You might experience dryness, flakiness, scaling, redness, itchiness, cracking, dullness or increased sensitivity. But why does our skin specifically react this way during the colder months? Lower temperatures and humidity levels result in drier air, which draws moisture away from the skin. Unlike the warm, humid air of summer that helps keep our skin hydrated by maintaining higher levels of moisture in the environment, the cold, dry winter air lacks these moisture-rich conditions, leading to a depletion of the skin’s natural hydration.

Moreover, the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, contains natural oils and fats that create a barrier to prevent moisture loss. During winter, the harsh external conditions and indoor heating systems strip away these protective oils, disrupting the skin’s barrier function. This disruption makes it harder for the skin to retain moisture, resulting in increased transepidermal water loss, where water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates from the skin's surface.