Cold air, low humidity, and constant indoor heating can leave skin dry, dull, and irritated. Winter skin damage isn’t just a seasonal concern—it’s a signal that your skin barrier needs repair and protection. With the right professional winter skin treatments and at-home care, you can restore hydration, smoothness, and radiance all season long.
Causes of Winter Skin Damage
There are many factors that can cause skin damage during the summer–namely weather, diet, and stress. While some factors like weather have a more immediate and direct impact on skin in the winter, other factors like diet and stress shouldn’t be ignored. See how each factor can impact your skin and how to address it when you start to see early signs of skin damage.
Winter Weather Impact on Skin
As winter weather approaches, especially in the American south, the level of humidity begins to drop. What was once a source of mild hydration is now gone, causing skin to become dry, flakey, and in some cases more prone to breakouts. This is only exacerbated by indoor heating and bone-warming hot showers.
You might begin to experience winter skin damage like tightness, redness, chapped lips and cheeks as early as October and November with no warm weather and high humidity to relieve you in sight.
Impact of Winter Diet on Skin
During spring and summer months we typically place a high value on fresh fruits and vegetables as they are more readily available and at the peak of their ripeness. These foods are not only healthy for our bodies, but our skin enjoys the benefits of a nutrient dense diet as well.
While no food is inherently “good” or “bad” food, those that are high in sugar can negatively impact your skin– and those are the foods in high abundance in winter months (we’re looking at you, Halloween candy). To balance out sweet treats, focus on getting foods that are high in antioxidants such as spinach, sweet potatoes, and apples as well as those high in omega-3s like salmon, sardines, and walnuts. On top of monitoring your water intake to help keep your body, and your skin, hydrated, these subtle diet changes can help reduce the negative impact of the Holiday Diet.
Seasonal Stress and Its Effect on Skin
From end of year parties at school to office parties, seeing friends and family, and holiday shopping, winter can be a stressful time. Stress hormones like cortisol can cause an increase in sebum (oil) production and lead to more breakouts. Add in poor sleep from end of the year stress and you’ve got a recipe for dull, inflamed skin.
You can counteract these effects by adding in small, mindful moments to help reduce your stress and therefore cortisol production. This in addition to prioritizing sleep over doomscrolling on your phone can help to improve and reduce winter skin damage.
Winter Weather Breakouts
Breakouts can happen regardless of the time of year, but winter can be especially hard for breakout prone skin. It’s important to understand the causes of winter skin breakouts so you can then reduce your triggers and treat your skin appropriately given your unique needs.
What Causes Winter Breakouts
While there are many factors beyond weather and stress that impact breakouts–dry air can trigger your skin to produce excess oil which can ultimately clog your pores and trigger inflammation and acne.
Clothing items that frequently touch your face like scarves or masks can irritate and trap more oil and dirt around your mouth and neck leading to pimples. The bottom line is that there are many factors that can cause winter skin damage and it’s important to keep an eye out if you start to see a pattern in what is causing irritation or breakouts in your skin during the colder months.
How to Reduce or Prevent Winter Skin Breakouts
Once you know which factors cause your winter breakouts or general damage, you can work to avoid them or incorporate products that help to address and counteract their impact. Consider adding a gentle exfoliant to your routine a few times a week to improve cell turnover and reduce any congestion you might have. We love using Skinbetter’s AphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads or ZO’s Complexion Renewal Pads a few nights a week to refresh even the thickest skin.
Winter is also a great time to add HydraFacials into your regularly scheduled skincare routine. You’ll see clearer, brighter, more hydrated skin immediately after your treatment, and sustained outcomes for several days after your appointment.
Healing Winter Skin Damage
Cold weather, dry indoor heat, and harsh winds can leave your skin feeling tight, flaky, and dull. Repairing winter skin damage requires more than a single moisturizer—it’s about restoring your skin barrier and rebuilding hydration from the inside out. Here’s how to do it right.
Helping Skin Retain Moisture
When temperatures drop, your skin’s natural barrier weakens, allowing precious moisture to escape.
To help your skin stay soft, supple, and hydrated all winter long:
- Swap foaming cleansers for creamy, barrier-repair formulas. Gentle cleansers like ZO Hydrating Cleanser remove impurities without stripping essential oils.
- Layer hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to attract and lock in moisture. The Skinbetter Hydration Boosting Cream is a great daily staple for deeper hydration.
- Seal it all in with a rich moisturizer. Favorites like Revision DEJ Face Cream or Skinbetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment help strengthen your skin barrier and restore elasticity.
Small adjustments like these can dramatically reduce dryness and sensitivity—helping your skin stay dewy and balanced throughout the season.
Treatments to Help Winter Skin
Professional winter skin treatments can restore radiance faster and enhance the results of your at-home regimen. At ElàMar, we recommend a few cornerstone services during colder months:
- HydraFacial: The go-to treatment for deep hydration, exfoliation, and glow. Perfect for dull or flaky skin needing a quick refresh.
- IPL Laser or BBL Photofacial: Powerful light-based treatments that reverses pigment, redness, and sun damage accumulated year-round—ideal for restoring clarity and brightness.
- Erbium Laser Treatment: A targeted resurfacing option that smooths fine lines and texture while stimulating new collagen for long-term skin renewal.
These winter treatments not only repair damage but also prep your skin to glow through the spring months ahead.
Best Treatments for Healing Winter Skin
To truly heal winter skin damage, personalization is key. Get ahead of major damage and customize a winter skin treatment plan with your ElàMar provider based on your skin’s needs—whether that’s hydration, pigment correction, or texture refinement. ANd don’t forget to combine professional treatments with medical-grade skincare from ZO, Revision, and Skinbetter Science for the most visible and lasting improvement.
Schedule your winter skin consultation at ElàMar Medspa in Nashville, TN or Decatur, AL to restore your healthiest, most radiant skin yet.
