Your Winter Redness, Explained

Serious cold snaps have continued to hit major portions of the country this month, with no signs of slowing down. As we bundle up and hunker down, your skin is going to need some extra attention. Discover how to stop winter redness in its tracks and protect your skin from cold, dry air.

Featured Experts

• Julie C Harper, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Vestavia Hill, AL
• Antony Nakhla, MD is the founder of Eighth Day and a board-certified dermatologist

What is winter redness?

According to Vestavia Hill, AL dermatologist Julie C Harper, MD, winter air causes skin barrier damage. “Our skin acts as a barrier between us and our environment,” Dr. Harper explains. “This barrier seals moisture in and keeps unwanted pollutants and toxins out. Environmental extremes, like cold, dry air can disrupt this barrier and allow the skin’s natural water and lipid content to leach out. The skin is left feeling rough, chapped, tight and dry.”

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“This type of weather zaps moisture from skin,” adds Eighth Day founder and dermatologist Antony Nakhla, MD. “And that can lead to dryness, redness or even irritation. So you have to get ahead of it.”

How do you keep your skin safe?

When you face the elements, you need to take a few extra steps.

“For starters, moisturize your skin both day and night and potentially throughout the day as well depending on whether you have severely dry skin conditions like eczema or atopic dermatitis,” explains Dr. Nakhla.

And just because you’re inside, doesn’t mean your skin is out of the woods, yet.

“Environmental extremes include cold, dry air outside, but can also include dry air inside, and even overly aggressive cleansing and skin care routines,” Dr. Harper notes. “When the outside environment is cold, windy and dry, ‘wrap’ your skin up with layers of great moisturizing ingredients that include both humectant and occlusive ingredients. Remember humectants attract water in the skin, and occlusives seal in that water. It is a good idea to ‘wrap’  your skin up before heading outdoors but also again after returning from the cold, windy onslaught.” 

Both of these experts recommend adding a humidifier to your home as well.

Expert-Recommended Products to Calm Winter Redness

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“I give Bubble Slam Dunk my first place award for ‘wrapping’ up the skin in moisture (I guess it’s Bubble wrap!),” says Dr. Harper. “It contains tried-and-true moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and shea butter.  It also contains avocado oil, vitamin E and aloe leaf juice. It has a rich, velvety, soothing feel on the skin.”

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This celebrity-loved hydrating mist is a great way to keep your skin from drying out on the go! Made with dry skin in mind, this formula leaves you feeling smoother and more moisturized.

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Ideal for dry and cold environments, this moisturizer is filled with nourishing plant oils and algae extracts to deliver intense hydration and moisture to dehydrated skin.

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“Our Intensive Moisturizer is packed with ingredients that help to lock in moisture and replenish hydration,” explains Dr. Nakhla. “In addition to our proprietary Peptide‑rich Plasma, I formulated it with sphingosine, which is a dermal building block that helps bolster skin barrier function and repair, ceramides that are rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids work to improve cell-to-cell adhesion for maximum water retention and copper peptide which enhances skin firmness and elasticity for more plump, youthful-looking skin.”