In October, the shelves fill up with “winter special”, “intense nourishment” and “cocooning” creams. The names change, the question stays the same: do you really need another cream, and which one? The good news is that you can answer without knowing a single brand, just by reading the texture and the label.
In short
A good winter cream is, first of all, a thicker texture than your summer one: a cream, balm or oil rather than a runny lotion. On the label, look for both ingredients that attract water (glycerin, hyaluronic acid) and ingredients that stop it escaping (petroleum jelly, shea butter, dimethicone). Then choose according to how your skin feels, and test any new cream for 7 to 10 days on a small area before adopting it.
Do you really need to change your cream in winter?
Not if your current cream leaves your skin comfortable all day. You change when your skin starts to feel tight, flake or turn rough, not because the calendar says so.
When that happens, the direction is clear. For the face in winter, the dermatologists of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommend creams, oils or balms. A dermatologist at Mass General Brigham considers a cream that is too runny, such as one from a pump bottle, generally insufficient in winter, and suggests a simple test: a cream that is thick enough keeps its shape when you turn the pot upside down.
If your skin already feels tight, start with the habits that keep it that way (hot water, stripping cleanser), which are detailed in skin that feels tight in winter. Changing cream without changing those habits rarely sorts everything out.
Humectant, emollient, occlusive: what are they?
They are the three families of ingredients in a moisturiser, and a good winter cream combines at least two. A review published in 2017 in Clinical Medicine & Research defines them like this:
- humectants attract water to the surface layer of the skin: glycerin, panthenol, urea, hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol;
- occlusives form a film that slows water evaporation: petroleum jelly (petrolatum), liquid paraffin, mineral oil, lanolin, silicones such as dimethicone;
- emollients, mostly lipids, soften and smooth the skin: fatty acids, fatty alcohols.
The point that matters in winter: the same review notes that humectants can also draw water from the deeper layers of the skin up to the surface, where it evaporates. That is why they are generally combined with occlusives. A hyaluronic acid serum on its own, with no cream over it, may therefore not be enough when the air is dry.
Rich or light cream: how do you know what your skin needs?
How your skin feels decides, not the “dry skin” or “combination skin” label. The table matches what you feel with the texture and ingredients to look for.
| Your skin | Texture and ingredients to look for | To avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tight everywhere, rough | Thick cream or balm: shea butter, petroleum jelly, lanolin, ceramides | A runny pump-bottle lotion used on its own |
| Shiny on the T-zone and tight on the cheeks | Light cream everywhere, richer on the cheeks: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone | A single very rich cream over the whole face |
| Stings or flushes easily | A simple cream with a short ingredient list, labelled “fragrance-free” | Fragrance, alcohol, acids and retinol used too often |
| Flaking in small patches | Rich cream: glycerin, ceramides; lactic acid if your skin tolerates acids | Scrubs with grains |
| Stays comfortable all day | Your current cream | Changing for the sake of it |
If you are torn between “skin that lacks lipids” and “skin that lacks water”, the difference is explained in dry skin or dehydrated skin.
Which ingredients should you look for on the label when it is cold?
The ones dermatologists cite for dry skin, without chasing novelty. For winter the AAD cites hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, glycerin, lanolin, mineral oil, petroleum jelly and shea butter, as well as lactic acid in some creams, for dry skin that flakes. Mass General Brigham adds urea and ceramides.
These are classic ingredients, not novelties: the ingredient list tells you more than the name of the range or the claim on the pot.
Combination skin in winter: which cream without the shine?
Two textures, or a single one applied in two thicknesses. Combination skin often feels tight on the cheeks while shining on the forehead and nose. Rather than a rich cream everywhere, you can keep a light cream on the T-zone and add a richer layer, or a balm, on the cheeks and around the lips. The lips themselves need a separate balm, chosen on other criteria: they are in chapped lips in winter.
As for ingredients, humectants (glycerin, hyaluronic acid) and a silicone such as dimethicone, classed among the occlusives, give a less greasy finish than butters. The signs and routine for this skin type are detailed in combination skin: how to recognise it.
Sensitive skin: which ingredients should you avoid this winter?
Fragrance and alcohol first. For dry skin, the AAD recommends avoiding fragranced products and alcohol, and flags a labelling trap: prefer “fragrance-free” to “unscented”, which can contain substances intended to mask odours. Mass General Brigham also advises avoiding fragranced products.
Demanding actives count too: the AAD advises using glycolic acid, salicylic acid or retinol less often, or at lower strengths, in winter. If your skin now reacts to almost everything, the question is no longer the cream but the skin barrier, which first needs a pared-back routine.
How do you test a new cream without upsetting your skin?
On a small area, twice a day, for 7 to 10 days. This is the method the AAD describes:
- choose an area the size of a £2 coin, where the product will be neither rubbed nor washed off: the inside of your arm or the crook of your elbow;
- apply the cream twice a day, in your usual amount, for 7 to 10 days;
- if there is no redness, itching or swelling after that time, you can use it on your face;
- if there is a reaction, rinse the area gently and stop the product. If the reaction is strong and does not improve, see a dermatologist.
One new thing at a time: if you change cream and cleanser in the same week, there is no way of knowing which one suits you.
To go faster, the free skin quiz asks you a few questions about your skin, your life and your budget, and suggests a routine with cheaper alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a different night cream in winter?
Not necessarily. But the evening is the right time for the richest texture: you have no make-up or sun protection to apply over it. Many skin types manage with a light cream in the morning and the same cream, in a thicker layer, or a balm, in the evening.
Is petroleum jelly on the face a good idea?
Petroleum jelly (petrolatum) is one of the occlusives, and the AAD lists it among the ingredients that help with dry skin. It forms a film that slows water loss but does not supply any: applied on skin that is still damp, or over a cream, it works better. On skin that tends to be oily, keep it for the areas that feel tight.
Can my winter cream replace sun protection?
No, unless it contains sun protection of a sufficient rating itself. The AAD recommends sun protection on the face all year round, rated 30 or higher, in cream form rather than lotion or spray in winter, or applied over the moisturiser.
Is an expensive cream more effective in winter?
The price tells you nothing about the formula: it is the ingredient list you need to read. What counts is the texture, the presence of a humectant and an occlusive, and the absence of fragrance if your skin is sensitive.