Causes of Dry Skin in Winter Season and Ways to Prevent It

Your skin shouldn't hibernate during the winter season. While the season can be cozy, your skin deserves more than just warmth - learn more about ways to tackle winter skin woes!

The winter season has its charms - snow, chilly winds, cozy sweaters, and hot cocoa - but for many, it can wreak havoc on their skin! As the temperature and humidity drop, the skin becomes rough, dry, flaky, and uncomfortable. In fact, dry skin in the winter season is more than a surface-level issue - it weakens your skin's protective barrier and dehydrates the skin, further leading to itching, irritation, scaly skin, and more such concerns. In this blog, we will discuss the causes of dry skin in winter, how it affects your skin in the long term, and share some practical care tips to improve your skin health. 

What Happens To Your Skin When It Turns Dry in Winter Season?

Dry skin is a huge seasonal inconvenience, but, if left untreated it can escalate into bigger concerns for future seasons. Here's how:

• Lost Skin Elasticity: Your skin may feel tight and uncomfortable if the dryness is not treated in time. It can also lead to skin dullness and roughness.
• Increased Sensitivity: Dry skin is more sensitive as the skin barrier becomes compromised, making it difficult to retain moisture and it is more prone to skin irritation.
• Accelerated Aging: When the skin loses its moisture, the skin is more susceptible to fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

How to recognize dry skin?

• Flakiness and scaling.
• Cracked and chapped lips.
• Persistent irritation and itchiness.

Recognizing and addressing these signs early can help you keep your skin healthy and nourished.

Factors Causing Dry Skin in Winter

The winter season indeed causes your skin to dry out, but there are various factors associated with skin dryness during the colder months. Here are a few culprits:

• Frequent Hot Showers

We agree that the winter season calls for a hot shower but using hot water or frequent hot showers can cause skin dryness as it strips natural oils off your skin, leaving it parched. It can also lead to other skin concerns as the hot water can damage the topmost layer of your skin.

• Low Humidity

Winter air has less moisture than other months. This combined with other indoor heating systems can shock your skin and zap its natural oils.

• Cold Winds

Exposure to harsh winds can damage your skin’s lipid layer, reducing its ability to retain moisture.

• Layered Clothing & Friction

Wool or synthetic fabrics can cause friction, absorbing the moisture from your skin. In simple terms, these fabrics can cause static, which causes your skin to lose its moisture, leaving it dry.

• Harsh Cleansers and Soaps

During the winter season, it is advisable to use mild and gentle cleansers; using products with harsh chemicals and artificial fragrances can exacerbate dryness and irritation.

Winter Care Tips for Your Skin

Treating dry skin requires both internal and external care. Here are a few tips that are effective to maintain a healthy and supple skin throughout the winter season:

• Hydrate from Within

Keeping yourself hydrated from within also plays a huge part in your skin condition. Drink plenty of water and consume foods that have high water content like cucumbers, oranges, and melons.

• Shield Your Skin

After moisturizing your skin, make sure you wear gloves and a scarf to cover your skin while stepping out in cold winds.

• Timely Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating the dead skin cells, and flaky skin can help you uncover healthy, fresh skin. Use a gentle scrub like walnut shell powder, coffee granules, and sugar mixed with raw milk to exfoliate your skin once a week.

• Replace Hot Water Showers

If you are too sensitive to use cold water in the season, you can replace your hot water showers with lukewarm water and take shorter showers, i.e. limit the time you spend in showers.

• Don't Skip the Sunscreen

No matter what season, if the sun comes out or not, the UV rays can still affect your skin adversely. Additionally, it also adds up to another layer of moisture. Use a broad spectrum of sunscreen like SPF 30 or 50.

• Moisturize Your Skin Frequently

It is crucial to lock in the moisture. Use a rich, natural, and nourishing product like body butter to deeply moisturize your skin, seal the moisture, and create a protective barrier.

• Our Body Butter Range:

We have a range of body butter that is packed with ingredients like natural oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, pineapple extract, glycerine, and other plant-based extracts that restore your skin's barrier moisture and improve your skin's texture, leaving it silky, soft and supple.

• Rose Body Butter: Infused with rose oil to provide gentle hydration and a soothing scent.
• Orange Body Butter: Packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fibers for skin nourishment.
• Lavender Body Butter: Known for its soothing properties, the lavender body butter soothes irritated, red skin.
• Honey Body Butter: Offers intense hydration and locks in natural moisture.

How to Use: Take a generous scoopful of body cutter and apply it on your damp skin after shower to seal the moisture and maximize hydration.

Precautions for Using Body Butter

Conclusion

Dry skin can be treated, all it takes is small efforts. After understanding the causes of your skin, and recognizing the symptoms, you can effectively create your own skincare routine for the winter season which will protect your skin from the cold winter season and keep it nourished, hydrated, and healthy.

Adding a product like body butter to your skincare regimen for long-lasting moisture can be a great idea; it will also provide a protective layer for your skin. Remember, self-care isn’t seasonal—make it a year-round habit.

FAQs

• Does age factor affect the dryness in your skin?

Yes, as you age, your skin tends to produce less natural oil, making it vulnerable to dry, cold climates. Try to keep your skin moisturized to prevent other skin issues like scaling, flaking, and irritation.

• How is body butter different from any other lotion?

Body butter is thicker and richer. It has ingredients like natural oils and butter, while the lotions have more water content.

• Can drinking herbal teas help with skin hydration?

Yes, herbal teas like chamomile and green tea not only hydrate but also have skin-soothing properties.