Winter Dry Skin Care
Winter dryness isn't a new skin type — it's dry outdoor air plus indoor heating pulling water out of your skin faster than in autumn. The fix is the routine you already...
Winter dryness isn't a new skin type — it's dry outdoor air plus indoor heating pulling water out of your skin faster than in autumn. The fix is the routine you already have, made heavier, applied sooner, and extended to the places you ignore.
Shop by where it's dry
- Face, tight and flaky: move from a lotion to a cream or balm — thicker emulsions carry more oil, which slows evaporation.
- Face, itchy and reactive: fragrance-free formulas aimed at dry sensitive skin, and pause acids and retinoids until the stinging stops.
- Cracked or wind-chapped patches: an occlusive balm, used locally as a final step over your moisturiser, not instead of it.
- Lips: a balm with SPF. Snow reflects UV and altitude increases it.
- Hands: frequency beats formula. Keep a balm where you wash.
The free improvements
Moisturise within a few minutes of washing, onto still-damp skin, so you're sealing in water rather than hoping to add it. Shorten and cool your showers.
Descriptions come from each brand's own copy. Anything cracked, bleeding or not improving after a couple of weeks is one for a dermatologist. Full guide: Winter Skincare for Dry Skin.
Four changes do almost all the work in cold weather. Winter skincare for dry skin covers what to swap, why you should not exfoliate flaking skin, and where winter shows first.