It happens almost as if on cue: winter and its cold, windy weather rolls in and skin starts to feel dry, rough or flaky; or even red and irritated. Even if you don’t have a dry skin type, you can still experience dry skin in the winter. When this is the case, it’s largely due to your environment, and therefore, a temporary concern—though hard hitting.
Ahead, Lancôme’s skincare experts share what you need to know about winter skin and adaptive strategies to winterize your skincare routine and find relief:
- Strategy #1: Swap to a Cream Cleanser
- Strategy #2: Layer Your Hydration
- Strategy #3: Shorten Your Showers
- Strategy #4: Try Slugging Lite
- Strategy #5: Bring Out the Humidifier
What is dry winter skin?
It’s not just you; skin really can become drier in the winter and is quite common. The phenomenon of dry winter skin is a fascinating intersection of environmental physics and skin physiology. Essentially, winter creates a perfect storm for the skin barrier, where external conditions aggressively pull moisture out of the body while internal biological processes slow down.
1. The Physics of Low Ambient Humidity
The primary culprit is a simple principle of physics: diffusion. In the winter, cold air has a much lower capacity to hold water vapor than warm air. When the air outside is dry, it creates a steep "humidity gradient" between your skin (which is naturally moist) and the environment.
Through a process called Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL), the water in your skin cells evaporates into the dry air in an attempt to reach equilibrium. Even if you stay indoors, central heating systems further strip the air of moisture, creating a desert-like environment for your face and body.
2. Weakened Skin Barrier
Our skin barrier is often compared to a "brick and mortar" structure. The "bricks" are the skin, and the "mortar" is a complex mixture of lipids—including ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids.
Research shows that in cold temperatures, the skin’s ability to synthesize these essential lipids decreases. When the "mortar" becomes thin or cracked, it can no longer effectively seal in moisture or protect against irritants. This is why skin not only feels dry in winter but often becomes more sensitive or prone to visible redness.
3. The Impact of Vasoconstriction
When we’re exposed to cold, our bodies undergo what’s known as “vasoconstriction”—the narrowing of blood vessels to conserve core body heat. While this protects our internal organs, it reduces blood flow to the periphery, including the dermis and epidermis.
This internal slowdown can lead to a duller complexion and a decreased rate of cell turnover, causing dead skin to accumulate on the surface, which contributes to a visibly rough, flaky texture.
4. Trying to Stay Warm
Interestingly, our attempts to stay warm in the winter often exacerbate the problem:
Hot Showers: Stepping into a steaming hot shower feels wonderful when it's freezing outside, but hot water is a powerful solvent. It effectively dissolves the natural oil mantle on the skin surface, stripping away the very protection your skin needs most.
Abrasive Clothing: Heavy wools and synthetic layers can cause mechanical friction, leading to dry skin.
Adaptive Strategies for Winter Skincare
Given these environmental and biological shifts, a winterized skincare routine should focus on replenishment and protection:
Strategy #1: Swap to a Cream Cleanser
Move away from foam or gel cleansers that contain harsh surfactants (like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) in favor of a gentle, lipid-rich formula, such as Crème Mousse Confort. This cream cleanser nourishes and soothes skin as it washes away impurities and makeup. Rinse with lukewarm water.
Strategy #2: Layer Your Hydration
Like you layer clothes in winter, layer your hydration. Use a humectant-rich serum (Beta-Glucan, Hyaluronic Acid), like Génifique Ultimate Serum, first and immediately lock it in with a thick, emollient cream moisturizer containing ceramides, such as Génifique Night Cream. Try this replenishing layering strategy on targeted areas, like dry patches on cheeks, or the entire face for overall dry skin. This small adjustment can make all the difference.
Strategy #3: Shorten Your Showers
Keep water lukewarm and limit bathing time to 5-10 minutes to preserve your natural oil mantle.
Strategy #4: Try Slugging Lite
Since TEWL is highest at night, applying a more occlusive moisturizer, like Rénergie Lift Multi-Action Night Cream (Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter) or Absolue Rich Cream (Grand Rose Extract, Coconut Oil) can act as a breathable seal while you sleep.
Remember slugging? Well, this is “slugging lite.” You create a reservoir of moisture that the skin can drink from throughout the night, rather than the petroleum layer used in skin slugging that does not provide moisture to the skin. Instead of rubbing the cream in until it disappears, apply a slightly thicker layer than you would during the day, concentrating on dry areas.
Strategy #5: Bring Out the Humidifier
Skincare starts with the air. If the air is at 0% humidity, your humectant serum might actually pull moisture out of your skin (gasp!). When humidity is low, use a humidifier to bring moisture back into the air, especially at night.
Now that you know what dry winter skin is, how it functions, and some strategies to winterize your routine, you can feel ready to face even the harshest winter weather. For more information, read on as we answer some of the most common questions around dry winter skin.
Frequently Asked Dry Winter Skin Questions
References:
The Cleveland Clinic: Dry Skin (Xeroderma): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention. This resource explains the "brick and mortar" analogy of skin cells and lipids.
Mayo Clinic: Dry Skin - Symptoms and Causes. A foundational resource for understanding how external factors like low humidity and heating systems affect skin health.
Harvard Health Publishing: 6 tips for relief from itchy, dry winter skin. This explains the behavioral impacts (like hot showers) on the skin’s natural oil mantle.
Journal of Investigative Dermatology / ResearchGate: Winter Annoyance - A Dry Skin. Scientific papers often cited in the industry that detail the reduction in filaggrin byproducts and ceramide synthesis during winter months.
University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC): Braving the Elements: How Winter Weather Influences Skin. This provides insights into vasoconstriction and nutrient delivery to the epidermis.
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD): Dermatologists' top tips for relieving dry skin. Provides the clinical basis for the "Damp Skin Rule" and recommended ingredient profiles.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26449379/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5608132/
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dermatologists-tips-relieve-dry-skin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885180/#sec1-3title
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/#__sec13title
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dermatologists-tips-relieve-dry-skin
