How to Adapt Your Skincare Routine to the Cooler Weather

The combination of cooler air outside and warmer air indoors can turn skin flaky and even a little itchy for many. Welcome to fall.

Our skin’s outermost layer is called the lipid barrier, and it’s composed of fatty compounds. The lipid barrier’s primary jobs are to prevent germs and toxins from entering our bodies and hydration from leaving them.

As temperatures drop, the air gets drier, indoors and outdoors, and moisture gets pulled from the lipid barrier. With less hydration, skin cell turnover becomes less efficient and the cells start to clump together, which can translate to dry, flaky, even scaly skin.

Some people are more susceptible to developing dry skin during the fall and winter, particularly older adults and those with eczema. Although, it can happen to anyone.

Dry skin may be nothing more than a minor irritant to you, but there are reasons why you shouldn’t ignore it. Foremost, treating it prevents eczema and psoriasis flareups and, potentially, skin infections. And anyone can get eczema if their skin becomes dry enough.

Aside from being uncomfortable, eczema can negatively impact your overall health. Mounting research suggests that moderate to severe eczema (defined as covering at least 10% of the skin’s surface) may be linked to increased levels of inflammation in the blood and might elevate your risk for dementia and cardiovascular disease. Treating serious cases of eczema seems to reduce inflammation. (Don’t be worried if you have a little eczema here and there.)

Changing your skin regimen now (the sooner, the better) should help prevent dry skin from setting in, or at least lessen its severity. What follows is some advice on how to do just that.

Hot showers harm skin

If the promise of a long, hot shower is one of the few things that can reliably pull you out of bed on a cold morning, I have some disappointing news. As good as they may feel, they also strip oil from your skin. Shorter, cooler showers are much better for your skin. You can gradually work your way there, if you need to.

While we’re on the topic of showers, switch to a fragrance-free soap or cleanser (it’s less likely to irritate your skin) and try to not be so aggressive when you towel off. You want your skin to still be damp when you moisturize your face and body, which you should do immediately after drying off.

When it comes to moisturizers, avoid the scented ones and those with preservatives like parabens, which can aggravate dry skin. 

Petroleum jelly is considered the gold standard for moisturizing because it creates a physical barrier to lock in moisture, but it’s far too thick and greasy for everyday use for most. Find a cream or lotion that meets your needs and use it after you bathe and anytime you feel dry. After all, the moisturizer you use every day is always better than the one you don’t.

Don’t forget your hands in all of this. If you’re washing your hands a lot throughout the day and using hand sanitizer, they’re going to dry out. In fact, frequent hand washing can damage the lipid barrier. So moisturize after you wash.

Other considerations

A couple parting thoughts:

• A humidifier can help prevent moisture loss from the skin in indoor environments, especially if you like to crank the heat. Just make sure you’re cleaning it regularly and changing the water every day. Dirty humidifiers are a haven for bacteria.

• Finally, if you’re constantly scratching and it’s eroding your quality of life and it’s not going away within a week of meticulous moisturizing, see a board-certified dermatologist because you may need a prescription to address your itchy skin. Don’t despair. There are lots of therapies for eczema, and new ones are emerging all the time. Often, all it takes to find relief is a combination of tweaking your skincare regimen and using a topical steroid cream