Dryness, flaking, itching, acne, dullness, eczema, dandruff and hair fall.
Drinking water alone will not fix dry skin; staying hydrated matters, but it is moisturiser that stops water evaporating from the skin's surface. After washing, put two or three drops of The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 on your damp face, then seal it in with a cream. Drink a normal amount of water each day; forcing extra will not help your skin.
Dehydrated skin needs a water-binding layer first, then a cream to hold it in. At night, wash with a gentle cleanser and apply two pumps of COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to the damp face, then a pea-sized amount of cream a minute later. Do the same in the morning, finishing with sunscreen. Drop foaming washes, hot water and heavy exfoliation. The tightness usually eases within two weeks.
Usually the cream is too light, goes on a dry face, or the face wash is harsh. After washing, pat so the skin stays damp, and within three minutes apply a richer cream such as Cerave Moisturising Cream For Dry to Very Dry Skin, a little more than a pea-sized amount. Add a thin layer at midday if needed, and swap a foaming wash for a creamy cleanser.
These are dead cells from very dry skin, and daily lotion on damp skin after the bath usually cuts them down within days. Apply CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin to arms, legs and back within three minutes of bathing. Once a week, buff gently with a soft gamchha, not hard. See a doctor for red, itchy patches with thick scales.
No. Greasy yellow flakes with redness are usually seborrhoeic dermatitis, which flares in winter. Wash twice a day with a gentle cleanser and use a light moisturiser such as Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin; avoid heavy oils and rich creams there. See a doctor if it is not better in two weeks, spreads or itches more, and do not use steroids on your own.
Hot or hard water strips the skin's oils by itself, and the tight feeling comes as water evaporates after washing. Use lukewarm water and press the towel on rather than rubbing. Within a minute, apply a pea-sized amount of The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan to the damp face. Never leave your face bare after washing.
A squeaky-clean feel, tightness, stinging or peeling beside the nose after washing all mean the face wash is too harsh. In winter, choose a creamy, low-foam cleanser such as CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser Normal to Dry. Massage a pea-sized amount gently for 30 seconds and rinse with lukewarm water. Plain water in the morning is fine too.
An itchy face in winter is usually a sign of dry, weakened skin, and a fragrance-free soothing cream calms it. Morning and night, wash with a gentle cleanser and apply a pea-sized amount of Purito Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream. Pause retinol, acids and scrubs for a week or two, and do not scratch. See a doctor for red bumps, swelling, oozing, or itching that lasts beyond two weeks.
Itching and redness after a new cream mean it does not suit your skin, so stop it right away. Wash with plain water and use a simple fragrance-free cream for a few days, such as Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream. Once settled, patch test anything new behind the ear first. If your face or eyes swell or you have trouble breathing, get medical help immediately.
When the face is red and burning, stop retinol, AHA-BHA, vitamin C, scrubs and peel-off masks for one to two weeks. Use only a gentle cleanser, Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream and sunscreen by day. Once the skin calms, bring back one active at a time, two nights a week. See a doctor if the redness has not eased in two weeks, or bumps or swelling appear.
If even water stings, your skin barrier is badly damaged, and less is more right now. For a few days, skip face wash, rinse gently with lukewarm water and apply a thin layer of Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume two to three times a day. Stop all actives, makeup and fragrance. See a doctor if it has not eased in a week, or if cracks ooze fluid or pus.
When dryness and acne come together, keep treating the acne but feed the skin too. At night, after a gentle cleanser, put a little of your acne active on the spots, then Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Acne Moisturizer on top. Use a salicylic face wash once a day at most, on alternate days rather than daily. See a doctor for large painful lumps or acne that leaves marks.
Marks darken even in winter sun, and they show more on dry, rough skin. In the morning, use two or three drops of Minimalist Niacinamide 5% Face Serum, then moisturiser and sunscreen. Do not pick the marks or rub on lemon. Marks take eight to twelve weeks to fade. See a doctor about pitted or raised scars.
