Winter Skin Part Two: Adjusting Retinol and Boosting Hydration

The moment the temperature drops and the heavy coats come out, skin behaves differently. I noticed it in my own routine this year, my regime shifting almost overnight once the cold set in. The products that felt perfect in September can suddenly leave the skin tight, flaky and a little raw by December. Nothing has gone wrong. The environment has simply changed, and skincare that ignores that tends to fall short.

This is the second part of our look at winter skin. The first covered the basics of keeping hydrated when the weather turns. Here we go further into one of the most common culprits behind winter dryness, retinol and tretinoin, and how a few small adjustments can keep you comfortable without abandoning the ingredients that do your skin so much good the rest of the year.

If your face has started to feel parched despite doing everything you usually do, the advice below is a good place to start. It is practical, it takes minutes to put into practice, and it is exactly the kind of guidance I give patients in clinic when the seasons turn.

Why winter dries the skin out in the first place

Cold air holds far less moisture than warm air. Step outside and the dry, chilly wind pulls water from the surface of your skin. Step back inside and central heating does much the same thing, drying the air in every room you sit in. Your skin spends the whole day moving between two environments that are both working against its moisture levels.

On top of that, the skin's protective barrier, the outer layer that locks water in and keeps irritants out, becomes more fragile in the cold. When that barrier is compromised, water escapes more easily through a process known as transepidermal water loss. The result is the familiar winter combination of tightness, flaking, dull patches and sometimes a stinging sensation when you apply products that never used to bother you.

This matters because it changes how your skin tolerates active ingredients. A product your skin handled happily in summer, when the barrier was robust and the air was humid, can suddenly feel far too strong. Retinol and tretinoin are the classic example.

The retinol and tretinoin problem

Retinol and prescription tretinoin are among the most effective ingredients in skincare. They speed up cell turnover, support collagen, smooth texture and help with everything from fine lines to breakouts. I am a firm advocate of them. The catch is that part of how they work involves accelerating the shedding of skin cells, and that process is inherently drying.

Yes, they usually come as a cream or an ointment, so it feels counterintuitive that they could dehydrate you. But the base the active sits in is not the point. The retinoid itself increases turnover and can temporarily weaken the barrier while your skin adjusts, which means more water is lost from the surface. In summer, with humid air and a strong barrier, most people cope with this easily. In deep winter, when the skin is already struggling to hold onto moisture, the same product can tip you into visible dryness and flaking.

The instinct for some people is to stop using their retinoid altogether. That is rarely necessary, and it means losing the benefits you have worked to build. A gentler, smarter approach usually keeps skin comfortable while preserving results.

Coming down a percentage

One straightforward option is to drop to a lower strength for the coldest months. I give the example of moving from a 0.05 percent tretinoin down to 0.025 percent. A lower concentration is less aggressive, so your skin has more spare capacity to hydrate itself naturally rather than constantly playing catch-up with dryness. You still get meaningful benefit from the active, just with a gentler demand on a barrier that is already under pressure.

This is worth discussing with the person who prescribed or recommended your retinoid, particularly with prescription tretinoin, so the change fits your skin and your goals.

Spreading out your applications

If you already have a full tube and would rather not buy a new, lower strength, the alternative is to use the same product less often. Rather than applying five nights a week, ease back to three, so Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or even just twice a week to begin with. Then watch how your skin responds over the following fortnight. If it settles and feels comfortable, you have found your winter rhythm. If it still feels tight, you can spread the applications further apart again.

The principle behind both approaches is the same. You are reducing the total amount of active your skin has to process in a week, which frees up its own resources to stay hydrated and keeps the barrier calmer.

The buffering or sandwich method

There is a third trick worth knowing. Buffering, sometimes called the sandwich method, means applying a layer of moisturiser before your retinoid, or moisturiser, then retinoid, then moisturiser on top. The cream acts as a cushion that slows how quickly and deeply the active penetrates, which softens irritation while still allowing the ingredient to work. It is a gentle way to keep using an active you love through a season when your skin is more reactive. Many people combine buffering with a slightly reduced frequency during the coldest weeks.

Building a hydration routine that holds up in the cold

Adjusting your actives is only half the job. The other half is actively topping up moisture and helping your skin hold onto it. As I put it, keep on top of your serums, your moisturisers and your hydration so you are doing everything you can to combat dry winter skin.

