Winter dry skin is dry skin that develops during the cold winter season.
To prevent winter dry skin, you must protect your skin barrier, including your moisture barrier, lipid barrier and acid mantle.
This article will discuss:
- What is winter dry skin?
- How to prevent winter dry skin?
- How to protect your moisture barrier
- How to protect your lipid barrier
- How to protect your acid mantle
- Summary
- References
What is winter dry skin?
'Winter dry skin' is dry skin that develops during the cold winter season.
Winter dry skin can have a wide spectrum of symptoms - from mild dryness and flaking to severe itching, redness and pain.
Dry skin is due to a lack of water, humectants and lipids/fats in the skin barrier.
Exposure to winter weather can weaken your skin barrier and its protective functions.
Winter dry skin has been reported to involve scaling, defects in water holding and barrier functions, and decreased lipid levels in the stratum corneum (Ishikawa et al, 2013).
Learn more: Winter Dry Skin - What is it?
How to prevent winter dry skin?
Winter dry skin can be caused by cold temperatures, low humidity, harsh winds and sun exposure.
These factors can damage your skin barrier, including your moisture barrier and lipid barrier.
The key to preventing winter dry skin is to protect your skin barrier.
Protect your skin barrier
To treat dry skin in winter, you must protect your skin barrier, including your moisture barrier, lipid barrier and acid mantle.
What is the skin barrier?
Your skin barrier includes the outermost layers of skin, called the stratum corneum.
The skin barrier can be thought of as a brick wall that protects you.
When your skin barrier is healthy, it feels and appears smooth, soft, and plump.
In contrast, a damaged skin barrier looks dry, rough, dull, and dehydrated, and may become irritated, inflamed and itchy.
The skin barrier includes:
- The moisture barrier
- The lipid barrier
- The acid mantle
Learn More: What is The Skin Barrier
How to protect your moisture barrier
The skin moisture barrier is composed of water, natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) and other humectants, such as glycerol and hyaluronic acid to attract and hold onto moisture.
There are several ways to protect your moisture barrier:
- Drink water
- Use a humidifier
- Use a moisturizer with humectants
- Limit exposure to cold weather
- Protect your skin from the elements
Learn more: How To Protect Your Skin's Moisture Barrier
How to protect your lipid barrier
The lipid barrier is made of epidermal lipids and sebum.
There are several ingredients that can protect your lipid barrier:
- Emollients
- Carrier Oils - such as virgin coconut oil
- Linoleic acid - found in apple seed oil
- Occlusives - such as jojoba oil
Learn more: How To Protect Your Skin's Lipid Barrier
How to protect your acid mantle
Many factors can affect the pH of the skin, including age, sebum, sweat, detergents, cosmetics, and irritation (Ali et al, 2013; Yosipovitch et al, 1996).
How to protect your skin's acid mantle:
- Avoid high pH soaps
- Use a gentle cleanser
- Try an oil cleanser
A proper skin pH is important to maintain health skin.
Learn more: How To Protect Your Skin's Acid Mantle
Summary
Winter weather is harsh on your skin.
Winter dry skin appears dry, rough, and may scale and flake. It may also show premature signs of aging, like fine line, surface wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
To prevent winter dry skin, you must protect your skin barrier, including your moisture barrier, lipid barrier and acid mantle.
It is important to protect your skin against winter conditions to prevent winter dry skin.
Prevent Dry Skin
Dry Skin Love Apple Elixir 5% Vitamin E Face Oil is a luxurious face oil that makes your dry skin feel nourished, soft, calm and protected.
Our Apple Elixir 5% Vitamin E Face Oil is packed with nutrient-rich plant oils, including cold-pressed apple seed oil, virgin coconut oil and golden jojoba oil.
Made with 8 types of natural vitamin E - including tocopherols and rare tocotrienols.
Your skin will look plumper and the appearance of fine lines will be minimized.
Your skin will have a more youthful appearance.
References
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Author Information
Dr. Natasha Ryz is a scientist, skin care expert and an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Dry Skin Love Skincare, and she creates skincare products for beauty, dry skin and pain relief.
Dr. Ryz has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and she is a Vanier scholar. She also holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Natasha is the former Chief Science Officer of Zenabis Global, and she oversaw cannabis extraction, analytics, and product development. Her team brought 20 products to market including oils, sprays, vapes and softgels.
Why I Started A Skincare Company