Winter Moisturizing: Protect Dry Skin and Chapped Hands
With the arrival of the cold days, the Moisturizing is essential for maintaining healthy skin, preventing it from becoming dry, and reducing the appearance of chapped skin. Cold weather, wind, and sudden temperature changes directly affect the skin’s moisture levels, leaving it more sensitive, vulnerable, and uncomfortable. In the Correia Rosa Pharmacies, we know that staying well-hydrated is essential for getting through the winter in good health, which is why we offer the best skincare products for the whole family: face, body, hands, feet, and lips.
Why does the skin get drier in the winter?
During the winter, the humidity in the air drops and the skin loses moisture more quickly. This loss of natural moisture leaves the skin dry, rough, and more prone to irritation. At the same time, when we go from the cold outdoors to heated indoor environments, the skin experiences a thermal shock that exacerbates dehydration.
This phenomenon explains why so many people experience tightness, discomfort, and redness at this time of year: clear signs that their skin needs extra moisture.
Therefore, recognizing these signs is the first step. The second is knowing how to follow a truly effective moisturizing routine.
Warning signs: when your skin is asking for more moisture
Dry skin in the winter manifests itself in various ways:
- Tightness after a shower;
- Peeling skin on the face, hands, and legs;
- Redness on the cheeks and nose;
- Rough, dull texture;
- Chapped lips;
- Painful cracks, especially on the hands and feet.
When these signs appear, it’s important to boost your skin’s hydration with the right products. Plus, the sooner you start your skincare routine, the better the results will be. And that’s where the right routine for restoring hydration in the winter comes in.
How to Moisturize Your Skin in Winter
The routine recommended by Correia Rosa Pharmacies
1. Gentle cleaning
Cleansing should respect the skin’s natural barrier. Use products that do not strip away the natural oils that help keep the skin hydrated.
2. Nourishing Moisturizer for Face and Body
On cold days, opt for richer, more nourishing creams, which create a protective barrier and combat dry skin. Ingredients such as ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter are excellent allies.
3. Special care for hands and lips
Hands and lips are the first to suffer from a lack of moisture in the winter, since they are more exposed to the weather. Therefore, it is very important to:
- Use a nourishing hand cream several times a day, especially after washing your hands.
- Apply a moisturizing lip balm whenever your lips feel dry to prevent chapping and cracking.
Even so, despite these precautions, some people develop a common winter ailment: chilblains.
At Correia Rosa Pharmacies, we offer moisturizing solutions for all skin types and all ages, from babies to adults.
Chilblains: What They Are, Why They Occur, and How to Treat Them
The Chilblains (erythema pernio) are skin inflammations caused by prolonged exposure to the cold. They mainly affect the hands, feet, ears, and nose. They are more common when the skin is dry and dehydrated, causing it to lose its natural protective ability.
Symptoms of chilblains include:
- Redness
- Inchaço
- Intense itching
- Pain or burning sensation
- In more severe cases, small cracks or blisters
Chilblains can be quite uncomfortable and interfere with our daily lives, but there is a treatment that is most effective when started quickly.
And this is precisely where the right care makes all the difference.
How to Prevent and Treat Chapped Hands with the Help of Correia Rosa Pharmacies
1. Protection from the cold
Wear gloves and warm socks, and avoid prolonged exposure to the cold.
2. Increased hydration
Keeping your skin moisturized drastically reduces the risk of chilblains. Well-moisturized skin reacts better to changes in temperature.
3. Products specifically for chilblains and chapped skin
At Correia Rosa Pharmacies, we carry creams and balms designed to:
- reduce inflammation;
- regenerate chapped skin;
- reduce pain;
- restore the skin barrier.
However, in addition to skincare routines, there are daily habits that affect skin hydration during the winter.
Habits That Help You Stay Hydrated in Winter
- Drink water throughout the day;
- Use humidifiers at home;
- Take shorter, less hot showers;
- Choose comfortable, breathable clothing;
- Eat foods rich in omega-3 and antioxidants: fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and plant-based sources such as chia seeds and flaxseeds, nuts, and dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, kale).
With these external and internal care routines, your skin stays healthier all winter long.
At Correia Rosa Pharmacies, we believe that prevention is the best way to avoid dry, chapped skin and chilblains. With a proper moisturizing routine in the winter and the right products for your face, body, hands, and lips, you can keep your skin protected, comfortable, and beautiful throughout the season.
Stop by one of our pharmacies and discover our full range of skin moisturizers and treatments for chilblains, carefully selected by our team.
Look after yourself – we’re here to help.
FAQs
Skin becomes dry in the winter due to lower humidity, cold winds, and sudden temperature changes between indoors and outdoors. These factors accelerate water loss from the skin, compromising its natural barrier. Therefore, it is essential to boost skin hydration during this season with more nourishing creams.
In winter, the skin benefits from richer creams containing ingredients such as ceramides, glycerin, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients help restore the skin barrier and maintain moisture in winter, preventing dry, chapped, and irritated skin.
The lips do not have sebaceous glands, so they are especially vulnerable to the cold. Prevention involves daily use of moisturizing balms and frequent reapplication. Avoiding licking your lips also helps, as this makes dryness worse.
Chilblains are inflammations caused by exposure to the cold, which mainly affect the hands, feet, nose, and ears. They occur when small blood vessels react strongly to low temperatures, causing redness, swelling, and itching.
Typical symptoms include:
- Redness
- Intense itching
- Swelling
- Pain or burning sensation
- In some cases, small cracks or blisters
If left untreated, they can become very uncomfortable.
To treat mild chilblains:
- Gradually warm the affected area
- Apply a soothing cream specifically designed for chilblains
- Boost your skin’s hydration
- Avoid exposure to the cold while you’re recovering
Yes! Keeping your skin moisturized is one of the best ways to prevent chilblains. Moisturized skin is better able to withstand the cold and maintains a stronger skin barrier. Combine thermal protection with nourishing moisturizers to maximize the effect.
Yes. Children’s skin is thinner and loses moisture more quickly, making them more vulnerable to dry skin and chilblains. At Correia Rosa Pharmacies, we offer safe products suitable for babies and children perfect for protecting their skin during the winter.
It’s common, but it shouldn’t be ignored. Persistent redness may indicate dry skin or the onset of chilblains. Extra moisturizing and protection from the wind can help prevent the condition from worsening.
You should seek counseling when:
- Dry skin does not improve with daily moisturizing;
- cracks or pain develop;
- Signs of moderate to severe chilblains appear.
