5 tips for dry skin in winter

Dry skin can no longer act as a barrier and loses its ability to store moisture. However, this can be avoided with the right care and personal daily routine. Below, Louis Widmer shares with you five simple skin care tips to keep the largest organ of your body healthy and hydrated during the cold months.

1. Especially mild skin cleansing

The skin loses a lot of moisture in the cold months of the year and produces less oil, which has a protective function. It is therefore important to switch to a gentle cleansing routine as active cleansing agents and surfactants additionally strip the skin of valuable oils. You should ideally avoid bubble baths and add nourishing, refattening products such as almond oil to the bathwater. In the shower, it is recommended to use shower oils. You should also avoid showering for too long and too hot. Immediately after showering, apply rich, moisturising cream or body milk to intensively supply the skin with essential nutrients and prevent it from drying out further.

2. Eat well

You can boost your skin’s health with the right nutrition. Physicians and dermatologists recommend plant-based colourings such as carotenoids (particularly rich in carrots and tomatoes), polyphenols (an ingredient in green tea) as well as vitamins and flavonoids. A Mediterranean diet with a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids is generally beneficial. You can find these acids in nuts, avocados and olive oil. As a general rule, most nutrients that protect the cardiovascular system are also good for the skin. You should also reduce your alcohol, coffee and caffeine consumption as these are diuretics that lead to dehydration.

3. Ensure that the air is humid enough

As you already know, the majority of the skin’s natural protective barrier, the skin’s oil, is lost at low temperatures. As the oily layer becomes thinner or fails altogether, moisture evaporates more quickly from the skin’s surface. In addition, dry heating air indoors draws crucial water from your skin. It is therefore recommended to use a humidifier to compensate for the moisture that evaporates into the air.

4. Drink water

However, adding humidity to the air is not the only way of getting enough water. You should also moisturise yourself from the inside out by drinking enough water all day. Water has numerous health benefits and the quality of your skin is one of them – particularly in the winter months when we often tend to lose a lot of moisture.
A nice cup of tea is a great way to increase your liquid intake and at the same time comfort yourself during the cold months.

5. Adjust your skin care to meet your needs

Once you cleanse your skin in line with the season, create sufficient humidity, ensure a good water supply and eat a balanced and healthy diet, you should also adjust your skin care routine, just like you would adjust your clothes. Replace your light creams with rich products that provide the skin with additional moisture, which it needs during the winter.

Creams rich in lipids on a water-in-oil basis help against dry skin. They create a thin isolation and protective film on the skin, fend off the cold during walks and prevent the skin’s moisture from evaporating excessively. The active ingredient urea, also called uric acid or carbamide, moisturises the skin and binds water.

Louis Widmer’s recommendations

As an expert for dry and very dry skin, we have developed Remederm Dry Skin preparations. They provide intensive moisture, nourish and strengthen the barrier function and provide effective protection against external factors. Remederm Dry Skin products are recommended by dermatologists and skin specialists.

Remederm Dry Skin Body Milk 5% Urea: The liquid Remederm Dry Skin Body Milk 5% Urea has been developed specifically for dry, irritated and reddened skin. The pleasant texture is easy to apply, quickly absorbed and provides plenty of moisture all day long. It nourishes the skin, protects it against drying out and leaves it feeling smooth and soft. Remederm Dry Skin Body Milk 5% Urea is also great for children and mature skin.

Carbamide and biostimulators moisturise the skin intensively, leaving it soft, supple and elastic. Panthenol improves moisture retention and soothes irritated skin Jojoba oil is a high-grade plant-based oil that protects and nourishes the skin. Vitamin E neutralises damaging free radicals.

The active ingredients include urea 5%, vitamin E, panthenol, jojoba oil and biostimulators (amino acid complex).

Remederm Dry Skin Oil Bath: An elixir for very dry skin. The main oils used are purely natural ingredients and plant-based oils. Vaseline oil, which affects the occlusion of the skin, is the only oil that is synthetically produced. Borage oil is a high-grade plant-based oil with a high content of gamma-linolenic acid. Gamma-linolenic acid is regarded as highly effective for skin problems. Remederm Dry Skin Oil Bath is an emulsifying bath additive. The oils are spread evenly throughout the bathwater. The high-grade lipids are thus offered to the skin through the bathwater.