Winter can be tough on your skin, even if you’re someone who normally doesn’t struggle with dryness. As temperatures drop and humidity levels fall, the cold air outside and heated air inside work together to pull moisture from your skin faster than you can replenish it. That’s why maintaining proper hydration becomes even more important this time of year. A great skincare routine with a quality moisturizer can help strengthen your skin barrier, prevent flakiness, and keep your complexion comfortable and healthy despite the harsh conditions.
But reaching for any old moisturizer won’t always give you the relief you’re looking for. Some popular ingredients found in lotions and creams can actually make dryness worse by irritating your skin, weakening your barrier, or failing to deliver the lasting hydration they promise. Before you slather on more product, it’s important to understand which formulas can help and which ones can leave your skin feeling even tighter and more dehydrated than before. Here are the moisturizer ingredients experts say to avoid if you want better winter hydration.
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1. Harsh alcohol
Alcohol can strip the skin of its natural oils, causing tightness and irritation that worsens dryness over time. While it’s often added to create a lightweight feel, it can quickly dehydrate the skin barrier. Opt for moisturizers that use hydrating humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid instead.
2. Fragrance
Fragrance (synthetic perfumes) may make a moisturizer smell nice, but it can also trigger irritation, inflammation, and barrier disruption—especially in dry winter skin. When your barrier is compromised, moisture escapes more easily, leaving you drier. Fragrance-free formulas help keep skin calm and hydrated.
3. Exfoliating acids
Harsh exfoliating acids (like high-strength AHAs) in daily moisturizers can over-exfoliate the skin, leading to flaking, redness, and a weakened barrier that loses moisture quickly. While acids have benefits, it's better to save them for targeted treatments rather than everyday hydration. Look for moisturizers with gentle ingredients like ceramides that can repair the skin barrier.
4. Gel formulations
Lightweight gel moisturizers with too many humectants and no occlusives can actually pull water out of your skin when the air is dry, making you feel tighter than before. In winter, humectants need support from occlusive ingredients to lock moisture in. Choose creams with shea butter, squalane, or petrolatum to prevent moisture loss.
One to try: Vanicream
If you’re searching for a moisturizer that is ideal for sensitive skin and can relieve irritation from eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions, it doesn’t get much better than Vanicream. This moisturizer is free of botanicals, lanolin, gluten, dyes, and essential oils, which can be sensitizing. It doesn’t contain fragrances and has been awarded the Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association.
