✨ Winter Skin SOS: Why Your Skin Is Dry, Itchy, and Angry (And How to Fix It)
Every year around November, my skin does this cute little thing where it decides to fall apart. One day I’m glowing and moisturized, and the next day I look like a lizard who pays bills. Well, not this year, but first let’s talk about your skin, and I will tell you about mine later.
And if your skin is currently:
dry
itchy
tight
flaky
or making you question every life choice since September
…welcome to Winter Skin Survival Mode.
It’s not you.
It’s not aging.
It’s not “I must be dehydrated, let me chug 90 oz of water today.”
It’s the actual environment going feral on us.
Let’s talk about why this happens — and how to fix it without buying 47 random moisturizers your teen swears TikTok told her to try just because Jeffery Star gave it RAVING reviews.
✨ Why Winter Turns Your Skin Into a Cranky, Peeling Situation
1. The air is basically a moisture vacuum.
Cold air = low humidity.
Heaters = even lower humidity.
Your skin = “???”
Winter air literally pulls moisture out of your face faster than your teenager pulls laundry out of their drawers that you JUST folded just to end up on the floor clean and back in the laundry all in the same day.
I’ve discovered this happens when there isn’t anything sealing in the moisture after using the lotion everyone insisted would be the cure for your dry skin.
2. Hot showers feel amazing… but your skin hates them.
Look, I love a hot shower. We’ve established it’s my only place of peace.
But long, steaming showers strip the oils that are supposed to keep your skin calm.
3. You probably have the wrong exfoliator.
The right one:
Will have carrier oils to take in moisture
It will include a sugar, salt, or coffee scrub and contain real ingredients, using a preservative that is all natural.
Winter needs gentle, strategic exfoliation — think your scrub, not that drugstore salt brick that feels like punishment.
4. Your moisturizer isn’t enough anymore.
Winter skin needs:
heavier cream
oils
balms
occlusives
It’s like layering clothes: your summer moisturizer alone is shivering.
✨ How to Fix Angry Winter Skin (Without Losing Your Mind)
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a 15-step routine.
You don’t need fancy ingredients you can’t pronounce.
You don’t need to spend your grocery budget on serums.
You just need better habits, a little consistency, and good, intentional skincare.
✨ 1. Exfoliate… but gently
Use a hydrating scrub that buffs away dryness without stripping your skin barrier.
(Not the kind that makes your skin feel like you wrestled a cactus.)
Your scrub should:
melt into the skin
be oil-based
leave you soft, not squeaky
Use it 1–2x a week.
Not daily.
We are not sanding a table—just helping your skin breathe.
✨ 2. Switch to richer moisturizers
Winter = cream season.
Look for:
ceramides
shea butter
jojoba oil
squalane
These ingredients act like a warm fuzzy blanket for your skin barrier I like to include bees wax to ensure the moisture stays locked in.
✨ 3. Seal everything in with oils or a balm
Oils and balms are the secret to a winter glow.
They trap moisture in—like putting a lid on your hydration.
Your skincare line fits here perfectly:
a body oil to nourish
a balm to seal
a scrub to prep the skin
And suddenly?
You’re soft again.
Like, touchably soft.
Like, “winter who?”
✨ 4. Shorter, warm showers (not boiling lava showers)
My skin is personally offended by this tip, but it helps.
Five minutes shorter = less dryness.
Warm water > hot water.
Just trust the science.
(And the fact that your water bill will thank you too.)
✨ 5. Humidifiers are the unsung heroes of winter skin
Put one in your bedroom. It’s like giving your skin an overnight drink without lifting a finger. Don’t have one? Simply set a pot on the stove, add apples, oranges, cinnamon, cloves, or any scent you like, and let it simmer to release moisture into the air. You can even steam your face for a soothing at-home facial — you really don’t need the pricey steamers.
✨ What I Use in My Own Routine (AKA: Mom Survival Kit)
When winter hits, I reach for:
My body scrub to gently exfoliate
My rich lotion
My body oil/balm to seal it all in
My daughters even steal it because it works that well — and if a teen admits something works, you know it’s real.
✨ Winter Doesn’t Have to Win
Your skin doesn’t have to feel like parchment paper.
You don’t have to itch your shins until you look like you fought a thorn bush.
You don’t have to use half a bottle of lotion every night just to feel normal.
Just give your skin:
moisture
protection
balance
and a little exfoliation
And it will love you back.
This year, starting in September, I used my lotion and body oils extremely sparingly just to see how long my skin would hold up through the winter with minimal application, and it only just now started to feel dry. When I say sparingly, I really mean it—during November, I probably used them only about five times. This stuff truly locks in moisture and genuinely heals that dry, flaky skin.
If you want to take a peek at what I use (or find a DIY recipe that fits your vibe), head over to my shop — winter won’t stand a chance.
