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Protect Your Skin from the Cold: Dermatologists Share Their Top Skincare Tips for Winter

Winter’s glow, skin’s show: let the radiance steal the snow.

Whether your skin is typically dry or not, everyone’s skin feels a bit drier in winter. The cold weather can be tough, leaving it dull and parched. 

But no worries! I’ve got some really simple and doable tips from the renowned dermatologists Dr. Aanchal and Dr. Ankur Sarin. These are the secrets to keep your skin happy, even in winter. 

So, let’s delve into the advice and time-tested tips these skin experts want you to follow.

Tip #1 Adjust Your Retinol Routine for Winter Dry Skin

While retinol is an anti-aging superhero, it tends to dry out your skin, especially in the cold.  Dr. Aanchal shares how to use it without getting your skin parched.

She says- “Retinol does cause a little bit of dryness. So in winter time, you might notice your skin is getting a little bit more flaky and red, sometimes even irritated. So what can you do?

You can change the type of retinol. Use a more oily formulation retinol or a thicker retinol. You can use it only 2-3 times a week instead of everyday at night. 

And you can follow the sandwich technique when you apply a layer of moisturizer. Wait for about 15-20 minutes. Then apply a layer of retinol and moisturizer. This can help in reducing dryness and flaking.

Also remember that on the days that you are not using a retinol, you can use a good layer of ceramide moisturizers which will help in repairing the skin barrier and reducing the irritation caused by retinol.”

Tip #2 Limit Soap Use for Hydrated Skin

Cleansing your skin the wrong way can make your skin end up dry and dull. Dr. Aanchal emphasizes the need for mild cleansing in winter to preserve your skin’s natural oils.

She says- “Try to use a glycerin soap for bathing.Actually if you  have dry skin you need not use soap on a daily basis, you can only use soap only on your armpit area, in the genital area, on your hands and feet. That’s it. 

You don’t have to use soap on your arms, on your legs, abdomen and back on a daily basis if you have dry skin. You can use soap only once or twice a week. That should be sufficient. 

See, if the surface is dry nothing can get stuck to it, right? So even if you just take a water bath, it is just going to get rid of all the dirt on the surface of the skin. It is when the skin is oily that dirt tends to stick to it.

So if you have very dry skin there is no requirement for you to use soap on a daily basis. You can use it maybe once or twice a week. 

And even if you do have oily skin make sure that you use a very mild soap or a glycerin based soap to take bath in winter.”

Tip #3 Be Gentle With Post-Bath Drying for Healthy Winter Skin

Now, let’s talk about what to do post-bath in the cold weather.

Dr. Aanchal says “Do not be very harsh while using your towel. Do not vigorously rub the towel on your skin. That is only going to make your skin more dry and irritate the skin, right? 

So just be very gentle with the towel. You just need to dab the excess water off. 

You don’t have to really rub or tug into your skin in order to dry it after bath. So make sure you are very gentle with your towel after bath.”

Tip #4 Seal in Moisture Post-Bath for Lasting Skin Hydration

Now, it’s time for the most crucial step in your winter skincare routine, moisturizing.

Here are the pro tips from Dr. Aanchal-“Apply a moisturizer right after taking a bath when the skin is moist. This is the best time to apply the moisturizer. It will then seal the water layer into the skin and keep your skin hydrated for a longer time. 

Rather than applying moisturizer after your skin dries out, it is always better to use it when it is still moist.

Keep a bottle of moisturizer in the bathroom itself and as soon as you finish taking a bath when your skin is still wet apply a liberal amount of moisturizer on your entire body. This is the best way to moisturize. 

Once the skin is completely dry, the moisturizer that you put on the surface of your skin does not tend to penetrate very deep.

If you apply it when it is still moist, it tends to seal the moisture and keep the moisture of the skin intact and reduce the trans epidermal water loss. 

So, remember to always moisturize your skin  when it is still moist.”     

Tip #5 Keep Your Skin Happy by Moisturizing Twice a Day

The renowned skin expert advises to follow this golden rule of moisturizing for the best results.

Dr. Aanchal says- “Also remember to moisturize your skin twice a day. In winter, we tend to sleep with the heaters on. So this will really dry out your skin.

So after taking a bath in the morning you’d want to moisturize your whole body but also before you go off to sleep you want to moisturize your arms and legs and your face and neck. 

This is very important if you want to prevent drying of skin.”  

