Stop the Itch: The Best Soap for Skin Prone to Winter Dryness

The winter season brings in crisp and cold air. It is the season associated with festivals mostly. But the weather conditions are quite harsh. The outdoor weather is cold and chilly and the indoors is warm and heated, this dual situation could affect your skin. It would easily strip the moisture barrier of the skin. This results in a flaky, excessively dry and scaly skin. The skin gets very dry and it could result in redness and inflammation if the barrier of the skin gets damaged.

Using body lotions and creams is one solution but it does not solve the problem completely. You also need to incorporate a nourishing bath soap in your routine.  Routine soaps are usually harsh on the skin and could strip the barrier of the skin due to presence of harsh surfactants. So you need to switch to a better soap for your skin. The best soap for skin would help in cleansing the skin along with moisturizing the damaged and dry skin.

Why are winters so harsh on skin?

During winters humidity in the air reduces a lot. The weather is quite cold and frosty. The outdoors are dry and chilly. The heat inside causes the inside environment to be warm and hot which could absorb the remaining moisture from the skin. This results in stripping the moisture from the skin completely.

The moisture barrier of the skin gets damaged and exposed to the harsh weather. This results in a completely dried out skin in winters. The skin texture gets flaky and scaly in the winters which causes a lot of trouble. It could easily cause skin inflammation and the nerve endings get sensitive in winters.

Why do traditional soaps become ineffective?

Traditional soaps are formulated with harsh surfactants and detergents. These soap bars have an extreme cleansing action which could strip the moisture from the skin and disrupt the protective barrier of the skin. In winters this could be quite troublesome as the weather is already dry and these soaps could make your skin even more dry. The pH range of these soaps is also alkaline because they are formed by traditional saponification  methods. It does not align with the skin pH. This damages the acidic balance of the skin and also strips off the lipid layer from the skin.

Qualities of an ideal soap for winter

• It should be formulated using mild surfactants in order to protect the skin barrier and provide a gentle cleansing.

• A soap must have a pH which aligns with the skin and does not cause any skin damage. It should be around 5.5.

• The total fatty matter content of a soap meant for winters must be around 76%. If it is lower than that it may not be suitable.

• It should contain more moisturizing and skin nourishing ingredients in order to provide proper moisture to the skin and reduce skin dryness.

• It should not have a harsh cleansing action on the skin and also help in cleansing the skin without any purging.

• It must be able to support the skin barrier of the skin. It should not cause any disruption or damage to the barrier of the skin.

Ingredients that are ideal for winter dryness

Ingredient	benefits
Shea butter	The most beneficial ingredient for fighting winter dryness. It provides smoothness and flexibility to the skin along with moisture. It helps in reducing the trans epidermal water loss from the skin.
Jojoba oil	It mimics the structure of sebum in the skin It provides a smooth conditioning and moisturizing effect to the skin. It helps in repairing the damaged skin barrier
Glycerin	It helps in moisturizing the skin by attracting moisture into the skin. It reduces the scaly texture of the skin. It reduces flakiness from the skin which gives a smooth texture.
Ceramides	It helps in repairing the damaged skin barrier. It provides ceramides to the skin barrier which gets lost on disruption. It provides moisture to the skin and prevents skin tightness.
Neem	It helps in protecting the skin barrier and also helps in repairing damaged skin barrier. It helps in gentle cleansing of the skin without any damage. It fights bacterial infections due to its antibacterial action.
Aloe vera	It reduces the inflammation on the skin which occurs due to cold weather It helps in hydrating the dry and flaky skin

How to use the best soap for winters?

• Wash your body with lukewarm water
• Take soap and rub it in hands or loofah to form lather
• Apply lather on the body and let it sit for a minute
• Rinse off with water
• Apply moisture after drying your body

Final thoughts

Winters are chilly and dry and this season damages the skin a lot. It causes dryness and flakiness on the skin which could be corrected using a gentle soap along with body lotions. A soap formulated with nourishing and moisturizing ingredients should be incorporated in the winter routine.