A brisk walk on a cold morning, a centrally heated office and an evening shower can ask rather a lot of the skin in a single day. Preparing your skin for winter weather is less about replacing every product in your bathroom and more about making a few thoughtful changes to keep skin comfortable and hydrated as temperatures fall.
Winter skin is rarely caused by one thing alone. Cold weather, wind, lower humidity and indoor heating can all leave skin feeling tight, rough or dry. Add longer hot showers and changes to your normal routine, and even products you rely on throughout the year may need adjusting.
Why Winter Can Change the Feel of Your Skin
The outer layer of the skin helps reduce water loss and provides a barrier between the body and the outside world. During colder weather, some people notice that their skin becomes drier, rougher or more sensitive than usual.
Lips, hands, the sides of the nose and the area around the eyes are often among the first places to show it.
Oily skin is not exempt. Skin can still feel dehydrated even when it produces plenty of oil. This is one reason why harsh cleansing and frequent exfoliation can sometimes make winter skin feel less comfortable rather than more refreshed.
The right approach depends on your skin type, the products you already use and how your skin responds as the weather changes.
Preparing Your Skin for Winter Weather: Begin With Cleansing
Your cleanser should leave your face feeling clean without persistent tightness or discomfort.
During winter, some people prefer a cream, milk, balm or gentle low-foam cleanser, particularly if their usual product begins to feel too drying. Our gentle face cleansers for sensitive skin are a useful place to explore softer cleansing textures.
If you wear long-wear make-up or water-resistant SPF, a thorough evening cleanse is still important, but there is no need for aggressive rubbing.
Use lukewarm rather than very hot water where possible. Hot water can make already dry skin feel less comfortable. Pat your face dry rather than rubbing it with a towel.
If your complexion is blemish-prone, do not assume that a richer cleanser will automatically cause problems. Texture alone does not determine whether a product will suit your skin.
Try changing one part of your routine at a time. If you replace your cleanser, moisturiser and treatment products together, it becomes much harder to tell which change your skin likes and which it does not.
Choose Your Moisturiser by Feel as Well as Ingredients
A winter moisturiser does not necessarily need to be heavy.
The best choice is one that feels comfortable on your skin, works well with the rest of your routine and is pleasant enough to use every day. You can explore different textures within our facial moisturisers collection.
Some ingredients are commonly used for different purposes within moisturising formulas.
Humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid help attract and retain water in the upper layers of the skin. Emollients help smooth and soften the skin's surface. Occlusive ingredients form a layer that can help reduce moisture loss.
Many moisturisers combine more than one of these approaches.
For normal to dry skin, a cream containing humectants and lipids may feel particularly comfortable during colder weather. Combination skin may respond better to a lighter moisturiser across most of the face with a richer layer applied only where it is needed.
Your body may need a similar seasonal adjustment. Applying one of our body moisturisers after bathing can be particularly useful for areas such as the legs, arms and elbows that start to feel dry as winter develops.
Fragrance-free products can be worth considering if your skin is easily irritated, although fragrance is not a problem for everybody. A long ingredient list is not necessarily better either.
Let the way your skin responds guide your choice.
Do Not Overlook Lips and Hands
Hands have a difficult time during winter. Cold air, repeated washing, hand sanitiser and frequent changes in temperature can all contribute to dryness.
Keeping a hand cream near the basin, on your desk or beside the bed makes regular use easier. A richer texture might suit evenings, while something that absorbs quickly may be more convenient during the working day.
Lips can also become dry quickly in cold and windy weather. Regular use of a lip balm can help keep them comfortable.
Try to avoid repeatedly licking dry lips. Although it may provide momentary relief, it can leave them feeling drier afterwards.
Keep Active Skincare Measured, Not Maximal
Winter does not mean you must stop using every active skincare product.
Retinoids, exfoliating acids and antioxidant serums can remain part of an established routine when your skin tolerates them well. However, skin that starts to sting, flake or feel persistently tight may benefit from a simpler approach.
If you use several active products, consider reducing how often you exfoliate rather than continuing to layer multiple acids together.
When introducing a retinoid, acid or another active formula, follow the product directions and make changes gradually. Adding several new treatments at once makes irritation harder to identify.
Our guide to How to Layer Active Skincare Properly looks in more detail at how active products can fit into a routine.
There is a balance to find. You do not necessarily need to abandon the products you enjoy during winter, but continuing an intensive routine when skin is clearly uncomfortable is unlikely to make it happier.
Consistency usually matters more than intensity.
Sun Protection Still Matters in Winter
Sun protection is not only a summer or holiday consideration.
UVA is present throughout the year, and people who spend significant periods outdoors or who have particular concerns about sun exposure may still want facial sun protection as part of their winter routine. UK clinical guidance also distinguishes between SPF, which relates to UVB protection, and UVA protection when assessing a sunscreen. 【3-5ba400】
A product from our facial sun protection collection can be used as the final skincare step in the morning, before make-up.
Those with dry skin may prefer a creamier sunscreen during winter, while combination or oily complexions may find a lighter fluid more comfortable.
Follow the directions on the product, particularly when spending extended periods outdoors. Sunscreen should also sit alongside other sensible measures such as clothing and shade rather than being treated as complete protection on its own.
Adapt Your Routine to Your Day, Not Just the Forecast
A windy walk through London asks something different of your skin from a day spent mostly inside a centrally heated building.
Before heading outside, give moisturiser and sunscreen time to settle. A scarf can provide some physical protection from cold wind around the lower face.
Indoors, sitting directly beside a radiator may leave skin feeling increasingly dry. If the air at home feels particularly dry, think about the wider environment as well as what you apply to your face.
Long, hot baths can be tempting as temperatures fall, but shorter, warm showers may feel more comfortable for skin that is already dry. If your body starts to feel tight or itchy after washing, consider gentler products from our body washes and soaps range followed by a suitable moisturiser.
People who shave may also notice more dryness in winter. A comfortable shaving cream or gel can provide lubrication, followed by moisturiser once shaving is finished.
Sleep, regular meals and enough fluid all form part of general wellbeing, but they are not substitutes for a suitable topical routine.
There is no need to ask one food, supplement or skincare product to transform your skin. Gentle cleansing, appropriate moisturising and sensible sun protection provide a much simpler foundation.
When to Ask for Professional Advice
Some winter dryness can be managed by adjusting your skincare routine, but persistent itching, cracking, bleeding, swelling, marked redness or a continuing rash needs more attention.
Dry, cracked and itchy skin can also be associated with conditions such as eczema rather than ordinary seasonal dryness.
Speak to a pharmacist, GP or another appropriate healthcare professional if you are unsure what is causing your symptoms or they are not improving. Seek medical advice for symptoms that are severe, spreading, recurring or causing significant discomfort. This is particularly important when choosing treatments for a child, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or when an existing skin condition is involved.
Winter skincare need not become complicated. Adjust your routine gradually, choose products that feel comfortable and pay attention to what your skin is telling you. A good winter routine is not the one with the most steps. It is the one you can use consistently, comfortably and confidently throughout the season.