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Winter skincare: tips for dry, chapped skin

In winter, our skin needs different care than in the warmer months. Our skin produces its own protective film of oils with the help of many small sebaceous glands. However, the cold in winter reduces the glands' production and therefore also the skin's protective film of oils. The skin becomes more vulnerable and can no longer retain moisture as well, which leads to dry, itchy, and chapped skin. On top of that, the constant change from warm to cold and the dry air from indoor heating also contribute to drying out the skin.

To prevent these typical winter skin problems, our skin needs well-matched care. Particularly sensitive, generally dry skin needs richer products here, ideally with a water-in-oil base. These form a protective film over the skin and prevent further drying out. Products containing urea, such as body lotions, are also ideal, since urea quickly absorbs into the skin and binds water, which protects your skin from drying out.

An ideal routine for dry, sensitive skin in winter consists of the following during the day:

  1. Mild cleansing lotion (e.g., from Eucerin or SkinCeuticals)
  2. Antioxidant serum (e.g., C E Ferulic by SkinCeuticals)
  3. Rich moisturizer (e.g., Eucerin's hyaluronic acid range or Triple Lipid Restore by SkinCeuticals)
  4. Sunscreen (a must-have even in winter!) (e.g., Cetaphil, Ultra Facial Defense by SkinCeuticals)

In the evening:

  1. Mild cleansing lotion (e.g., from Eucerin or SkinCeuticals)
  2. Serum containing hyaluronic acid (e.g., Hydrating B5 by SkinCeuticals)
  3. Rich night cream (Resveratrol B E by SkinCeuticals, Eucerin's hyaluronic acid range)

To optimize your routine even further, you can of course also treat yourself to a special eye care product (e.g., Eye Balm by SkinCeuticals), under-eye patches (I love the ones from Annemarie Börlind), or a mask (e.g., Hydrating B5 Masque by SkinCeuticals).

If your skin is oily and/or prone to acne, however, you should be more cautious with rich products. So stick with your normal skincare routine at first. But if you notice that your skin feels tight, try a hydrating serum first before going straight to a rich cream. If you have oily skin, though, winter is ideal for working with retinol or fruit acid, for example, since there is less irritation from sun exposure in winter.

In general, you should pamper your face in winter. For me, in addition to the right skincare, this always includes HydraFacial treatments, which cleanse the skin even more intensively and infuse hyaluronic acid and antioxidants. Stronger peels such as Green Peel or medical fruit acid peels (AHA peels) should also ideally be done when sun exposure is lower – winter is absolutely ideal for this.

Besides your face, don't forget your hands and your body.
You should apply cream to your hands several times a day. Look for rich, fragrance-free creams, ideally urea-based here as well. Personally, I love the creams from the pharmacy, for example – Cetaphil is my favorite brand here. A good alternative is the fragrance-free Neutrogena hand cream from the drugstore. Exfoliate your hands regularly and use sunscreen on your hands, too.

And don't forget to moisturize your body after every shower. It's ideal to apply cream while your skin is still slightly damp, since this locks in the moisture. Here, too, it's best to choose rich creams and lotions. As with your hands, body lotions containing urea are highly recommended, since they bind moisture in your skin. My personal favorites are the body lotions from Cetaphil or, for very dry skin, Excipial U Lipolotio – a game changer for very dry skin. Alternatively, you can also use a body butter based on shea butter or coconut. And don't forget to exfoliate your body regularly so it stays silky smooth. You can easily make scrubs yourself (personally, I prefer sugar-based scrubs), or there are many brands that offer clean scrubs without a lot of bells and whistles.

Important note: All product recommendations are my personal preferences – this is not advertising, and I was not paid for mentioning any brand in any form.