Winter dullness comes mainly from dehydrated skin and built-up dead cells. Morning and night, apply The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 to a damp face, then a cream; within days the skin looks plumper. A gentle exfoliation once a week is enough, no more. Wear sunscreen by day. Sleep and diet show on the face too.
An ashy look is a whitish layer of dry dead skin that shows more on deeper skin tones, and a good moisturiser fixes it almost at once. After bathing, apply CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin to damp skin, and a rich cream on the face. Buff off dead skin gently once a week. You do not need lightening products.
Yes. Winter sun feels gentle, but it carries UVA, which slowly tans the skin and deepens marks. Fifteen minutes before sitting in the sun, apply Cerave Hydrating Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF50 to face, neck and hands, two finger-lengths for the face. Reapply after two hours. Shading your face with a cap or scarf helps even more.
Usually your colour has not changed; dry dead skin reflects less light, so the face looks darker and dull. Use a moisturiser such as iUNIK Beta-Glucan Daily Moisture Cream morning and night, plus sunscreen by day, and exfoliate gently once a week. Brightness returns within a few weeks. See a doctor if patchy dark marks appear suddenly.
Pale, slightly rough white patches with blurred edges on the face are usually pityriasis alba, which worsens with dryness and is harmless. Apply Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Dry to Very Dry, Sensitive Skin morning and night, and sunscreen by day. The colour takes a few months to even out. See a doctor if a patch is chalk-white, sharp-edged or spreading.
See a doctor without delay if a patch is chalk-white, has sharp edges, keeps spreading, appears on the lips, around the eyes or on fingertips, or if the hair in it turns white; it may be vitiligo. Itchy, scaly patches can also be fungal. Do not use lemon or bleach at home. Meanwhile, keep to a mild moisturiser and sunscreen.
The core winter job with eczema is a thick moisturiser at least twice a day, not only when it itches. After bathing and at night, apply Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume over all affected areas. Wear cotton, use fragrance-free soap and keep nails short. Creams will not make eczema go away for good, but they reduce flares. A doctor decides on any medical treatment.
See a doctor if two weeks of regular moisturiser does not help, itching wakes you at night, cracks ooze yellow fluid, crust or pus, painful blisters suddenly spread, you have a fever, or the eczema is in a child. Do not use steroid creams on your own or on a shopkeeper's advice. Meanwhile, keep using Bioderma Atoderm Crème Ultra-Nourishing Cream twice a day.
Take a short 5–10 minute bath in lukewarm water, using cleanser only on underarms, groin and feet. Use a mild, fragrance-free cleanser such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Normal To Dry & Sensitive Skin. Press the towel on rather than rubbing, and apply a thick cream within three minutes. Very hot water makes itching worse. See a doctor if the skin burns or oozes after bathing.
A doctor should manage psoriasis treatment, but a thick daily moisturiser keeps scales soft and reduces cracking. Apply Cerave Moisturising Cream For Dry to Very Dry Skin thickly after bathing and at night. Do not pick the scales, and avoid hot water. We do not stock any medicated psoriasis products right now. See a doctor if patches spread, or you get joint pain or pitted nails.
Roughly: psoriasis shows raised, thick patches with sharp edges and silvery scales, often on elbows, knees and scalp; eczema has blurred edges, intense itch and favours skin folds. See a doctor to be sure, because treatment differs. Both need a fragrance-free thick cream every day, such as Bioderma Atoderm Crème Ultra-Nourishing Cream.
This is keratosis pilaris; it is harmless and worsens with dryness. At night, apply CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin to the bumpy areas, every other night at first, then daily if your skin is fine with it. Use a plain lotion in the morning. Picking or hard scrubbing makes it worse. It smooths out in four to six weeks but returns if you stop.
No. Hard scrubbing adds redness and irritation, and the bumps stay. A chemical exfoliant such as salicylic acid works better. Three to four times a week, leave Cerave SA Body Wash for Rough and Bumpy Skin on the bumpy areas for a minute in the bath, rinse, then apply lotion. See a doctor if the bumps turn red, swollen or painful.
