'Winter dry skin' is dry skin that develops during the cold winter season.
Winter dry skin appears dry, rough, and may scale and flake. It may also show premature signs of aging, like fine lines, surface wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Dry skin during winter is common in Canada and cold climates.
This article will discuss:
- What is winter dry skin?
- Winter dry skin is dehydrated
- Winter dry skin has less lipids
- 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.
Symptoms of dry skin during winter include:
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Skin feels tight, dehydrated
- Skin appears dull, rough and blotchy
- Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling
- Fine lines and wrinkles are more pronounced
- May have irritation and a burning sensation
- May have itching
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).
Winter dry skin is dehydrated
Dry winter skin has a lack of water.
Daily insults from the environment, such as low humidity, wind, and sun, can lower the skin's water content, causing improper desquamation and the appearance of dry, flaky skin (Verdier-Sévrain et al, 2007).
Water is essential for the normal functioning of the skin.
The water content of skin is remarkably high - the epidermis (the outer skin layer) contains more than 70% water, while its outermost layer, the stratum corneum has been shown to contain ~15 - 25% water (Warner et al, 1988; Caspers et al, 2001; Caspers et al, 2003).
When the water content of the stratum corneum falls below 10%, scaling on the skin surface becomes visible (Rycroft, 1985).
If the skin water content falls below a critical level, normal cell turnover is impaired, leading to skin cells sticking and building up on the skin surface (Verdier-Sévrain et al, 2007).
These changes lead to the visible appearance of dryness, roughness, scaling, and flaking (Verdier-Sévrain et al, 2007).
Studies have shown a drop in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) (a measure of the integrity of the skin's barrier function) with low humidity, as well as alterations in the water content in the stratum corneum, decreased skin elasticity and increased roughness (Goad et al, 2016).
A study on dry facial skin found a higher dryness score with low temperatures, high wind speed and low humidity (Cooper et al, 1992) and as little as 15 min of cold and dry air has been proven to significantly decrease skin hydration (Roure et al, 2012).
These data suggest that a reduction in temperature leads to a decrease in skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and that this effect is stronger when relative humidity is low (Cooper et al, 1992; Roure et al, 2012).
Winter dry skin has less lipids
The surface of your skin is covered by a layer of protective fats, including epidermal lipids and sebum.
Epidermal lipids include:
- Ceramides
- Free Fatty Acids
- Cholesterol
These lipids are released from skin cells and fill the spaces between the cells, like mortar or cement (Pappas, 2009).
Sebum is made of:
- Triglycerides
- Wax esters
- Squalene
Sebum is an oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands and eventually released to the surface of the skin. Sebum coats the skin, seals in moisture, and protects your skin from getting too dry (Pappas, 2009).
Lower lipid levels in the stratum corneum have been reported in winter dry skin (Akimoto et al, 1993; Rawlings et al, 1994; Rogers et al, 1996).
In a study with healthy women, aged 21-60 years, there was a pronounced seasonal decline in all the lipid levels from summer to spring and winter (Rogers et al, 1996).
There was a 20% decrease in ceramide 1 linoleate levels in leg samples in winter compared with summer (Rogers et al, 1996).
The reduction in lipid levels may in turn reduce the water content of the stratum corneum. This may influence the activity of the stratum corneum enzymes involved in cell shedding and will interfere with the generation of natural moisturizing factors, leaving the skin prone to dryness (Rogers et al, 1996).
Summary
Winter weather is harsh on your skin.
'Winter dry skin' is dry skin that develops during the cold winter season.
Winter dry skin appears dry, rough, and may scale and flake. It may also show premature signs of aging, like fine lines, surface wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Winter dry skin is lacking water, humectants and fats. Humectants absorb and hold water, while fats coat the skin and seal in moisture. When there is not enough water, humectants or fats, skin barrier disruption can occur, further worsening symptoms of dry skin.
Winter dry skin is common in Canada and cold climates.
It is important to protect your skin against winter weather.
How are you protecting your winter dry skin?
References
Abe T, Mayuzumi J, Kikuchi N, Arai S (1989) Seasonal variations in skin temperature, skin pH, evaporative water loss and skin surface lipid values on human skin. Chem Pharm Bull 28: 387–392.
Akimoto K, Yoshikawa N, Higaki Y, Kawashima M, Imokawa G (1993) Quantitative analysis of stratum corneum lipids in xerosis and asteatotic eczema. J Dermatol 20: 1–6.
Caspers PJ, Lucassen GW, Carter EA et al. In vivo confocal Raman microspectroscopy of the skin: noninvasive determination of molecular concentration profiles. J Invest Dermatol 2001; 116:434– 42.
Caspers PJ, Lucassen GW, Puppels GJ. Combined in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy and confocal microscopy of human skin. Biophys J 2003 July; 85: 572-80.
Cooper MD, Jardine H, Ferguson J. Seasonal influence on the occurrence of dry flaking facial skin. In Marks R and Plewig G, eds. The Environmental Threat to the Skin, Vol. 159. Martin Dunitz, London, 1992; 159–164.
D'Orazio J, Jarrett S, Amaro-Ortiz A, Scott T. UV radiation and the skin. Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Jun 7;14(6):12222-48.
(2002) The skin in the cold, International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 61:3, 277-286.
Engebretsen KA, Johansen JD, Kezic S, Linneberg A, Thyssen JP. The effect of environmental humidity and temperature on skin barrier function and dermatitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Feb;30(2):223-49.
Fowler J. Understanding the Role of Natural Moisturizing Factor in Skin Hydration. Practical Dermatology. 2012; July. 36-40.
Goad N, Gawkrodger DJ. Ambient humidity and the skin: the impact of air humidity in healthy and diseased states. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Aug;30(8):1285-94.
Ishikawa J, Yoshida H, Ito S, Naoe A, Fujimura T, Kitahara T, Takema Y, Zerweck C, Grove GL. Dry skin in the winter is related to the ceramide profile in the stratum corneum and can be improved by treatment with a Eucalyptus extract. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2013 Mar;12(1):3-11.
Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Castellani JW. Frostbite: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. J Spec Oper Med. 2020 Winter;20(4):123-135.
Matsumura Y, Ananthaswamy HN. Toxic effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2004 Mar 15;195(3):298-308.
Milstone LM. Epidermal desquamation. J Dermatol Sci. 2004 Dec;36(3):131-40.
Pappas A. Epidermal surface lipids. Dermatoendocrinol. 2009 Mar;1(2):72-6.
Rawlings A, Hope J, Rogers J, Mayo A, Watkinson A, Scott I (1994) Abnormalities in sratum corneum structure, lipid composition and desmosome degradation in soap induced winter xerosis. J Soc Cosmet Chem 45: 203–220.
Rogers J, Harding C, Mayo A, Banks J, Rawlings A. Stratum corneum lipids: the effect of ageing and the seasons. Arch Dermatol Res. 1996 Nov;288(12):765-70.
Roure R, Lanctin M, Nollent V et al. Methods to assess the protective efficacy of emollients against climatic and chemical aggressors. Dermatol Res Pract 2012; 2012: 864734.
Rycroft RJ. Low humidity and microtrauma. Am J Ind Med 1985; 8:371–3.
Warner RR, Myers MC, Taylor DA. Electron probe analysis of human skin: determination of the water concentration profile. J Invest Dermatol 1988; 90: 218–24.
Verdier-Sévrain et al. (2007). Skin hydration: a review on its molecular mechanisms. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 6, 75–82.
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 extraction, analytics, and product development. Her team brought 20 products to market including oils, sprays, vapes and softgels.
Why I Started A Skincare Company