Our skin is resilient, but it can use a little extra help in winter.
Dermatologist Olivia M. Tasho, MPAS, PA-CWinter often makes your skin worse. Cold air outside and indoor heating can dry out your skin, making it flaky and irritated.
“You need to adjust your skin care routine this time of year,” says Dermatologist Olivia M. Tasho, MPAS, PA-C, of Dartmouth Health’s Cheshire Medical Center. “Our skin is resilient, but it can use a little extra help in winter.”
During winter, your skin loses natural oils and water, which can leave it dehydrated. Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis often get worse in the cold months.
That’s why experts recommend changing your skin care routine in winter and using certain ingredients to hydrate your skin.
Which skin care ingredients work?
Experts recommend using products with humectants, emollients, and occlusives to keep your skin moisturized.
Look for these ingredients in skin products:
Humectants
Humectants help hydrate your skin. You can find them in ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Tasho recommends them because they draw water from the air and deeper layers of the skin into the uppermost layer, helping keep skin hydrated.
Emollients
Emollients help replenish and smooth your skin by filling gaps between skin cells, making rough or flaky skin feel softer. They are found in ingredients like squalene, shea butter, and silicones. Emollients also help repair and strengthen your skin’s natural barrier, which can get damaged in winter.
Occlusives
Occlusives seal in moisture. You can find them in products with petroleum jelly, coconut oil, vitamin E oil, or beef tallow. Occlusives create a protective layer on your skin to lock in moisture and stop water from escaping. They add an extra shield against dry air and help prevent your skin from drying out.
A note about vitamin c and tretinoin
Vitamin C serums or lotions and tretinoin products are safe to use in winter. If you use tretinoin, try using it only a few times a week or mix it with a moisturizer until your skin gets used to it.
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How often should you moisturize?
Probably more often than you expect.
“Our skin is like a sponge, and it absorbs everything you put on it,” says Dermatologist Mayra C. Beauchamp Bruno, MD, of Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester.
If your skin is dry, make sure to moisturize every day and do it often. Don’t forget your face, lips, hands, and body.
“You need to continue to moisturize throughout the day and repair that skin barrier,” Beauchamp Bruno says. “A lot of people get this wrong and moisturize in the morning or after a shower at night. And they think that’s enough, but it’s not.”
How often should you wash your face during winter?
If your skin feels dry, try rinsing with just water in the morning and use a gentle cleanser at night.
“I have patients switch to a cream-based cleanser rather than a foaming type of cleanser to prevent stripping of that skin barrier,” Tasho explains. “And unless you’re exercising or breaking a sweat, I suggest only cleansing your face once a day."
What about soap?
Experts recommend avoiding antibacterial soaps. Instead, choose soaps or body washes that have moisturizers in them.
“Antibacterial soaps might seem like they would be a better option, but in reality, they’re stripping your skin of natural oils and can be very drying,” Beauchamp Bruno says.
Does your skin feel extra dry year-round?
Depending on your age, job, or lifestyle, you might have excessively dry skin not only in winter but year-round, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
Age: If you are middle-aged or older, your skin makes less sebum, the oil that keeps it soft and youthful. By your 40s, your body produces less sebum, and this keeps decreasing as you age.
Medications: Medicine like statins and diuretics can cause very dry skin.
Vitamin or mineral deficiency: Getting enough nutrients is important. Not having enough vitamin D, vitamin A, niacin, zinc, or iron can make your skin very dry.
Your job: If you often put your hands in water or use harsh chemicals at work, this can remove your skin’s protective layer.
Smoking: Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals that make your skin age faster and can also make it drier.
More tips to keep your skin moisturized
- Choose cream-based moisturizers instead of lotions to keep your skin hydrated.
- Try not to take long, hot showers or baths because they can dry out your skin.
- Put on moisturizer while your skin is still damp after a shower.
- Avoid products with alcohol. Moisturizers, anti-aging creams, sunscreens, and other creams can have different types of alcohol in them.
- Try to limit or avoid exfoliating your skin.
- Remember to use sunscreen, even when it’s cold or cloudy.
- Use a humidifier at home to help with dry skin.
- Stay away from dryer sheets, scented soaps, or other scented products.
Good skin products don’t need to break the bank, either. Tasho says you can find good moisturizers at reasonable prices.
“You don’t need an $80 moisturizer for your skin,” she says. “There are plenty of affordable, high-quality creams that will get you through the winter and do wonders for your skin.”
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