the French family-founded skincare laboratory with over 40 years of botanical expertise, is formulated for sensitive, weakened, and stressed skin: exactly what most complexions are in winter.

The Baume Initial transforms on contact from a rich balm into a silky cleansing oil, lifting overnight impurities and any residue without stripping the barrier. Its key ingredients — coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, jojoba, calendula, and aloe vera — are chosen to nourish as they cleanse. Crucially, it leaves no greasy residue: skin emerges clean, soft, and ready.

Why it works in winter: Cold weather depletes the skin's lipid barrier, making it more reactive and prone to tightness. A balm cleanser replenishes those essential fatty acids mid-cleanse rather than stripping them away. It is both the kindest and the smartest way to start a winter morning.

Step 2: First Resurfacing Pass — Mansard Phyto Resurfaçant

Post-cleanse, Aida reaches for the Mansard Phyto Resurfaçant — a next-generation resurfacing treatment that occupies a unique space in skincare: genuinely exfoliating, yet formulated to support rather than challenge the skin's microbiome. Powered by a sophisticated acid complex of gluconolactone (a PHA), glycolic acid, and mandelic acid, alongside organic fermented apple, red algae, prebiotic cultures, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid, it delivers visible renewal without the post-exfoliation sensitivity that plagues more aggressive treatments.

Applied after cleansing and before the mask step, this first pass sweeps away dull surface cells and preps the skin to receive the active treatments that follow. Think of it as clearing the canvas.

Why it works in winter: Winter skin tends to accumulate dead cells more rapidly due to slower turnover in cold conditions, creating a dull, thickened layer that blocks hydration from penetrating. A gentle, barrier-friendly exfoliant like Phyto Resurfaçant addresses this without creating the inflammation that harsher AHAs can trigger in already-stressed winter skin.

Step 3: The Double Mask — Biologique Recherche Masque VIP O2 and Masque Bain de Plantes

This is where Aida's routine enters genuinely expert territory. Rather than reaching for a single mask, she combines two Biologique Recherche masks — one oxygenating and radiance-boosting, one purifying and rebalancing — to address the specific paradox of winter skin: simultaneously dehydrated and sluggish.

Biologique Recherche Masque VIP O2

The Masque VIP O2 is one of Biologique Recherche's most iconic formulations. Its patented VIP O2 Complex — enriched with melatonin to support mitochondrial function and cellular energy production — delivers measurably higher hydration and a luminous, even-toned complexion in just 15 minutes. Active ingredients include marine elastin for firmness, white kaolin clay for gentle purification, cucumber extract for soothing, and witch hazel for pore refinement, alongside Biologique Recherche's signature oxygenating complex that stimulates cellular respiration and revitalizes devitalized skin.

Biologique Recherche Masque Bain de Plantes (with a pinch of baking soda)

Alongside the Masque VIP O2, Aida layers the Masque Bain de Plantes — a plant-based, sebo-regulating formula rich in fireweed, terminalia, nasturtium, zinc, burdock, and stinging nettle. It purifies excess sebum without stripping moisture, while green clay and yeast extract reinforce its detoxifying action.

Aida's signature touch: a pinch of baking soda mixed into the Masque Bain de Plantes. The mild alkalinity neutralizes excess acidity on the skin's surface, enhancing the mask's purifying action and contributing to a smoother, more refined texture after removal.

Why this combination works in winter: The Masque VIP O2 addresses the radiance deficit and dehydration that cold weather creates, while the Masque Bain de Plantes clears the congestion that builds when skin is sluggish. Together they reset the complexion — bright, clean, and balanced — before any serums are applied.

Step 4: Second Resurfacing Pass — Mansard Phyto Resurfaçant Again

After rinsing the masks, Aida applies the Phyto Resurfaçant a second time. This is a deliberate, expert-level choice. The first application preps the skin pre-mask; the second, post-mask, ensures any residual dead cells loosened during masking are swept away, and that the skin's surface is optimally receptive for the serums to follow. Because the Phyto Resurfaçant is a microbiome-supportive formula designed for regular use, this double application is well-tolerated — an important consideration for winter, when the skin's tolerance is at its most variable.

Step 5: Vitamin C and Elastin — Mansard Serum No. 23 Vita-C and Serum No. 27 Elastin

With the skin cleansed, exfoliated, masked, and re-exfoliated, it is now at its most receptive. This is the moment for actives — and Aida layers two Mansard serums that address winter's two most pressing concerns: dullness and loss of firmness.

Mansard Serum No. 23 Vita-C Radiance

The Serum No. 23 delivers 23% stabilized Vitamin C alongside orange peel extract, green tea, centella asiatica, licorice root, and hyaluronic acid. At this concentration, it is a high-potency antioxidant treatment that supports collagen synthesis, fades pigmentation, and shields the skin from the oxidative stress that urban pollution and low winter light both accelerate. Mansard's stabilized formulation makes it appropriate even for sensitive skin types that typically react to pure L-ascorbic acid.

Mansard Serum No. 27 Elastin Fondamentale

Layered directly over the Vita-C, the Serum No. 27 is rich in pure elastin — the fibrous protein responsible for the skin's snap and resilience. As elastin levels diminish with age and environmental exposure, skin loses its ability to spring back, contributing to fine lines and sagging. This serum smooths and firms while simultaneously promoting cell renewal, making it particularly effective around the eye and lip area where these changes appear first.

Why this pairing works in winter: Vitamin C drives collagen synthesis from the inside out; elastin support maintains the structural integrity of what is built. Together they address both the brightness deficit and the firmness loss that winter skin routinely experiences.

Step 6: Seal and Protect — Valmont Prime Regenera II

The final step is the most indulgent — and perhaps the most essential for winter. Valmont's Prime Regenera II is an ultra-rich repair cream built around the brand's signature Cellular Prime Complex: a concentrate of triple DNA, Liposome RNA, and a Peptides+ Cocktail for deep anti-aging activity, alongside a Lipid Complex that mimics the skin's intercellular cement and beeswax for intense nourishment.

The result is what its devotees describe as cosmetic butter — a balm that wraps skin in lasting moisture, visibly reduces the appearance of wrinkles and irritation, and leaves the complexion supple and profoundly comfortable. Long celebrated on ski slopes and in the world's most demanding climates, it is built to protect against extreme cold, wind, and dryness.

Why it works in winter: After a routine this active — two exfoliation passes, a double mask, two high-potency serums — the skin needs a final layer of serious protection. Prime Regenera II seals in every active ingredient applied before it, restores the lipid barrier that cold temperatures erode, and ensures the skin meets the day fully armored.

The Full Routine at a Glance

1. Cleanse — Mansard Baume Initial
2. Resurface — Mansard Phyto Resurfaçant (first pass)
3. Double Mask — Biologique Recherche Masque VIP O2 + Masque Bain de Plantes with a pinch of baking soda
4. Resurface — Mansard Phyto Resurfaçant (second pass)
5. Treat — Mansard Serum No. 23 Vita-C + Serum No. 27 Elastin
6. Protect — Valmont Prime Regenera II

The Philosophy Behind the Routine

What makes this routine distinctive is not its complexity, it is its intentionality. Every step has a role. The double exfoliation ensures maximum receptivity without compromising the barrier. The double mask addresses dullness and imbalance simultaneously. The serums are sequenced for synergy. And the final cream locks in everything that came before it.

Winter skin does not need more product. It needs the right products, in the right order, chosen by someone who understands exactly what the skin is asking for. This routine is Aida Bicaj's answer to that question.

Shop Aida's full winter skincare edit at aidabicaj.com, or book a consultation to receive a routine personalized to your skin.