A Dermatologist’s Guide to Healthy Skin All Winter Long

Nothing says the passing of seasons quite like a sudden decrease in daylight hours, the abundance of woolly scarves and ... crispy and flakey skin. It seems that just moments ago you were sweating in the heat and now your dewy glow is as dry as the Sahara. What do you do now?

There’s actually plenty you can do, according to dermatologists, but first it’s important to understand why the winter is so harsh on your skin.

Here's what's causing winter skin problems

Most of the skin issues that happen in winter boil down to a few things: lower humidity, colder temperatures and indoor heating (which can also dry out your skin).

“Colder and drier air contributes to increased transepidermal water loss, which is the process of water evaporating through the outer layer of the skin,” says S. Max Vale, MD, a dermatologist at UW Medicine Primary Care at South Lake Union. “This leads to decreased skin hydration and impaired barrier function, and as a result, the skin is more susceptible to irritants, allergens and flares of eczema.”

Plus, winter sports like skiing and snowboarding can also cause sunburns (which are never fun), skin irritation from wet clothing and chapped lips and skin.

The most common skin issues

The biggest issue that happens during the winter is dryness — whether that’s in your lips (which can even crack), hands or just all over your skin. You can also experience excessive dryness in your legs and feet (particularly the heels) and irritation around your nose thanks to runny noses and tissues.

Dryness also causes skin to become itchy and uncomfortable, leading to pruritus, which is just the medical term for being itchy. Pruritus can increase with age because skin gets thinner and less able to maintain its moisture, but it’s pretty common and can affect anyone.

“As the skin dries out and small cracks form in the skin, itch receptors activate,” says Vale. “More scratching leads to more itching and skin barrier damage, creating a vicious itch-scratch cycle that can be difficult to break.”

People who may have more sensitive skin to begin with, or those with eczema or other underlying skin conditions, may see those things flare up a little bit more during winter, because the dryness can contribute to that skin barrier dysfunction.

“If you're already somebody who's predisposed to getting rashes like eczema, the weather can really make it flare up to the point where you get more inflammation and red spots and itching,” says Tanya Greywal, MD, a dermatologist at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt Dermatology Center and UW Medicine Eastside Specialty Center.

Top skincare tips to keep in mind

No matter what, the weather will be changing — so you'll need tips on how to keep your skin soft and smooth throughout the chilly season.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

Get the picture? This is pretty much the most important thing you can do to take care of your skin. Experts suggest that you:

• Use a thick cream moisturizer that comes in a jar during the winter. If it can be pumped out of a bottle, then it may be too thin and not hydrating enough.
• Moisturize right when you get out of the shower or bath because the moisturizer will spread easily and trap water in the skin and keep it from evaporating.
• Invest in a back lotion applicator (yes that’s a real thing) that has a soft silicone pad attached to a stick to help moisturize your hard-to-reach areas.
• Don’t use the really thick body lotion on your face — that can clog pores and cause other issues. Instead, use a hydrating facial moisturizer one to two times per day.
• Moisturize your hands more than once a day. “Keep a jar of your favorite body or hand moisturizer by the sinks you use the most — bathroom, kitchen, office — and apply every time after handwashing,” says Vale.

Take more calming (and cooler) showers and baths

This means you’ll need to:

• Turn down the heat because really hot water can irritate already inflamed skin.
• Make sure you use a non-irritating soap — something gentle and fragrance-free that won’t strip your skin.
• Don’t soap up your whole body every time, just wash your smellier areas daily if you want (like armpits and groin).

"For some people, this means bathing every other day in the winter and only soaping their entire body once or twice a week,” says Vale. “People love the feeling of a warm shower on a winter day but just be sure to not use soap all over, and, when you get out of the shower, gently pat dry and apply a thick moisturizer to your skin while it is still damp and hydrated from the shower.”

Be gentle with your skin ... really

Even if you think you’re being kind to your skin, take it a step further. This means you should:

• Avoid scrubbing your skin with washcloths, loofahs and brushes. Your hands are best (and most gentle). "A lot of people say, oh, it's dry and flaky, and they only want to scrub the flakes off,” says Greywal. “That's not going to help and is actually going to irritate the skin more.”
• Use fragrance-free products and moisturizers that contain ceramides, fats that are essential for healthy skin.
• Think about decreasing your use of over-the-counter retinols or prescription retinoids like tretinoin and Retin-A. “Some people can use their retinoid every night in the summertime but have to decrease to every other night in the wintertime,” says Vale. “You may also wish to decrease how often you use exfoliating products, like glycolic acid and salicylic acid, since these can further damage a fragile skin barrier in the winter.”

Step up your sleep routine

Yes, your skin is healing while you snooze, so it’s important that you:

• Treat severely dry hands and feet at night by applying white petrolatum or Vaseline and then putting white cotton gloves or white cotton socks over the top to help seal everything in, prevent messy sheets and help it penetrate the skin.
• For cracked lips, Greywal suggests applying a thick layer of Vaseline to your lips at night. You’ll need to open your mouth and get the corners really well to help heal up anything that's cracking (or help prevent cracking).

Don’t skimp on the sun protection

Sun protection still matters during the winter months, especially if you’re out in the snow. And if you put Vaseline on your lips, you still need to make sure you have sunscreen on top for protection.

“I also remind my patients that, while it may be cloudy throughout much of our PNW winter, 80% of the sun’s ultraviolet light penetrates cloud cover, so it’s important to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen year-round, as well as sun protective clothing when outdoors,” says Vale.

Bust out that humidifier

It’s finally time to swap the fan and AC for your trusty humidifier. Your skin will thank you for adding some moisture back into the air of your living space.

Cut down on hot tub time

This one sounds like a bummer, but any water that you’re submerged in that contains chlorine (like pools, Jacuzzis, etc.) is going to dry your skin out even more.

When should you see a doctor?

Though these winter skin hacks should be enough to keep most people’s skin barriers happy, there are some cases where a visit to your dermatologist is probably best.

“Sometimes, moisturizing alone is not enough to take care of winter-related skin issues,” says April Schachtel, MD, a dermatologist at the Dermatology Clinic at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt. “If the itch or rash is really significant, we might recommend topical steroids, non-steroidal topical treatments, topical or pill treatments for itch, or sometimes more advanced treatments like UV light therapy, immunosuppressants or biologics.”

Whether you’re used to weathering your winter skin changes (see what I did there?) or you’re new to the whole skincare world, these tips should help you stay good and glowy during this chilly season.