Tip #6 Always Add a Cotton Layer Beneath Your Winter Outfits

Woolen outfits are winter essentials. But did you know that wearing them incorrectly can leave your skin dry and irritated? Here’s what the dermatologists have to say.

Dr. Ankur Sarin says- “The mistake we commonly make is that we often wear woolen clothes and inner wears directly on the skin and do not wear a cotton layer underneath.

Wool can irritate our skin. Its fibers can also cause symptoms like allergy and dermatitis in our skin” 

Dr. Aanchal agrees on the point. Here’s her added take-“Wear cotton clothing underneath your woolens. I know you want to layer up during winter if you wanna stay warm. 

But remember that you must wear a layer of cotton clothing under your woolen clothes. Otherwise it is just going to irritate your skin and make your skin more itchy and dry and flaky. 

Specially, if you have atopic dermatitis or any type of eczema or suffer from psoriasis, you have to make sure that you have a non irritating layer of clothing under your woolen clothing. 

Even if you wear socks you have to make sure that the lining of the socks is made of just pure cotton.

So remember to wear a layer of cotton underneath your woolen clothes if you want to prevent your skin from getting irritated.”  

Tip #7 Apply Sunscreen Daily, Even When It’s Cold

Sunscreen has nothing to do with the weather. So, it is no wonder Dr. Aanchal focuses on using sunscreen regularly.

She says-  “Remember to use sunscreen even in winter. Remember that you have to use sunscreen regularly, even during winter. 

People tend to feel that because it’s cloudy outside, because it’s not very sunny in winter that you can do away with your sunscreen. Absolutely not. 

The clouds do not block the UV radiation and you have to apply sunscreen on a regular basis even during winter.

So if you are using a gel sunscreen or a lotion formulation sunscreen then you might want to shift to a cream formulation sunscreen during winter. Cream formulation of sunscreen tends to be more hydrating and tends to soothe out dry skin. 

So make sure that you use sunscreen even in winter.”   

Tip #8 Lukewarm Baths and Short Showers for Happy Skin

While hot water might feel relaxing in cold weather, it can be harsh on your skin, breaking its barriers. Both dermatologists agree on the point, and here’s what they suggest you doing instead.

Dr. Aanchal says- “Please try to avoid taking bath with very hot water. 

What happens with hot water is that it tends to strip the skin off its natural oil. It tends to dry out your skin even more which can cause more flaking and more itching. So refrain from using very hot water for bathing. 

If you can take a bath with bucket water then you can add 5-6 tbsp of oil either coconut oil or olive oil into the bucket of water and then bathe with that. This will help in forming a coating on your skin and reduce the dryness.

If you take a shower and you cannot refrain from using very hot water then make sure your showers last less than 2 minutes. You have to take a quick shower. Do not stand under the shower for very long time.”   

And Dr. Sarin also says- “Though it’s enjoyable to take hot showers during winters it makes your skin lose its moisture, making it even more dry. 

So don’t keep the temperature of water too high. Instead, keep it lukewarm and of room temperature. And also reduce bathing time.”

Tip #9 Say No to Direct Heater Exposure

Using a heater for too long can reduce the moisture content of your room and, hence, your skin, making it even drier. So, what to do instead?

Dr. Sarin says- “Another thing we often do is to use heaters directly on our skin and take our skin closer to the heater. This mistake makes our skin even more drier, as the dry heat from the heater takes off the moisture from our skin. 

And the solution is to use a humidity fire. By using the humidity fire and heater together, the temperature of your room will also increase and at the same time there will be humidity in your room, hence your skin will also become less dry.” 

Tip #10 Focus on Moisturizing and Use Less Actives

Skin actives are gaining popularity lately. But in winter, take it easy to use them. Here’s what Dr. Sarin recommends you.

Dr. Sarin says-”Nowadays a lot of people are using actives through Instagram and YouTube.  Remember that you need to use actives the least in winter. 

Actives whether it’s vitamin C, retinol, whether it’s salicylic acid or glycolic acid; all these usually make our skin dry. We want them to be used as little as possible and special attention to be paid to moisturization in winters.

Due to so much advertising, we often forget that moisturizer is the central. For healthy glowing skin in winters you should focus more on moisturizers than actives.” 

Final thoughts

Moisturized skin is the key to that healthy, radiant glow. Winter weather tends to suck away that moisture from your skin. But don’t worry—these expert tips have got your back! 

Following these tips will ensure that your skin retains the moisture it needs and stays healthy, even in winter.