As winter approaches, taking care of your skin becomes more important to protect it from the adverse effects of cold, dry weather. Due to lower humidity levels, the skin can become drier and flaky, causing irritation. Keeping it hydrated and moisturised can help combat dryness effectively during winter.
Sometimes, your skin can still feel dry even if you moisturise it frequently. Thicker moisturisers are a great remedy for this since they ensure optimal hydration and keep the skin moisturised for longer.
In this post, we will be discussing the importance and benefits of heavy moisturisers and suggest top picks recommended by our dermatologists.
Why Does Winter Dry Out Your Skin?
Winter is challenging for most people because it can cause extreme dryness. The skin’s moisture barrier is weakened in winter due to decreased natural oil production, which makes it harder to retain moisture. Cold air, low humidity, and indoor heating can make it harsh on the skin. These conditions strip the skin of its natural oils and lead to increased dryness and irritation. This is why moisturising skin becomes essential during colder temperatures to maintain health and well-being.
Why are Heavier Moisturisers Essential for Dry Skin in Winter?
Heavier moisturisers have a thicker consistency, forming a protective barrier on the skin to prevent moisture loss. The occlusive ingredients penetrate deeper into the layers of skin to provide long-lasting hydration and nourishment. This helps shield your skin from the drying effects of cold temperatures. The best skincare for dry skin definitely includes thicker moisturisers.
Richer Ingredients
Thicker moisturisers are formulated with rich ingredients such as ceramides, shea butter, oils, hyaluronic acid, emollients, and humectants. These ingredients are beneficial for retaining moisture and restoring the skin’s natural lipid barrier, which is often compromised during winter. This ensures that the skin stays hydrated, plump, and protected from external stressors.
Longer Moisture Retention
When the skin’s protective layer is restored by applying a thicker moisturiser, it retains moisture for longer. The skin doesn’t dry up fast, remains hydrated, and gives a fresher appearance. It also reduces the need to moisturise skin frequently every time after washing hands or using sanitisers.
Barrier Protection
Winter is characterised by dry air and low humidity. These conditions can worsen dryness and cause irritation by disturbing the skin’s natural lipid barrier. Applying heavy moisturiser daily helps repair the barrier and significantly reduces the effects of winter dryness. This seals moisture in the skin and keeps it hydrated for longer.
Prevents TEWL
The loss of water from the top layer of the skin begins to cause dryness. This phenomenon is called trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). Applying heavy moisturisers repairs the skin’s protective barrier and prevents water loss. It ensures optimal hydration and soothes dry, flaky skin.
Benefits of Using Thicker Moisturisers in Winter
Using heavy moisturisers offers a multitude of benefits to your skin, which are as follows:
Intense Hydration
Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, shea butter, glycerin, ceramides, etc., used in the formulation of heavy moisturisers provide intense hydration and nourishment to the skin, restoring the moisture stripped off during winter.
Improved Skin Texture
Regular use of thicker moisturisers in winter will significantly improve your skin’s texture and appearance. It will smooth dry skin and make it more supple. The dry, scaly texture will become smooth, moisturised, and youthful skin.
Soothes Irritated Skin
Extremely dehydrated skin often leads to irritation for people with sensitive skin. Applying a thick moisturiser containing ingredients such as aloe vera or fatty acids can help reduce redness and soothe itchy, irritated skin.
Reduced Flaking
Heavier moisturisers penetrate deeper into the layers of skin, nourishing it to the core. This enhanced hydration helps prevent cracking or breaking skin, reduces flakiness on the skin’s surface, and gives it a smoother appearance.
Skinsation’s Top 5 Recommended Winter Skincare Moisturisers
Skinsation has picked the top 5 heavy moisturisers for dry skin. Our expert dermatologists recommend these as part of your winter skincare routine. Here they are:
1. Ultra Rich Cream
The Ultra Rich Cream is a winter face moisturiser designed for dry to very dry skin types. Its deeply hydrating formula, consisting of provitamin B5 and shea butter, provides immediate, long-lasting hydration by retaining moisture in the skin. It also contains Vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the skin’s natural barrier functions.
2. Jan Marini Transformation Cream
The Jan Marini Transformation Face Cream is formulated with growth factors, anti-ageing peptides, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera. These ingredients work beyond merely providing hydration to the skin. They boost collagen and elastin production in the skin, giving it a silky smooth, wrinkle-free look.
3. Image Ormedic Bio Peptide Cream
The Image Ormedic Balancing Bio-Peptide Crème rejuvenates dry skin to give it a youthful appearance. Its formula is infused with botanical butters, hyaluronic acid, and organic plant oils and bio-peptides. This cream gives the skin a unique highlighter effect and a dewy complexion with renewed clarity and uniformity. It is designed to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier function and deliver intense moisturisation.
4. Reform Intensive Moisturiser
Featuring a unique combination of Niacinamide and low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid technology, the Reform Intensive Moisturiser locks in hydration and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It deeply infuses moisture into the skin’s layers and strengthens the natural barrier, leaving the skin refreshed and radiant.
5. Seba E Oil And Herb and Mineral Mist Combined
The powerful combination of Seba E Oil & Herb and Mineral Mist works magic to hydrate your skin and give you a plump look. The Seba E Oil is a fractionated blend of natural oils and vitamin E, formulated to mimic the composition of the skin’s acid mantle, its natural protective layer. The Herb and Mineral Mist is composed of herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and trace elements.
Applying them together on the skin helps combat dryness, dry lipid skin, dehydration, and skin suffering from transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It will also re-establish the protective acid mantle and promote barrier repair.
So, what are you waiting for? Try our moisturisers today to experience the freshness and hydration they provide. We guarantee you will not regret it! For more information, visit our website and book your consultation.
Conclusion
Dry skin is challenging in itself, but it gets worse as winter approaches. One must constantly moisturise and keep the skin hydrated to get through the season. Heavy moisturisers are an effective and practical solution to prevent dryness naturally and improve skin condition. They can be used to treat dry skin in winter at home easily. We have enlisted our favourite picks for heavy moisturisers that are perfect to add to your winter skincare routine.
FAQs
How often should I apply heavier moisturisers in winter?
It is recommended that the moisturiser be applied twice a day, in the morning and at night. If your skin feels dry during the day, you can reapply it as needed, especially in particularly dry areas.
What ingredients should I look for in a winter moisturiser?
Look for ingredients like shea butter, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, emollients, humectants, and natural oils (e.g., jojoba or argan oil), which offer deep hydration and help repair the skin barrier.
Will a heavier moisturiser make my skin feel greasy?
Not necessarily. Many heavier moisturisers are formulated to provide deep hydration without leaving a greasy residue. However, choosing the one suitable for your skin type is important to avoid a heavy or oily feeling.
