Frozen Mornings, Radiant Skin: Meredith Shaw Reveals Her Winter Skincare Essentials

This interview with Breakfast Television’s Meredith Shaw is part of Street Meet, FLEETSTREET’s series, where we meet up with trailblazers and thought leaders to deliver unique insight and inspiration into issues we all care about.

The winter months bring both happiness and misery to Canadian women. On one hand, you have cozy winter nights and (cheers!) après ski. But on the other, you have blustery temperatures and, worst of all, dry, parched skin. I connected with TV personality Meredith Shaw to find out how she keeps her skin glowing during the harsh winter temps – on and off the big screen. 

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FS: So, What does your morning skin-care routine look like?

MS: Because of my early morning schedule, I keep my morning routine to four steps. Every minute counts at 4 a.m. 

• Step one: I wash my face with Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser. It’s a soft scrub that I use dry – just like Tata told me to – and it is the best way to wake up my face. 
• Step two: I spritz my favourite toner by The Care Principle. 
• Step three: Follow up with a vitamin-c serum. 
• Step four: Then I use a day cream with SPF.

The whole thing takes me about three minutes, and it does get me on the right track for the day. 

Oh, there’s a fifth step! The final part of my morning routine is under-eye patches. My favourite ones are from Pixi Beauty. I pop them on before I get in the car and let them do their thing on my ride, which gets me made fun of at work. I just love how they depuff and tighten my under eyes. 

And then what about the nighttime beauty routine?

For night-time, it’s all about taking the TV makeup off and [doing] some self-care. I usually light one of my fave Francis & Meyer candles, I use Trinny London products to double cleanse my skin, apply The Care Principle serum, and then use my MD beauty night cream with active ingredients. 

Full disclosure: My job does give me access to new beauty brand offerings – perk – and I do like to try them. So, basically, my morning beauty routine is super consistent. At night, I play.

What do balms actually do for your skin?

Can you share any must-have skincare products or DIY remedies? What do you swear by to keep your skin moisturized and glowing throughout the season?

To be hydrated starts with proper exfoliation, so I like to prep my skin so it can soak up the hydration products. I think, as we get older, the more important active ingredients become. Trinny London has a great PHA exfoliant called Tiptoe In that I love, along with C E Ferulic Serum by SkinCeuticals. 

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Has your winter skincare routine evolved?

I honestly never used to do anything different in my routine between the seasons, but now I do. I choose richer creams, use hair masks more frequently, and I’m finding those moments of self-care throughout the long dark winter days become more of a priority. What I’ve learned over the years is that a beauty routine can be very empowering. Sure, there’s a physical effect, but it also allows us a moment of grace, reflection and a daily practice. 

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Does your nutrition impact your skin? Do you eat any winter-specific foods or take any supplements?

The first thing to hit my lips in the morning used to be coffee, but now it’s electrolytes. That simple shift means that I’m being intentional about hydration from the inside out. I’ve noticed a huge difference, not only in my skin but also in my energy levels, which I need more of through these Canadian winters.