Why your moisturiser suddenly “stops working” each winter – and the one ingredient dermatologists say to add

Steve Owen • December 08, 2025 14:51

Why your moisturiser suddenly “stops working” each winter – and the one ingredient dermatologists say to add

The first cold week hits and the same thing happens in bathrooms everywhere. The moisturiser that kept your skin soft all summer suddenly feels… useless. Your cheeks sting after cleansing, your foundation catches on dry patches, and no amount of cream seems to make a dent.

It feels as if your skin has changed overnight. In reality, it’s the environment that has flipped – and your current routine has not kept up.

Here’s what is really going on in your skin each winter, why your favourite cream appears to “stop working”, and the single ingredient dermatologists reach for when radiators come on and air turns harsh.

What winter actually does to your skin barrier

Walk from a centrally heated office into a windy street and you can feel the problem. Warm, dry indoor air. Cold, windy outdoor air. Your skin sits in the middle, trying to keep water in and irritants out.

In colder months, humidity drops, both outside and indoors. Heating systems strip even more moisture from the air. Your skin responds by losing water faster through a process called transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The drier the air, the more aggressively that water escapes.

At the same time, your skin’s natural lipid barrier – the mix of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids that seal the surface – becomes thinner and less flexible in the cold. Cleansers that felt fine in August suddenly tip you into tightness and micro‑cracks.

So if your moisturiser was just about “feeling nice” on the surface during summer, winter quietly exposes its limits.

Your moisturiser did not stop working; winter simply asked it to do a job it was never designed for.

Why your usual cream suddenly feels too weak

Most lightweight, summer‑friendly moisturisers are brilliant at one thing: adding water into the upper layers of the skin. They are rich in humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which pull moisture towards the surface and give that instant plump look.

In winter, those same formulas can feel oddly pointless on a dry face. They draw in water… but there is nothing in the formula to properly seal it in. In a low‑humidity, heated room, that borrowed water can evaporate straight back out, taking more with it.

You notice this as:

Skin that feels comfortable for 20–30 minutes, then tight again
Foundation that looks smooth at 8am and flaky by lunchtime
Lips and around‑the‑nose areas cracking despite daily cream

On oilier or combination skin, the T‑zone may still look shiny. That shine can be misleading. The surface has oil, but deeper layers are dehydrated. A simple switch from gel to cream is often not enough.

To cope with winter, your moisturiser needs a second job description: not just hydration, but barrier repair.

The ingredient dermatologists add on repeat: ceramides

Ask dermatologists what they quietly add into almost every winter routine, and the same word comes up: ceramides.

Ceramides are lipids (fats) that naturally make up around half of the skin barrier. Think of them as the “grout” between the “tiles” of your skin cells. When the grout is strong, water stays in and irritants stay out. When it is missing or damaged, everything leaks.

In cold, dry weather – and in anyone prone to eczema, rosacea or sensitivity – ceramides deplete faster. Cleansers, hot showers and friction from scarves chip away at them. Simply adding more water with a humectant-rich cream does not rebuild that structure.

A ceramide‑rich moisturiser or serum does three crucial things in winter:

Replenishes the “mortar” between cells so the barrier can seal properly
Reduces that tight, burning feeling after cleansing or being outside
Helps any hydrating ingredients you use stay put for longer

In winter, a ceramide step is like adding insulation to a draughty house – suddenly the heating you already pay for actually stays inside.

Hydration vs protection: what to look for on the label

To stop that “my cream has stopped working” cycle, you need both water and a way to lock it in. Most winter‑ready routines lean on three families of ingredients.

1. Humectants (for water)

These attract and bind water in the upper layers of skin:

Glycerin
Hyaluronic acid
Urea (in low to moderate strengths)
Aloe vera, panthenol

They give the quick plump, glow and makeup-friendly finish. They are not the problem – they are just not the whole story.

2. Ceramides and barrier lipids (for structure)

These rebuild the barrier “cement”:

Ceramide NP, AP, EOP (any “ceramide” in the INCI list)
Cholesterol
Fatty acids (such as linoleic acid)

They tend to sit in creams and balms rather than gels. In winter, this is the category you want to actively add if it is missing.

3. Occlusives (for sealing)

These create a thin film that slows down evaporation:

Petrolatum, mineral oil
Shea butter
Dimethicone and other silicones
Lanolin (if tolerated)

On very dry or eczema‑prone skin, a light layer of an occlusive balm over your ceramide cream at night can be game‑changing. On oilier skin, a balanced cream with ceramides plus a touch of dimethicone is usually enough.

