Winter Skin Care Tips to Relieve Dry Skin

Following the same skin care routine year-round may not work so well when the humidity drops and causes dry skin in the Winter. Dry air can make fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable. Dry, itchy skin can flake, crack, and even bleed. To help heal dry skin, we recommend the following winter skin care tips:

1. Wear gloves. Our hands are often the first place we notice dry skin. You can reduce dry, raw skin by putting on gloves before you:
   • Go outdoors in winter
   • Perform tasks that require you to get your hands wet
   • Get chemicals, greases, and other substances on your hands
2. If your lips are very dry and cracked, try a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils. We recommend using Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Vaseline Healing Ointment. When looking for products to use on your chapped lips, dermatologists recommend ones that contain one or more of the following, as stated by the AAD:
   • Castor seed oil
   • Ceramides
   • Hemp seed oil
   • Shea butter
   • Sun-protective ingredients, such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide
   • White petroleum jelly
3. Apply moisturizer immediately after washing. Ointments, creams, and lotions (moisturizers) work by trapping existing moisture in your skin. To trap this much-needed moisture, you need to apply a moisturizer within few minutes of:
   • Drying off after a shower or bath
   • Washing your face or hands
4. Use only gentle, fragrance-free skin care products. Some skin care products are too harsh for dry, sensitive skin. Dermatologists recommend using products labeled “fragrance-free.” We recommend products such as:
   • CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
   • Aveeno Eczema Therapy
   • Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream 
   • Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
   • CeraVe Itch Relief Moisturizing Cream, for itchy and dry winter skin.
5. Keep baths and showers short: Use warm, not hot water, and a mild cleanser. Gently pat the skin dry.