Dry skin can occur at any time of the year but it becomes a very common issue in the fall and winter. There are a number of factors that can impact your skin’s health when the seasons take a cooler turn, but thankfully there are steps you can take to rejuvenate and protect your skin in cold weather.
Dry Skin Symptoms
There are many different symptoms of dry skin, other than your skin simply feeling dry. Identifying which symptoms you’re suffering from can help you determine the appropriate steps to protect it.
Common symptoms of dry skin include:
- Skin irritation
- Itchy skin
- Redness and inflammation (particularly on your cheeks)
- Rough textured, flaking and/or peeling skin
- Gray, ashy skin
- Fine pores and skin fold
- A dehydrated skin barrier
- Insufficient sebum secretion
- Dehydrated stratum corneum
If your skin is red and peeling in certain areas (skin folds such as the nasolabial fold, eyebrows, hairline, and around the nose and mouth), but is oily in other parts, you may have Seborrheic Dermatitis and should follow the treatment of seborrheic skin.
Why Is My Skin so Dry in Fall and Winter?
Before identifying the steps you need to take to soothe your skin in cold weather, it helps to understand the different seasonal factors that could be causing your dry skin.
1. A change in climate: Cold temperatures, harsh rain, snow, and brisk winds can strip moisture from your skin, leading to dry skin in cold weather or worsening existing dryness. Without proper care, dry skin symptoms like flakiness and irritation can intensify over time. Keep your skin hydrated and protected to maintain its health during colder months.
2. Indoor heating: As the weather gets colder, most of us in Northern Europe and America will be turning our heating on. However, that can adversely dry your skin, as indoor central heating reduces the humidity in the air.
3. Hotter showers: Likewise with the urge to turn the heating on, you may also find yourself taking hotter showers in the colder months. However, washing with hot water can remove natural oils from the skin, leaving it without its natural antidotes and defenses to dry skin.
4. Lack of sunlight: Our ability to get the correct levels of vitamin D decreases significantly due to the lack of sunlight in fall and winter. Vitamin D is essential to our skin health, as well as our immune systems, hormones, mental health, heart, and thyroid glands – all of which can also impact our skin.
5. Skincare with synthetic or chemically modified substances:Many skincare products contain substances that the skin does not recognize as natural, leaving an artificial layer on the surface. This can create the illusion of nourishment, but in reality, they don’t nourish and can interfere with the natural functions of the skin. Once the artificial substances of the layer are washed off, the skin is even drier than before.
Dry skin in cold weather needs deep, lasting nourishment, and that’s where our total hydration balm, Smooth Addiction, comes in. Unlike conventional products, LE PURE formulas are designed to work in harmony with your skin, providing true nourishment without artificial barriers. Our organic ingredients penetrate deeply, allowing the skin to retain its moisture and strengthening the skin’s natural barrier, even in the harshest conditions.
6. Excessive rubbing during cleansing: Rubbing your skin every day during your cleansing ritual can damage the hydrolipidic film and make your skin vulnerable to outside aggressions such as harsh climates and colder weather. Sitting down and caressing your skin while cleansing is one of the most overlooked skincare rituals to counteract dry skin. Rituals such as the Antiaging Face Cleansing technique are a gamechanger when treating skin with dryness.
7. Other skin conditions: The cold weather can leave our skin feeling vulnerable and less resistant to other existing or dormant skin conditions. There are many skin conditions that can cause dry skin such as cuperose, rosacea, eczema, and more. That’s why it’s more important than ever to treat and protect your skin in cold weather with an effective skincare routine.
How to Treat and Prevent Dry Skin in Cold Weather
Based on your symptoms and new knowledge of the factors that may be causing your dry skin, you can determine the appropriate actions and skincare products for treatment. However, there are some preventative measures that everyone can take to help soothe dry skin in the colder months.
To protect your skin from cold weather, you should:
1. Use lukewarm water to retain your skin’s natural oils.
2. Use natural and organic skincare that replenishes your skin, rather than one with drying soap agents and chemicals.
3. Invest in a gentle cleanser without soap agents to remove harmful dirt, makeup and pollutants whilst maintaining your skin’s natural protective barrier.
4. Aim to include extra doses of balanced fatty acids through your diet and skincare items such as the Opuntia cactus fruit seed oil, avocado oil, shea butter and cocoa butter.
5. Consider adding plants that naturally contain vitamin C to your skincare routine to restore and maintain your skin’s hydration and elasticity.
6. Pay extra attention to the areas that are exposed to the colder elements most often, such as your hands, face and lips.
7. However, don’t forget to care for the rest of your body as dry body skin can also affect the skin on your face. Try to use very little soap when washing your body in order to protect your skin’s protective barrier and aid rehydration at night with deep hydration oils.
At LE PURE, we constantly receive messages from clients struggling with dry skin in cold weather, as well as sensitivity, eczema, cuperose, and rosacea—conditions that often worsen in winter. That’s why we offer powerful, organic solutions to support your skin during this season.
Smooth Addiction is the ultimate hydration balm, deeply nourishing and protecting the skin. Simply warm a small amount in your hands and apply it to your body, face, or lips for instant repair and long-lasting moisture.
Whilst dry skin in cold weather is inevitable for many people, these methods should help to soothe any pains and keep your skin as hydrated and healthy as possible. For more advice on protecting your skin in cold weather, read our autumn skincare tips.