What changes you’ll actually see on your face

Once you bring ceramides and better barrier support into the mix, the difference rarely shows as a dramatic “before/after” line in a single day. It feels more like your skin stops fighting you.

After 24 hours: Cleansing burns less. The immediate tightness softens. Flaky makeup patches start to grip better.
After 7 days: Redness around the nose and on the cheeks calms. That “itchy dry” feeling in the evening fades. Your usual moisturiser, layered over a ceramide serum or under an occlusive at night, suddenly feels effective again.
After 4 weeks: Fine dehydration lines around eyes and mouth look shallower through the day. You can tolerate mild actives (vitamin C, gentle retinoids) with fewer reactions. Your face feels more “normal”, even on windy days.

The goal is not glass‑skin perfection. It’s a barrier that is so stable you almost forget about it.

Common winter skin traps (and quick fixes)

Cleansing like it’s July

Foaming, high‑pH cleansers and long, hot showers dissolve precious lipids when you need them most. That squeaky‑clean feeling often shows up later as burning and flaking.

Swap to a gentle, non‑foaming cleanser once or twice a day
Keep showers warm, not scalding, and shorter where you can

Over‑relying on hyaluronic acid

Layering multiple HA serums in a centrally heated flat can backfire. With no barrier support, they draw water up, then let it evaporate, leaving you feeling drier.

Use one hydrating layer, then seal with a ceramide cream
Apply hyaluronic acid to slightly damp (not dripping) skin, then lock it in

Dropping SPF because it’s grey outside

UV exposure continues through clouds and windows. Winter sun may not burn, but it still breaks down collagen and stresses the barrier.

Keep a broad‑spectrum SPF 30–50 in your morning routine
If traditional sunscreens feel heavy, look for fluid textures labelled “non‑comedogenic”

A simple winter routine tweak by skin type

You do not need an entirely new shelf. You need one or two strategic upgrades.

Skin type	Add this in winter	Main benefit
Dry / eczema‑prone	Ceramide cream + optional balm at night	Deep comfort, fewer cracks and flares
Combination	Light ceramide lotion; richer cream only on dry zones	Balances flakes without over‑greasing T‑zone
Oily / acne‑prone	Gel serum with ceramides + oil‑free moisturiser	Supports barrier so treatments sting less

Start by introducing the ceramide step once a day for a week. If your skin drinks it up without congestion, move to morning and evening on the driest areas.

How to layer so your moisturiser starts “working” again

Think of your winter face routine as building from thinnest to thickest, with ceramides sitting firmly in the middle.

Morning

Gentle cleanse or just a splash of lukewarm water
Hydrating serum (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide)
Ceramide moisturiser (light lotion for combination/oily, richer cream for dry)
SPF 30–50 as the last step

Evening

Makeup remover or cleansing balm, followed by a gentle cleanser
Treatment if you use one (retinoid or exfoliating acid, not both on the same night unless directed by a professional)
Ceramide moisturiser to buffer and support the barrier
Optional: very thin layer of a balm or ointment on the driest areas only (cheeks, corners of nose)

If you wake up less tight and your skin copes better with wind and heating, you have found your winter baseline. Peel back the balm and heavier layers in spring rather than over‑correcting.

When to consider professional help

If you are seeing:

Cracked, weeping patches
Rashes that do not settle with barrier care
Sudden, intense itching or burning

then a dermatologist or GP visit is worth your time. Conditions like eczema, contact dermatitis and rosacea often flare in winter and need more than over‑the‑counter creams and ceramides.

For everyone else, think of this season as your annual nudge to upgrade from “nice‑feeling hydrator” to “serious barrier support”. Once you experience a winter where your moisturiser actually keeps up, it is hard to go back to guessing which thick cream might work next.

FAQ:

Do I need to stop using my current moisturiser? Not necessarily. You can often keep it and simply add a ceramide serum or richer barrier cream underneath or on top in the evening. If your current product is very light, you may reserve it for summer and rely on the ceramide formula in winter.

Can ceramides make me break out? Well‑formulated ceramide products are usually non‑comedogenic and safe for spot‑prone skin, but richer textures can overload an oily T‑zone. Start with a lotion texture and apply more generously only on dry areas.

Is slugging with petroleum jelly enough without ceramides? Occlusives like petrolatum seal in what is already there; they do not rebuild missing barrier lipids. For most people, combining a ceramide cream with a very thin layer of balm on top works better than balm alone.

How long before I know if a ceramide product works for me? You should feel a comfort difference within a few days, but visible changes in flakiness and redness usually take 2–4 weeks of consistent use. If irritation worsens, stop and seek professional advice.