Hydrating serums do a lot of the heavy lifting here. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are humectants, meaning they draw water into the skin. A hydrating serum applied to slightly damp skin gives you something for your moisturiser to seal in. The moisturiser itself matters more in winter than at any other time of year. A richer formula, ideally one containing barrier-supporting ingredients such as ceramides, fatty acids or niacinamide, helps rebuild the protective layer that the cold keeps stripping away.

Think of the order as layering from thinnest to thickest. Cleanse gently, avoiding anything stripping or heavily foaming, then apply your hydrating serum, then your moisturiser, and always finish with sunscreen in the morning. Winter sun and UV still reach the skin even on grey days, and retinoid users need that protection more than most.

A few small habits make a noticeable difference too. Turn the water temperature down when you cleanse, because very hot water strips the skin's natural oils. A humidifier in the bedroom counters the drying effect of central heating overnight. And do not forget to drink water and mind your environment, since hydration is as much about supporting the skin from the inside and around it as it is about what you apply.

When topical care needs a helping hand

Sometimes serums and moisturisers alone are not enough to keep pace with a harsh winter, particularly for skin that runs dry or dehydrated to begin with. This is where in-clinic hydration treatments earn their place, delivering moisture and stimulating the skin's own repair mechanisms from within rather than only working on the surface.

Profhilo is one of the most popular options for exactly this. It is an injectable treatment made from a high concentration of hyaluronic acid that spreads through the skin to deeply hydrate while also encouraging the skin to produce more of its own collagen and elastin. A standard course is two sessions spaced around four weeks apart, with results building over the following weeks. It suits people who feel their skin has lost its bounce and glow, which is often most obvious in winter.

Polynucleotides work a little differently. Rather than adding volume or acting purely as a moisture reservoir, they act as biostimulators, prompting the skin to regenerate at a cellular level, improving hydration, quality and resilience over a course of treatments. They are gentle, highly biocompatible and can be used in delicate areas such as under the eyes. Skin boosters more broadly cover a range of injectable hydrators that put moisture-attracting ingredients precisely where the skin needs them. For many patients, a course in autumn or winter is the reset that keeps their complexion comfortable through the coldest stretch of the year. I can help you decide which of these fits your skin, since the right choice depends on your concerns, your skin type and what you want to achieve.

Common questions about winter skin and retinol

Should I stop using retinol completely in winter?

For most people, no. Stopping altogether means losing the benefits you have built up. Lowering the strength, reducing how often you apply it, or buffering with moisturiser usually keeps skin comfortable while you carry on. If your skin is genuinely raw, cracked or burning, pause and speak to your practitioner rather than pushing through.

How long until my skin adjusts to a lower dose?

Give any change a couple of weeks before judging it. Skin needs time to settle into a new rhythm, and the first few days can feel slightly different as it recalibrates. If dryness has eased and your skin feels comfortable after two weeks, you have found the right level for the season.

Can I use Profhilo or skin boosters while on retinol?

In most cases these treatments complement each other well, with the injectable hydrating from within and the retinoid working on the surface. I may ask you to pause your active for a short window around the appointment. This is something to confirm at your consultation so the timing suits your routine.

Why does my skin feel worse indoors?

Central heating dries out the air in your home, so your skin loses moisture even when you are warm and cosy on the sofa. A humidifier helps, as does a richer moisturiser and resisting the urge to sit directly in front of radiators or fires, which draws water from the skin.

Is dry skin the same as dehydrated skin?

Not quite. Dry skin lacks oil and tends to be a skin type, while dehydrated skin lacks water and can affect anyone, including oily skin, particularly in winter. Most winter complaints are about dehydration, which is why hydrating serums, barrier-supporting moisturisers and treatments like Profhilo are so useful this time of year.

Book a winter skin consultation at Wellface

Winter lasts a good six months in this country, and your skin will thank you for adapting to it rather than battling through with a summer routine. If your skin feels tight, flaky or dull, or you are not sure how to adjust your retinol safely, a consultation is the simplest way to get a plan built around your skin.

I would be glad to review your current routine, fine-tune your actives and talk you through whether a hydration treatment such as Profhilo, polynucleotides or a skin booster would help you through the cold months. You will find us in Cobham, Esher and Wimbledon. Get in touch to book a consultation with me and let me help your skin stay comfortable until spring.