Shopping
The Dry Winter Skin Edit
Give your complexion a boost in spite the dual effects of the cold outside and the heating inside.
As winter's frosty embrace tightens its grip this month, our skin often becomes the unwitting victim of the season's harsh elements. Dry, tight or chapped, it can leave us feeling less than radiant and our complexions dull and red. In our dry winter skin edit, we share three factors that can lead to dry skin at this time of year, plus 15 skincare superheroes to rescue your complexion from the big chill.
Winter winds can strip the skin of its natural moisture, leaving it parched and craving hydration. Blustery weather accelerates water evaporation from the skin's surface, making it prone to dryness. Combat this by incorporating hyaluronic acid into your routine. This moisture-locking marvel attracts and retains water, ensuring your skin stays plump and hydrated. Look for serums or moisturisers with hyaluronic acid as a star ingredient for a hydrating boost.
While escaping the cold and staying indoors, we unwittingly subject our skin to another skin-drying source – central heating – which can sap the air of moisture, leading to a dull and dehydrated complexion. The solution? Seek out hydrating masks or creams enriched with glycerin to combat the effects of heated homes.
Indulging in steaming hot showers during winter might feel like a luxurious escape, but it can wreak havoc on your skin. Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and irritated. Opt instead for lukewarm showers and gentle cleansers containing ceramides. These lipid molecules fortify the skin's barrier, preventing moisture loss and promoting a supple, smooth complexion.
Dehydrating Winds
Winter winds can strip the skin of its natural moisture, leaving it parched and craving hydration. Blustery weather accelerates water evaporation from the skin's surface, making it prone to dryness. Combat this by incorporating hyaluronic acid into your routine. This moisture-locking marvel attracts and retains water, ensuring your skin stays plump and hydrated. Look for serums or moisturisers with hyaluronic acid as a star ingredient for a hydrating boost.
Central Heating
While escaping the cold and staying indoors, we unwittingly subject our skin to another skin-drying source – central heating – which can sap the air of moisture, leading to a dull and dehydrated complexion. The solution? Seek out hydrating masks or creams enriched with glycerin to combat the effects of heated homes.
Hot Showers & Harsh Cleansers
Indulging in steaming hot showers during winter might feel like a luxurious escape, but it can wreak havoc on your skin. Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and irritated. Opt instead for lukewarm showers and gentle cleansers containing ceramides. These lipid molecules fortify the skin's barrier, preventing moisture loss and promoting a supple, smooth complexion.
15 Dry Winter Skin Saviours
By Lydia Mansi
January 2024
January 2024
Read More
Lydia Mansi
Lifestyle Editor
Lydia is an all-round lifestyle guru, tireless champion of women in business and our resident expert on beauty.
FIND OUT MORERelated Content
LIFESTYLE
Little Black Book: 9 Of The Hottest Beauty Practitioners In London
Want to know where to find the A-list of beauty folk in the capital? Flick through our little black book for our pick of stellar beauty contacts.
THE EDIT
Sali Hughes
Sali Hughes, beauty journalist, broadcaster and Guardian columnist, gives us an insight into her life online.
LIFESTYLE
Top Beauty Tips from Instagram
We spend the winter longing for the summer – but with the sun comes a whole new pressure to look perfect.
LIFESTYLE
Beauty Banks
People living in poverty need toiletries and beauty products like the rest of us – and a brilliant new scheme is here to help.



















