Dry skin in winter, dehydration and chapped lips: a step-by-step skincare guide

Solution for dry and dehydrated skin in winter

Dry skin, dehydrated face, and chapped lips are not “just winter,” but a sign of a broken skin barrier and lack of water in the skin. With gentle, non-drying cleansing, layered hydration (serum + cream), and targeted protection for dry, thin skin (lips, eye area), the face can visibly soften, calm down, and stop feeling tight within a few weeks.

Dry or just dehydrated skin – what's the difference?

Dry skin means you lack sebum, or natural oils, so the skin is constantly tight, rough, prone to flaking, and fine lines. Dehydrated skin has a lack of water, so it can be both oily and dehydrated at the same time: it looks grayish, dull, and quickly absorbs any cream you apply. In practice, most people experience both in winter – the skin is both dry and dehydrated, and lips chap at the slightest wind.

Therefore, the routine must simultaneously protect the lipid barrier and restore moisture to deeper layers of the skin, not just “apply something very greasy.”

Why skin and lips chap in winter (it's not just about the cream)

Cold air outside, dry and warm air inside, and hard tap water together draw moisture from the skin and lips, causing the protective barrier to wear down faster. If, on top of that, you use aggressive face washes and skip serums, the skin is left with nothing to retain water, so it reacts with flaking, redness, and a burning sensation.

Lips suffer extra because they practically have no sebaceous glands, so they cannot protect themselves, which is why they are the first to chap when you are dehydrated or when you lick your lips all day in the wind.

Morning hydrating routine for dry and dehydrated skin

Gentle cleansing without stripping natural oils

In the morning, skip aggressive foaming cleansers and use a mild face wash with tea tree that removes impurities but doesn't leave the skin "squeaky" dry. This preserves the natural oils that are crucial for elasticity in dry skin.

If you used 2FACED butter in the evening, your morning can pass with just lukewarm water or a minimal amount of gel, so that the skin doesn't start the day already irritated.

Toning and skin preparation

After cleansing, use a tea tree tonic as a light, watery layer that restores freshness and prepares the skin to better absorb serum and cream. Apply the tonic with your palms or a cotton pad, without harsh rubbing, as dry and dehydrated skin is often sensitive.

And besides all that, the tonic nicely removes limescale and hard water residue from the skin and pores after washing.

A light tonic helps the next layers “lock in” to the skin instead of just sitting on the surface and disappearing after half an hour.

Layered hydration: serum + cream + eye area

On damp skin from the tonic, apply a Hydrating Facial Serum based on aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, and vegetable glycerin – this combination attracts and binds water in the skin, making it excellent for dehydration. For more severe dehydration, feel free to apply it in two thin layers, gently patting with your fingers.

After the serum is absorbed, for normal-to-dry skin, apply a daily moisturizing cream, and for very dry or mature skin, you can also use an immortelle cream in the morning, which is richer, deeply nourishes, and helps with fine lines and uneven skin tone. Immortelle cream leaves the skin velvety, hydrated, and soft, while also acting as a gentle anti-aging shield throughout the day.

For the eye area, use a special eye serum: the thin skin under the eyes shouldn't be overwhelmed with heavy creams, but given concentrated, yet light care against dehydration lines. This is an area with fewer sebaceous glands, so it looks tired and wrinkled much faster when it lacks moisture.

Evening routine for barrier repair + anti-aging effect

Double cleansing when using SPF and makeup

If you wear SPF and makeup, start your evening with 2FACED cleansing butter, which thoroughly melts both waterproof makeup and daily impurities, without drying out the skin. The butter is formulated with coconut, almond, and macadamia oils and gently lathers upon contact with warm water, leaving the skin soft and nourished, without tightness.

If you want a completely clean face feeling, after the butter you can add a thin layer of tea tree face wash that cleanses but doesn't strip the natural barrier of dry skin.

When to choose a nourishing and when a hydrating cream

After cleansing, reapply tonic and hydrating serum, then choose a cream according to your skin's condition that evening.

When skin is more dehydrated than dry, stick with a hydrating cream over the serum.

When skin is rough, flaking, and itchy, reach for a nourishing cream with peptides that is richer, nourishes, and helps restore the skin barrier and reduce signs of aging.

Peptides in the nourishing cream support the skin's natural renewal process, making this texture ideal for evening use on dry and mature skin, especially during heating season.

The role of immortelle cream for dry and mature skin

If your face is dry and prone to flaking, and you also want an anti-aging effect, immortelle cream can be your main night cream. Immortelle hydrosol, macerate, and essential oil are known for their regenerative properties: they help alleviate sun pigmentation, even out skin tone, and keep skin soft and elastic.

Immortelle cream is especially praised for dry and sensitive skin – reviews highlight that the skin stops being chapped and dry, becomes velvety and hydrated, and the cream also works well as a makeup primer.

Chapped lips and dehydration: SOS tips

Chapped lips are often the first sign that you are dehydrated – a lack of water in the body is directly visible on the thin skin of the lips. Regular water intake and a humidifier in heated spaces reduce skin and lip dryness from the inside and out.

For care, use rich, protective textures: 100% shea butter can be used as a lip balm because it retains moisture, protects, and softens chapped areas. Applied in a thin layer, such a greasy barrier prevents additional moisture loss from the lips and protects them from the wind.

It is important to avoid constantly licking your lips, as saliva further dries them out and worsens chapping, even when it temporarily feels like relief.

Common mistakes with dry skin (and quick solutions)

• Washing face with strong gels multiple times a day → replace with a gentle gel + 2FACED butter in the evening.
• Skipping serum because “I already have cream” → for dehydration, a serum with hyaluronic acid and glycerin is the key layer for water, cream is more for protection.
• Too heavy cream during the day → for dehydrated-oily skin, choose a hydrating cream during the day, leave richer textures for night.
• Neglecting eye and lip areas → targeted textures (eye serum + shea on lips) prevent dehydration lines and painful chapping.

FAQ

• 1. Why does my skin feel tighter and flake more in winter?
  In winter, cold air, heating, and hard water dry out the skin and damage the barrier, causing it to lose both water and lipids, which leads to tightness and flaking.
• 2. How to distinguish between dry and dehydrated skin?
  Dry skin lacks oil and often flakes, while dehydrated skin lacks water, looks grayish and tired, and can be both oily and dehydrated at the same time.
• 3. Can I use the same cream day and night for dry skin?
  You can, but it's often better to choose a lighter hydrating cream during the day, and a richer nourishing cream or immortelle cream at night for stronger renewal and anti-aging.
• 4. Will 2FACED butter further dry out my skin if I have dry skin?
  No, 2FACED butter is formulated with nourishing oils and leaves the skin soft and nourished after cleansing, without a feeling of tightness.
• 5. Why should serum be applied under cream?
  Serum with hydrating ingredients penetrates deeper and replenishes the skin with water, while cream goes on top as a protective layer that retains moisture in the skin.
• 6. What's better for chapped lips – balm or butter?
  The most important thing is the composition: 100% shea butter excellently nourishes, softens, and protects chapped lips, so it can easily replace a balm.
• 7. Is immortelle cream only for mature skin?
  No, although it is ideal for dry and mature skin, it is formulated to suit other skin types that need more hydration and regeneration.