This is windburn: cold, dry wind damages the skin barrier. At night, rinse gently with lukewarm water and apply a slightly thick layer of Purito Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream, and again in the morning. Pause actives and scrubs for a few days. Next time, put on a rich cream and sunscreen and cover your face with a muffler before setting out. See a doctor for blisters or oozing.
Fewer washes, hot water and scalp oil make dandruff worse in winter. Use a ketoconazole or zinc pyrithione shampoo two to three times a week, left on for three to five minutes; it is not on our shelf right now. On other days, use a mild shampoo such as L'Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump 72H Hydrating Shampoo. See a doctor for red sores or no improvement in four weeks.
It can. Oily dandruff flakes and hair oil land on the forehead and hairline and add to small bumps and acne. Treat the dandruff, keep hair off your forehead, and change your pillowcase twice a week. Keep the forehead on a light moisturiser such as Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Acne Moisturizer. See a doctor for large, painful lumps.
Losing 50–100 hairs a day is normal, and you may shed a bit more for a few weeks when the season changes. Dry hair also snaps, so after shampooing leave Tresemme Keratin Smooth Keratinbond+ No.2 Conditioner on the lengths for two minutes, then rinse. Do not comb wet hair roughly, and avoid hot water. Eat enough protein and iron-rich food.
See a doctor if you lose more than 100 hairs a day for over three months, get round bald patches, notice your parting widening, have red sores or scales on the scalp, or hair fall comes with tiredness, weight change or irregular periods; blood tests for iron or thyroid may be needed. No oil or shampoo alone can guarantee to stop hair fall.
First rinse gently with clean water and press dry with a soft cloth; once the bleeding stops, apply a thin layer of Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume over the crack. Reapply at night under cotton socks or gloves. Keep salicylic lotions, spirit and toothpaste off open cracks. See a doctor for spreading redness, pus, fever, diabetes, or cracks not healed in two weeks.
Infection is likely if redness spreads around the crack, it feels hot and swollen, pain increases, yellow fluid or pus comes out, a red streak runs upwards, or you get a fever; see a doctor promptly. With diabetes, do not wait even for small cracks. If there is no infection, keep the crack clean and apply a thick cream every day.
Very hot water washes away the skin's oils and opens blood vessels, bringing redness and itch. Keep the water lukewarm, finish within 10 minutes, and you can end with a mug of slightly cooler water. Pat dry and apply CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin within three minutes. See a doctor for raised welts or any trouble breathing.
Even if your body tolerates warm water, the face is more delicate. Wash it separately at the end with cooler water and keep it out of direct shower spray. After the bath, apply a pea-sized amount of Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream. See a doctor if redness stays all the time, small veins show, or bumps appear; it may be rosacea.
Coarse wool fibres rub dry skin and make it itch, and a full-sleeve cotton layer underneath fixes most of it. In the morning, apply CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin before dressing. Wash a new sweater in mild detergent before wearing it, and take off a layer if you start sweating. See a doctor if bumps spread or it has not settled within a week.
If it itches only where wool touches and settles with a cotton layer, it is usually friction. Raised welts within minutes, blisters or oozing, or swelling of the eyes or lips may mean an allergy, so see a doctor. For friction, a cotton layer plus Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin is enough.
These are probably milia, tiny pockets of keratin trapped under the skin; they are harmless. Cut back heavy creams around the eyes and use a lighter one, such as Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin. Do not squeeze them or use a needle, as that scars. If they do not clear in a few months, a doctor can remove them safely.
Clusters of tiny blisters on the lip edge are usually cold sores (the herpes virus), not ordinary chapping; cold, sun and illness bring them on. Do not pop them, wash your hands after touching, avoid kissing, and do not share lip balm or cups. See a doctor if they keep coming back, spread near the eye, come with fever, or have not healed in 10 days.
A patch like a red ring with a raised edge and a paler centre that slowly grows is usually ringworm (a fungus), not dryness; moisturiser will not clear it, so see a doctor. Avoid shop creams mixed with steroids, as they spread ringworm. Keep towels and clothes separate, keep the area dry, and wear loose cotton.