Toronto winters are brutal on your skin, here’s how to survive the dryness

Struggle with dry skin? These health-care professionals are giving tips to maintain optimal skincare this winter season.

The cold calls for chapped lips, flaky skin and dry hands – all side effects of the cold air.

Why do we have dry skin?

Dermatologist and Co-Founder of Compass Dermatology Dr. Julia Carroll explains it’s due to the skin’s outer layer missing water and natural oils.

“Think of it like a brick wall with a crumbling mortar. The bricks are the skin, and the more mortar is the oils on the fats. And when that mortar is missing, then our natural oils leak out of the skin, and it disrupts the skin barrier, so it makes it more sensitive to anything that someone is exposed to,” Carroll told Now Toronto.

Body parts most at risk

Spots on the skin especially at risk are those most exposed, such as the face, especially the lips, and hands – so remember to wear gloves when outside! Without them, the cracks are harder to fix.

“The hands have thicker skin, so while they might be initially more resistant when they do start to crack, the cracks are harder to fix because of the thickness of the skin. And also, you’re using your hands for more things. You’re touching things, they’re out. So, they might get more exposure,” Carroll said.

She highlights other sensitive spots, such as the folded areas behind the knees or the inner elbow.  

Tips & tricks to avoid dry skin

Hot showers are among the most harmful lifestyle factors beyond the cold itself.

Carroll shares that she understands people like to have hot showers in the winter, when it is cold.

However, she doesn’t suggest Torontonians take cold showers either. Carroll explains that hot showers strip the skin of its natural oils, further drying it out. Instead, she recommends taking fewer, shorter showers and moisturizing the skin after each one.

Doing so helps lock in the moisture from the outside and take advantage of the water that’s already on the skin. “I think it’s really important to get ahead of it and treat your whole body,” Carroll said.

Another lifestyle addition she recommends is to add a humidifier. “A lot of people, if they’re spending more time indoors, the humidity in the air is down. Even if you have a humidifier built into your heating system, it’s usually not enough.” She recommends adding a humidifier in commonly used areas of the home or office to help restore moisture to the skin.

Dr. Sonal Talwar, a family physician with Maple virtual clinic says drinking 2L of water daily can help prevent dry skin from the inside out.

Product recommendations

It’s a common misconception that applying product after product will help dry skin. Carroll emphasizes the biggest skincare mistake she’s seen (other than skipping sunscreen) is using a skincare soup, which can lead to dryness, too.

So, what products should you use? She recommends any product with ingredients such as humectants, glycerine or hyaluronic acid. Torontonians can find these in skincare lines such as Skinceuticals Triple Lipid, CeraVe body moisturizer, La Roche-Posay Toleriane, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost.

Talwar mentions a few more affordable lines, such as CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Aquaphor.

For dry-prone skin

Talwar shares the need to be more gentle with exfoliation during winter for those with dry-prone skin. She recommends switching to exfoliating twice a week versus daily if Torontonians relate to that.

For retinol users, dryness, redness, and peeling can be side effects, so she gives the same advice.

Talwar also emphasizes safety for Torontonians using certain medications, such as Accutane, which is typically used for cystic acne.

“From my experience, many dermatologists avoid prescribing in the winter because of the increased dryness…,” Talwar said.

Creams Torontonians can use are petroleum-based products such as Aquafor or Vaseline for the lips due to the medication’s side effect of increased dryness. She recommends to re-apply throughout the day, too. Talwar also says to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure because the cold will worsen the dryness.

Skincare mistake to avoid

Talwar says avoid licking your lips, as this often increases the risk of dryness. She recommends wearing chapstick to protect your lips, as it’s easy to focus on facial skincare and overlook your lips.​

She adds the issue persists with hands as well due to hand-washing and sanitizing, so remember to moisturize right after to lock in the moisture.

“I think it’s more so we’re so busy and you just forget these little things, but they make a huge difference,” Talwar said.

When to see a doctor

If nothing works and you have persistent redness or anything that looks infected, like pus, cracks, or bleeding that becomes very itchy, it may be time to see a professional.

Carroll emphasizes that “we often find that people have dry skin, which turns into eczema.”

If the problem is urgent and you don’t have time to wait months on end for a dermatology appointment, a family physician can assess some skin concerns, or Maple has dermatologists online who can see patients within 24 hours, without a referral.

Talwar reassures patients that they can pre-cautionarily ask for bloodwork to ensure there are no deficiencies or thyroid abnormalities, which could be underlying causes of dry skin.

Final advice

Talwar emphasizes avoiding fragrances in face or body wash because they increase the risk for dryness, and Carroll stresses the importance of moisturizing.

The final message: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!