Winter Skincare - How To Prevent Dry Skin this Season

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Whether you're looking forward to snowball fights, cozy nights by the fire, or outdoor activities like ice skating and snowboarding, it's easy to be excited about wintertime. But, as wonderful as the cold months can be, weather changes can cause dryness, irritation, and tightness. To make matters worse, you may find that your skin care routine doesn’t protect your skin as well as it used to when the temperature drops.

Thankfully, making simple adjustments to your skincare routine can keep your skin nourished, soft, and radiant all season long.

Your skin barrier tends to reflect the moisture level of the surrounding environment. Warm air holds more water vapors than cold air, which helps keep your skin barrier moist. Cold air isn’t kind to your skin, whether it’s cold air indoors or outdoors. In general, cold weather brings low humidity, which makes moisture more likely to evaporate from your skin, leaving it parched and itchy.

01 Winter Weather and Your Skin

Hydration

When exposed to cold, dry air, skin becomes less effective at retaining moisture. This often causes your skin to experience higher levels of trans-epidermal water loss and dry out quicker. The dryness can even follow you indoors, where heaters and fireplaces further disrupt your skin barrier.
Hydration levels on the face tend to remain stable as it has higher levels of sebum production, keeping it protected from trans-epidermal water loss. However, in other areas like the forearm, knees, elbows, and hands, the effects of exposure to this dryness become more evident.[2] One of the most noticeable effects of this loss of hydration is a change in texture. As the cold air strips the skin’s natural protective oils, it becomes dry and flaky.[3] Even with proper hydration, environmental factors can worsen this condition, making it difficult for the skin to recover its usual texture.

Because they strengthen your skin barrier, OneSkin's products are perfect for year-round use on all skin types. Feel free to layer dense moisturizers on top of OneSkin products for extra protection during the winter.

Wrinkles

Cold weather can also exacerbate the appearance of wrinkles. Fine lines and wrinkles become more prominent as the skin loses hydration and volume.[2] At the same time, studies have shown that wrinkles are more likely to form when the skin is exposed to dry, cold conditions for prolonged periods.[2] This is because the skin's elasticity and firmness are closely tied to its hydration.

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Irritation and Redness

Research has shown that skin temperature changes, whether due to exposure to outdoor cold or transitioning to heated indoor air, can trigger redness as capillaries expand and blood flow increases in response to temperature shifts. As the skin’s temperature fluctuates, it becomes more sensitive, sometimes causing visible redness and irritation. This effect is particularly noticeable in areas of the skin that are less protected, like the cheeks, hands, and nose.[2]
Cold weather can aggravate symptoms for individuals with skin barrier conditions like eczema, leading to more frequent flare-ups. In these instances, the skin’s barrier function is already compromised and much more susceptible to irritation.

02 How to Keep Your Skin Hydrated in Winter

While a winter getaway to a sunny island may be a dream, keeping your skin hydrated and healthy during the winter doesn’t have to be a fantasy. Instead, focus on building a winter skincare routine that hydrates your skin and prevents it from drying out. Here are some simple tips for keeping your skin healthy this winter:

Fight Off The Dry Air

Humidifiers are a great way to increase your home's humidity during the dry winter months. By boosting water content in the air, humidifiers help mitigate trans-epidermal water loss and treat coughs and dry nasal passages. Just make sure to clean it regularly and regulate your usage to avoid any mold issues.[4]

Cover up with a Heavier Moisturizer

Winter is an excellent time to change up your moisturizer. With the winter cold, your skin will probably benefit from a denser moisturizer, especially those designed to hydrate and restore your weakened skin barrier.[5] Look for one with hyaluronic acid or ceramides.

Try to Avoid Damaging Your Skin Barrier

During the winter, the process of exfoliation is a double-edged sword. Exfoliation can boost cellular turnover and eliminate a dull complexion. However, it also strips precious moisture and oils from the skin. While the exfoliation in your routine might have kept your skin smooth, it might have the opposite effect, causing your skin to become dry, rough, and flaky.[6] So, proceed with a gentle touch when it comes to winter exfoliation. Similarly, a long, hot shower sounds great in the winter but weakens your skin barrier. During the winter, shower in lukewarm water for no more than 10 to 15 minutes to keep skin smooth and hydrated.[7]
You'll also want to limit your use of products that can irritate your weakened skin barrier, such as retinol. While many choose to get chemical peels during the winter since sun exposure is usually limited, it can worsen already sensitive and damaged winter skin. This means that if you get that winter chemical peel, proper skin protection with heavy-duty moisturizers is a must.[6]

Keeping Your Skin Hydrated With OS-01

While other moisturizers may fail to keep your skin hydrated during the winter, OneSkin’s topical supplements are powered by the OS-01 peptide and designed to improve skin hydration at the cellular level and boost overall barrier function:

  • OS-01 FACE is clinically validated to improve barrier function by +15% and scientifically proven to improve collagen levels by 1.4x.[13, 14]
  • Designed with the highest concentration of the OS-01 peptide for the delicate eye area, OS-01 EYE is clinically validated to improve barrier function by +17% and scientifically proven to boost collagen levels by 2.3x.[13]
  • To keep the rest of your body's skin healthy and nourished, OS-01 BODY is clinically validated to improve skin's barrier function by +41%, hydration by +38%, and scientifically proven to increase skin's epidermal thickness by +40%.[13]

Because they strengthen your skin barrier, OneSkin's products are perfect for year-round use on all skin types. Feel free to layer dense moisturizers on top of OneSkin products for extra protection during the winter.

 

  • OS-01 FACE is clinically validated to improve barrier function by +15% and scientifically proven to improve collagen levels by 1.4x.[13, 14]
  • Designed with the highest concentration of the OS-01 peptide for the delicate eye area, OS-01 EYE is clinically validated to improve barrier function by +17% and scientifically proven to boost collagen levels by 2.3x.[13]
  • To keep the rest of your body's skin healthy and nourished, OS-01 BODY is clinically validated to improve skin's barrier function by +41%, hydration by +38%, and scientifically proven to increase skin's epidermal thickness by +40%.[13]

    Feel free to layer dense moisturizers on top of OneSkin products for extra protection during the winter.