Winter skin: what changes, and what to change about it
Every winter the same message arrives: my skin has suddenly turned on me. It has not. Cold air holds less water than warm air, indoor heating holds almost none, and skin that was comfortable in September is now losing moisture faster than it can replace it.
Swap one: occlusion, not more moisturiser
Applying more of the same cream rarely helps, because the problem is evaporation rather than supply. A few drops of facial oil pressed over your usual moisturiser slows that loss down and costs you fifteen seconds.
Swap two: shorter, cooler showers
A long hot shower is the single most damaging thing most people do to their skin in winter. Five minutes at a temperature that does not turn you pink, then body butter within three minutes of getting out, while your skin is still damp.
What not to do
Do not exfoliate more to deal with flaking. Flaking in winter is usually a barrier that has dried out, and taking the surface off makes the next week worse. Hydrate it and it settles on its own.
Formulator and founder. Iris spent eleven years in cosmetic chemistry before starting Canvas Beauty Kit, and still signs off every batch herself.
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