Winter weather is harsh on us all. Freezing temperatures, low humidity, blustering winds, boiling heaters. They all take a toll on our skin. Life-threatening? No, but it can be seriously uncomfortable and annoying. And when nothing seems to help, bigger steps need to be taken to rehydrate dry or dehydrated skin. And yes, dry and dehydrated are two different things.
One tip that can benefit everyone (not just people with dry skin types or dehydrated skin) is to apply your moisturizers while your skin is damp to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
“TEWL is the amount of water that passively evaporates through skin to the external environment due to water vapor pressure gradient on both sides of the skin barrier and is used to characterize skin barrier function” (Applied Dermatology, 2014).
So when you’re hopefully🙏 patting your face dry after washing, the towel is pulling the moisture out of your skin, not just off the top of it. Leave your face and body damp when applying moisturizers, lotions, and creams to lock in as much moisture as possible. It may feel a little weird at first, but it will significantly increase the hydration of your skin.
Dry hands? Try putting on lotion onto slightly damp hands after washing your hands. This is a great way to help your lotion not work as hard if you’re constantly washing your hands all day.
Hot tip #2: Look for products that contain good moisturizers or ingredients that hold onto water. When your skin is dehydrated, the lipid barrier is compromised so you’ll need to help repair the damage and calm the inflammation if any. Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, are all great at attracting moisture and locking it in. “For very dry skin, a moisturizer that contains urea or lactic acid may be helpful. These ingredients help the skin hold water” (AAD, 2019). Certain oils or good ‘ole petroleum jelly can be great to soothe dry, cracked areas as well. Thinking about slathering on coconut oil? Read this.
Relatedly, don’t overwash, over-exfoliate or over-strip your skin. (Check out my post on face scrubs.) Many people switch up their winter routine to include a thicker moisturizer but neglect the rest of their skincare routine. If your skin still feels tight or dry, and putting on more moisturizer doesn’t help — change something! You need to figure out what is dehydrating YOUR skin or whether you just have a dry skin type. Maybe use a stronger acid-based cleanser in the summer and a hydrating cleanser like Cerave’s Hydrating Cleanser with ceramides and hyaluronic acid or La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser. Your skincare routine should adapt with your skin. A lot of people shouldn’t be using the same skincare routine year-round.
Take care of your skin this winter. It’s trying to last a lifetime.
What’s your winter skincare lifesaver?
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