How to treat dry skin this winter
Winter is here as we just had our first massive snow storm of 2026. The weather has been extremely chilly this winter and with cold weather typically comes drier skin. A lot of people struggle with dry skin all year round, but a large portion of people suffer more in the cold winter months.
Let’s first discuss why our skin gets dry in cold weather. When temperatures drop, moisture in the air disappears. When there is no humidity, the little bit of moisture on our skin evaporates. When you turn on your heat which tends to be a dry heat in the winter, that also forces the moisture in the air and on our skin to evaporate. To make matters worse, when you’re cold and you take a shower, you turn that shower on hot. Who doesn’t love a hot shower? Your skin. The hot water reduces the natural oils on the skin. The combination of the cold air, dry heat, and hot shower is a recipe for extremely dry skin and a damaged skin barrier. A damaged skin barrier is when the outermost layer of the skin is compromised, which leaves the skin vulnerable to all sorts of skin ailments.
Here are some simple ways you can treat your dry skin this winter:
Stop all your products that you’re currently using. Sometimes our products could be doing more harm than good, especially if you’re using products with a lot of alcohols, chemicals or acids. Eliminate your active ingredients immediately. For example: Retinol, Vitamin C, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Alcohol based toners, Benzoyl Peroxide, etc. These are ingredients that will make your skin more dry. The key is to treat the skin’s barrier first and then slowly dive back into your routine when the skin is healed.
Focus on hydration and moisturization. Start using a gentle creamy cleanser, a hyaluronic acid serum, and an SPF moisturizer for the day, and for the night the same gentle creamy cleanser and hyaluronic acid serum but apply a thick creamy moisturizer before bed. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, glycerin, oatmeal and petroleum jelly.
Stop taking hot showers. Try to use lukewarm temperature showers to avoid drying out the skin, redness, and inflammation and pat your skin try instead of rubbing.
Use a Humidifier. Humidifiers introduce moisture back into the air which helps the moisture in your skin. Look into using one at night while you sleep.
Drink water. This one can be a bit controversial as a lot of people claim that water does nothing for the skin. I personally believe that what you put into your body comes out on the face. If you’re hydrated your skin will appear hydrated and plump. Drink the recommended amount of water for your weight, if you’re unsure you can use this calculator for reference. With that being said, also try to stay away from anything that will dehydrate you such as alcohol and caffeine.
Apply lip balm. Our lips should not be ignored in the winter, be sure to wear lip balm when you go out in the cold and especially before bed. My all time favorite lip balm is Image Skincare’s Ormedic Lip Enhancement Complex. I apply it before bed and when I wake up it will still be on my lips in the morning. Hands down best lip product I’ve ever used.
Apply cream and gloves on hands at night. If you suffer from extremely dry and cracked hands apply a product like aquaphor or vaseline, or my personal favorite O’Keeffe’s Working Hands and then apply cotton gloves to lock in that moisture all night long while you sleep. You can also apply the cream to your knees and elbows and cracked heels to combat the dryness.
Bundle up in the cold. Be sure to keep your body and face warm when exposed to cold temperatures, especially when doing outdoor winter sports like skiing or snowboarding where windburn is a possibility. Wear hats, gloves, scarves, face masks, or goggles to prevent windburn/sunburn which will compromise your skin’s barrier and make dry skin even worse.
How has your skin been this winter? Have you tried any of these tips to help soothe your skin? Let me know in the comments below!
Leia the princess of staying warm and relaxing, be like Leia this winter <3