Has frost and wind damaged your skin's protective barrier, leaving you with a feeling of tightness, redness, and peeling? In this state, a regular cream won’t help — a clear SOS plan is needed.
You’ve returned from a long winter walk, your cheeks are burning, your facial skin feels tight and resembles sandpaper, and your lips are peeling so much that you can’t apply lipstick or smile without pain? Unfortunately, this means you’ve encountered the negative effects of cold and wind – and you have chapped skin. This is not just discomfort; it’s real stress and damage to the protective barrier. But there’s no need to panic and try to quickly mask the problem with foundation. Here’s how to properly give your skin first aid and quickly restore comfort and a healthy appearance.
What Happens to Skin in the Cold?
Cold and gusty wind create an aggressive duo that quickly damages unprotected skin. Exposure to low temperatures causes blood vessels to constrict to retain heat, and then, upon entering a warm room, the vessels suddenly dilate, causing redness and a burning sensation. Moisture rapidly evaporates from the skin's surface in the cold and wind. The lipid barrier is disrupted, and when it’s damaged, moisture escapes even faster, allowing external irritants to enter.
Our task in this case is to soothe, restore, and seal moisture within the epidermis.
Rescue Plan: What to Do Immediately Upon Returning Home
Step 1: Gentle Cleansing
Forget about aggressive foams and scrubs! Your best friend right now is micellar water, cleansing oil, or a gentle cleansing milk. The goal is to delicately remove any impurities and residue from skincare without rubbing or damaging the skin. Wash your face with lukewarm, nearly cool water. Hot water will aggravate redness and dryness.
Step 2: Intensive Hydration and Restoration
Pat your skin dry with a towel and apply a soothing serum. It’s important that the formula contains hyaluronic acid, panthenol, allantoin, bisabolol, or extracts of centella or chamomile. These components instantly soothe, reduce redness, and begin the work of restoring the barrier.
"The best duos are hyaluronic acid and D-panthenol. For deeper hydration and restoration, niacinamide and vitamin E can be combined. Emollients and protective formulas with aloe vera and vitamin E will help with sensitivity," explains dermatologist Daniil Yankelovich.
Step 3: Nourishing and 'Sealing' Moisture
The moisturizing serum needs to be complemented with a lipid layer to prevent moisture from evaporating. Apply a nourishing cream with ceramides, squalane, oils (shea, jojoba, cocoa) or a classic barrier cream (including from pharmacy lines for very dry and atopic skin). The texture should be thick, and the action should be aimed at restoration. At night, you can safely use a bit more cream than usual or apply it over a thin layer of moisturizing serum.
A good option is to complement your care with a soothing alginate, fabric, or cream mask. This will speed up recovery.
Bad Ideas:
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Steaming your face, taking a hot shower immediately after a walk in the cold, or washing your face with hot water.
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Using scrubs, acids, retinol, and other active components until the skin is fully restored.
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Rubbing the skin with a towel or rough fabrics.
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Applying foundation or powder on damaged skin – this will aggravate irritation.
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Scratching peeling areas.
Prevention Rules: How to Avoid Chapping
Remember the golden rule of winter skincare: apply moisturizer an hour before going out, and just before heading out on frosty and windy days – use a protective balm on the most vulnerable areas (cheekbones, nose). In low temperatures, don’t hesitate to cover your face with a scarf or snood.
