Winter can be rough on your skin. Cold outdoor air, dry indoor heat, frequent handwashing, and long hot showers can all leave skin feeling tight, rough, flaky, or uncomfortable.
The good news is that winter dryness usually responds well to a few simple changes. Protecting your skin from the elements, using gentler washing habits, and moisturizing consistently can make a noticeable difference throughout the colder months.
Here’s what causes dry skin during winter, what you can do about it, and how to build a simple routine that helps keep your skin feeling comfortable.
Why Does Skin Get So Dry in Winter?
Your skin naturally contains oils and lipids that help slow water loss and protect the outer surface. Winter creates several conditions that can make it harder for that protective barrier to do its job.
Cold, Dry Outdoor Air
Cold winter air generally contains less moisture than warm air. Spending time outside in low humidity, especially when wind is involved, can contribute to dry, rough-feeling skin.
Indoor Heating
Coming inside doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. Furnaces, fireplaces, and other heating systems can lower indoor humidity, creating another dry environment for your skin.
Frequent Handwashing
Washing your hands is important, but repeated washing can remove some of the natural oils from the skin. Hot water and harsh soaps can make the effect even more noticeable.
Long, Hot Showers
A steaming shower may feel wonderful on a freezing day, but very hot water can leave skin feeling drier afterward. Warm or lukewarm water is generally gentler on dry winter skin.
How to Prevent Dry Skin During Winter
You don’t need a complicated routine. A few consistent habits can go a long way.
1. Moisturize After Washing
One of the best times to apply a moisturizer is shortly after washing your hands or bathing.
Gently pat the skin dry rather than rubbing it aggressively, then apply your moisturizer while the skin still feels slightly damp. This can help slow the loss of water from the skin’s surface.
2. Use a Little More Moisture Where You Need It
Hands, knuckles, elbows, knees, heels, and cuticles often need more attention during winter than the rest of the body.
A concentrated product such as a Solid Lotion Bar can be especially convenient for these areas because you can apply it exactly where your skin needs it.
Solid lotion bars are waterless and made primarily from oils, butters, and waxes. They soften with body heat and leave a thin layer of moisturizing ingredients on the skin.
If you’re new to this type of moisturizer, our guide What Is a Solid Lotion Bar? How It Works & How to Use One explains exactly how they work.
3. Switch to Lukewarm Water
Very hot water can make already-dry skin feel even tighter. When possible, wash your hands and shower with lukewarm rather than very hot water.
You don’t have to give up warm showers altogether. Simply turning the temperature down a little can be easier on your skin.
4. Choose Gentle Cleansers
If your skin becomes especially dry during winter, pay attention to what you’re washing it with.
Strong soaps and heavily cleansing products may remove more of the skin’s natural oils than necessary. A mild cleanser can often be a better choice for frequently washed hands and dry skin.
5. Protect Your Hands Outside
Gloves and mittens do more than keep your fingers warm. They also create a physical barrier between your skin and cold wind.
If you’re working with snow or wet conditions, waterproof gloves can help keep your hands from repeatedly getting wet and cold.
Applying a small amount of moisturizer before heading outside can also help keep exposed skin feeling more comfortable.
What Should You Look for in a Winter Moisturizer?
Moisturizing products use different types of ingredients to help skin feel softer and reduce moisture loss.
Emollients
Emollients help soften and smooth the skin. Plant oils and butters such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil are commonly used for this purpose.
Occlusive Ingredients
Occlusive ingredients create a light barrier on the surface of the skin that helps slow water loss.
Beeswax is one ingredient that can serve this role in a solid lotion bar while also helping give the bar its structure.
If you’d like to learn more about beeswax specifically, take a look at our guide to beeswax benefits in skincare.
Humectants
Humectants attract water and are commonly found in creams and lotions. Examples include glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
Waterless products such as solid lotion bars work differently. Rather than supplying water through the formula, their oils, butters, and waxes help soften the skin and slow moisture loss.
How to Care for Extremely Dry Hands at Night
Bedtime is a good opportunity to give dry hands a little extra attention because you won’t be washing them again every few minutes.
Try applying your moisturizer before bed, paying extra attention to knuckles, cuticles, and other rough areas.
For very dry hands, some people also like wearing soft cotton gloves after moisturizing. The gloves help keep the product on your hands instead of transferring it onto your bedding.
With a solid lotion bar, remember that a little goes a long way. Apply a light layer first and add more only if your skin needs it.
Don’t Forget About Indoor Humidity
Your skincare products aren’t the only thing that can help.
If the air inside your home feels especially dry during winter, a humidifier can add moisture back into the room. This can be particularly helpful in bedrooms or other spaces where you spend a lot of time.
Just remember that humidifiers need regular cleaning and maintenance according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
What About Cracked Winter Skin?
Very dry skin can sometimes become rough enough to crack, particularly around the fingertips, knuckles, and heels.
Moisturizing consistently and protecting the area from continued exposure can help prevent minor dryness from getting worse.
If you have deep cracks, bleeding, significant pain, signs of infection, or persistent skin problems that don’t improve, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional rather than trying to solve the problem with skincare alone.
A Simple Winter Skincare Routine
You don’t need a shelf full of products to take better care of dry winter skin. A straightforward routine can look like this:
- Wash gently. Use lukewarm water and a mild cleanser when possible.
- Pat dry. Avoid aggressively rubbing already-dry skin with a towel.
- Moisturize consistently. Apply moisturizer after washing and whenever your skin begins to feel dry.
- Protect your hands. Wear gloves outside and waterproof gloves when dealing with wet winter conditions.
- Give rough spots extra attention. Hands, elbows, cuticles, heels, and other dry areas may benefit from a more concentrated moisturizer.
- Moisturize before bed. Nighttime is an easy opportunity to give dry skin a little extra care.
Why Solid Lotion Bars Work Well in Winter
Winter is one of our favorite times to keep a solid lotion bar close by.
Because the formula is concentrated and waterless, you only need a small amount. The solid format also makes it easy to keep one in a purse, work bag, desk drawer, bedside table, or anywhere else dry hands tend to catch up with you.
Hive & Holler Solid Lotion Bars are made with beeswax, shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, colloidal oatmeal, tapioca starch, and vitamin E.
The goal isn’t to coat your hands in product. Glide the bar lightly across the skin, massage it in, and add more only if needed.
Keep Winter Dryness Manageable
Cold weather may make dry skin more common, but winter doesn’t have to mean months of uncomfortable hands and rough patches.
Use gentler water temperatures, moisturize consistently, protect your hands outdoors, and pay extra attention to the areas that dry out fastest.
A few small habits done regularly usually matter more than an elaborate skincare routine.
And when you need something compact for those extra-dry spots, you can explore our Solid Lotion Bars in a variety of scents, including a fragrance-free option.