Is my skin dry during winter?
Dry winter skin doesn’t happen overnight – it creeps up on you as the temperature drops. If you’ve never experienced dry skin in winter, there are a few telltale signs that go beyond general skin dehydration:
- Rough texture
- Scaly patches
- Flakiness
- Tightness
- Dull skin tone
- Redness and increased sensitivity
- Prickling sensations
- Chapped lips
If you already have dry skin, these characteristics tend to become more prominent in winter. You might also notice a difference in where your skin gets dry: the lips, skin around the mouth, chin, and the eye contour are usually most affected.
However, even oily skin types can experience seasonal dehydration as the skin’s water content is generally lower.
What makes skin dry in winter?
From environmental changes to our indoor habits, there is a mix of external stressors that make skin dry during winter:
- Colder temperatures and lower humidity – cooler, drier air draws natural moisture out of your skin.
- Icy winds – this type of inclement weather can also zap your skin’s moisture levels.
- Hotter showers – winter often means hotter showers to compensate for the cold temperatures which can dry out the skin.
- Exposure to indoor heating – similarly, indoor heating might feel great, but it can exacerbate dry skin concerns.
Why is winter skincare important?
Cool, dry weather conditions draw moisture out of the skin, which impacts the skin moisture barrier – the protective lipid shield that locks in hydration and keeps out external stressors.
If the skin moisture barrier is compromised, it leads to ‘transepidermal water loss’ (TEWL). When TEWL happens, it can exacerbate dryness, tightness, and rough patches, while heightening skin sensitivity to outside stressors.
The goal of winter skincare is to supplement this lost moisture with humectants, emollients and occlusives, while minimising the use of potent ingredients that your skin may otherwise tolerate during warmer seasons.
Winter skincare routine for dry skin
A carefully curated winter skincare routine should include hydration at every step of the routine. However, your regimen should still finish with sunscreen to keep your skin protected from UV damage. Here is our general winter skincare guide:
- Wash your face with a cleanser that hydrates and smooths skin texture.
- Use a serum to deliver targeted hydration.
- Apply a nourishing moisturiser to support the skin moisture barrier.
- Finish with SPF to protect your skin.
Read on to find out how you can perfect each step with the right products and application.
1. Wash your face with a hydrating, smoothing cleanser
Although your skin is sweating less and generally producing less oil, it’s still important to cleanse your face to remove any debris or impurities – particularly since skin can be more sensitive to external pollutants in winter.
You can harness the hydrating powers of hyaluronic acid and the smoothing benefits of salicylic acid with the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Smoothing Cleanser. Formulated for all skin types, the Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Smoothing Cleanser has been developed to visibly smooth and re-plump the skin.
2. Apply serum for intense hydration
Serums are a must-have in a winter skincare routine for dry skin because they can deliver concentrated hydration to the skin surface. Humectants, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, are some of the most effective winter skincare ingredients because they attract and bind water to the skin.
To impart the benefits of hyaluronic acid and glycerin to the skin, you can apply a few drops of the Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum onto clean, damp skin. This serum is powered by micro-epidermic hyaluronic acid, which penetrates deeply to nourish, plump and smooth the skin.
3. Nourish the skin moisture barrier
If your skin is dry during winter, we can’t overstate the importance of moisturiser to comfort the skin and lock in hydration. They’re also formulated with a thicker texture than other skincare products, so they help form a protective barrier over your dry skin.
After applying your serum, layer on the Revitalift Filler Plumping Water Cream with Hyaluronic Acid. This moisturiser is enriched with hyaluronic acid along with ceramides – a highly efficacious type of emollient that helps fortify the skin moisture barrier.
4. Protect your skin with SPF
Even if it feels like you haven’t seen the sun in weeks, sun protection is essential all year round to safeguard your skin against UVA rays – which are responsible for premature ageing.
To finish up your winter skincare routine, reach for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF50. If you’re someone who prefers a pared back winter makeup routine, you’ll love the Bright Reveal Tinted Daily Fluid SPF 50 Light. This tinted sunscreen combines broad-spectrum protection with lightweight coverage to deliver an instant, unified glow to skin.
7 Winter skin tips
While it’s crucial to have a hydrating winter skincare routine, you can care for your skin in other ways too. Below are seven winter skin tips to minimise moisture loss as the cold weather hits.
- Steer clear of potent ingredients that dry out the skin (like retinol).
- Reduce your contact with astringent or perfumed ingredients that can make the skin more sensitive.
- Avoid over-cleansing as this can rob moisture from the skin
- Invest in a humidifier to increase moisture levels in the air.
- Where possible, use indoor heat sparingly to mitigate dryness.
- Apply nourishing lip balm and hand cream to keep other dry points hydrated.
- Try to avoid long, excessively hot showers.
When you’re battling dry skin in winter, makeup application can be tough. Explore our guide on how to apply makeup for dry skin.
