During winter, skin faces unique challenges from temperature changes and reduced humidity caused by cold outdoor air, wind, and indoor heating, as well as shifts in daily routines.
Typically, winter skincare advice focuses on treating surface dryness but fails to address the more significant issue: moisture loss from the skin and increased stress on the skin's natural protective barrier. For this reason, it is essential not to overwhelm the skin with excessive products but rather to focus on its natural recovery through hydration, protection, and restoration.
Hydration is essential to winter skin resilience and should be treated as a foundational component, not just a treatment step. In this blog, we provide scientifically backed tips to help maintain hydration, comfort, and a visible balance in the complexion during the cold winter months.
What Cold Weather Really Does to Skin
Cold air, low humidity, and indoor heating can affect the skin’s moisture content by increasing moisture loss from the surface. Indoor heating further accelerates dehydration, primarily due to prolonged exposure and temperature fluctuations. Late nights, travel, and the disruption to regular winter routines can also slow the skin’s recovery time.
Winter Skin Care Starts with Barrier Support
Like a lock, the skin barrier helps protect the skin from environmental stresses such as pollution and dirt, while locking in hydration. When the barrier is damaged, water may escape from the skin more rapidly, so even the most effective moisturizers may not work as well. When starting a winter care regimen, it is essential to focus on keeping the barrier healthy, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
During the cold months, consistency is key, not intensity. Every step in a winter skincare routine works effectively if the barrier is strong. Therefore, building a resilient barrier to promote visible comfort and balance should guide the overall winter skincare regimen.
Hydration vs. Moisture: Why Winter Skin Gets Confused
Understanding the difference between hydration and moisture, and how to incorporate them into your winter skincare routine effectively, helps winter skincare come into focus. Hydration refers to the water held by your skin, while moisture refers to the barrier it creates that helps keep water in place and gives a smooth feel on the surface. Both hydration and moisture are essential to keeping your winter skin looking and feeling balanced.
Dehydrated winter skin can feel oily and/or tight, both of which indicate water loss rather than excess oil production. Therefore, an effective winter skincare routine focuses on retaining hydration rather than simply adding richness. The right winter skin moisturizer must support the delivery of hydration and seal it in on the surface through a well-formulated formula.
Choosing the Right Winter Skin Moisturizer
Creams and balms formulated with barrier support are an effective way to conserve moisture in the skin and to prevent winter dryness. Choosing products that keep skin comfortable and replenished throughout the day is more beneficial than just temporarily smoothing its surface.
During the winter, don’t change products frequently and avoid using harsh actives regularly.
Allowing the skin barrier time to recover and rebuild its strength requires consistency. Using a consistent product, or a series of products, supports visible comfort and softness rather than stimulation.
At GALYNA, we believe that fewer products used consistently deliver better results. Our product formulation is based on the science of skin recovery and resilience.
Product Spotlight: DREAM & REPAIR for Winter Recovery
DREAM Night Crème helps support overnight hydration and visible skin balance, allowing a cushioned finish without feeling heavy on skin. These creams are helpful after spending time outdoors on colder days or after being exposed to indoor heat. It is a great way to help restore skin comfort level at night while resting. In addition, these creams are made with a proprietary, patent-pending molecule called GALYNA, developed specifically to support recovering skin from harsh winter climates.
DREAM Night Crème
DREAM provides overall moisture to the skin during the winter months, while REPAIR offers targeted protection for dry skin. DREAM was formed for a day after a high altitude environment but ready for wherever, tested in a lab, and carefully formulated to create resiliency for all types of winter-exposed skin.
REPAIR Healing Balm
REPAIR healing balm targets specific areas of dry skin, such as lips and hands, while providing a protective emollient-rich layer for winter-exposed skin. The combination of hemp extract* and lanolin provides a surface seal that locks in moisture where it is needed most.
Together, DREAM and REPAIR offer the right combination of winter skincare that supports overall hydration and barrier protection.
