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Dry skin is common in chilly weather when the air is out of moisture. Everyone experiences chapped, scaly, or itchy skin during this time. The harsh weather of winter basically causes dry, flaky, dull skin.
The common signs of dry skin are itchiness, redness, crakes, flaky, dehydration, tight skin according to MayoClinic. Dry skin is really uncomfortable, yea! to ME too.
To combat dry skin, moisturizing cream or lotion is not enough. You have to choose a cleanser carefully also. In this buying guide, I have enlisted the best soap for dry skin in winter so that you can have tender, suppler, and more nourished skin throughout the cold months.
These soaps for dry skin in winter fight forming severely chapped skin, dead skin cells, peeling, scaling, or irritation. Applying moisturizer after washing your skin with a moisturizing soap will keep your skin rehydrated and recovered. Right now throw away your summer products and replace them with an emollient-based soap like Dove.
Good skin care starts with cleansing. These soaps for dry skin in winter are made with some amazing cleansing, nourishing, and alleviating ingredients that will leave your skin smoother, more glowing, and healthier. These moisturizing soaps are also gentle for sensitive skin, teens, and children as having no cruelty, chemical, or harsh ingredients in them.
What to look for in a moisturizing soap
Plant oils
Natural soaps with organic vegetable oils — olive oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, avocado, and jojoba are effective for dry skin.
Lanolin or hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid and lanolin have plenty of hydrating effects. Lanolin, a moisturizer derived from the oil glands of sheep has conditioning properties for skin. Hyaluronic acid holds water to the skin for hours while also smooths out wrinkles.
Glycerin
If you couldn’t find any natural bars, then go with soaps containing glycerin as glycerin provides lots of moisture to the skin.
What to avoid in a bar of soap for dry skin
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Some soaps contain SLS that is usually used in detergent powders to wash dirt. Now, this ingredient is also used in various skin cleansers.
Nikola Djordjevic, MD, co-founder of medalerthelp.org explains that as surfactants can have drying effects on the skin, soaps containing SLS can cause further drying in people with already dry skin.
Synthetic dyes
Having chemicals in synthetic colors affects the skin adversely and often triggers dry skin let alone relieving you.
Alcohol and fragrances (added/artificial)
When you buy a bar of soap, it is important to smell it before buying.
Soaps with artificial perfumes are formulated with mostly synthetic chemicals and fragrances to give a refreshment. But, added scents, alcohol, and ethyl may cause itchiness and dry skin.
The best soap for dry skin in winter
1. Dove Coconut Milk Beauty Bar
It is a pampering, creamy and moisturizing soap with natural jasmine petal and coconut milk. Suitable for daily use on the face, body, and hands. An ordinary bar dries out the skin, but it leaves the skin more radiant. Dove Coconut Milk Beauty Bar contains mild cleansers with ¼ nourishing cream that gently removes all dirt and maintains the skin’s natural moisture. This soap for dry skin in winter is also dermatologist-tested and anti-aging, which means it will help prevent your earlier aging signs.
2. Southern Natural Lavender Goat Milk Soap
This conditioning body soap is perfect for the face, body, and hands, even gentle for babies. It is a handmade soap with 100% natural ingredients that help soothe dry sensitive itchy skin, cracked fingers, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis— especially in winter when we face irritated skin. A bar of soap for all members of the family to be used in winter for getting hydrated smooth skin. Southern Natural Soap Bar is rich in goat milk, coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, and lavender essential oil that deeply moisturize the skin after cleansing.
3. O Naturals Moisturizing Coconut & Shea Butter Soap
Vegan triple-milled hydrating formula for dry body, face, and hands. While this soap cleanses, it also moisturizes your chapped skin. It is made with natural antioxidants and moisturizers that help keep the skin healthy, rejuvenating, and young. O Naturals Moisturizing Soap gives you a luxurious home spa wash. Its triple-milled action creates a creamy and effective lather that glides over the whole body and soothes your red or itchy skin instantly.
4. Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
Ideal both for men and women to pamper their chapped skin in winter. This soap for dry skin is blended with 5 stronger moisturizers that will make your skin softer and clearer. Suitable for sensitive skin, face, and body. Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar restores the skin’s natural emollients. It contains no soap, chemicals, or detergents — that’s why gently cleanses the skin without irritating. Its antibacterial properties also work for acne-prone skin, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, and atopic skin. Even, adults, teens, and children can use this soothing soap.
5. O Naturals African Black Soap
This hydrating bar contains vegan, natural, and organic ingredients that are effective for various skin conditions. It exfoliates dead skin cells, cleanses all dirt, makeup, pollutants, and grimes. Its shea butter smoothes out rough dull textures. This best soap for dry skin in winter also works for cystic acne, hyperpigmentation, uneven tones, sun spots, and fine lines. Being anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, it soothes and heals the skin quickly. O Naturals African Black Soap deeps down to pores, flushes out impurities, and leaves the skin glowing.
6. Aveeno Moisturizing Bar
This dermatologist-recommended soap for dry skin gives you a naturally healthy complexion in a week with daily use. Gentle also for sensitive skin and no soap, dye, or fragrance. It contains antioxidants, lipids, enzymes, vitamins, proteins, and colloidal oatmeal that exfoliate, soothe, and condition damaged, burnt, and cracked skin. Aveeno Moisturizing Bar penetrates deeper and absorbs oils, dirt, bacteria, makeup residues, impurities, and rinses them away.
7. Bend Soap Handcrafted Oat Milk Soap
Everyone can use this nourishing soap to keep their skin protected, soft, and moisturized from dryness, cracking, flakes, and chapping. Bend Soap Handcrafted Oat Milk Bar is rich in fresh goat’s milk, honey, oatmeal, olive oil, saponified coconut milk, and palm oil. This handmade best soap for dry skin in winter contains 100% natural ingredients to relieve and soothe itchy dry skin. It is also enriched with antioxidants, anti-itch, and anti-inflammatory properties that cure acne, poison ivy, psoriasis, eczema, and irritated skin.
8. Zeitun Beldi Soap
This soap is packed with Moroccan authentic vegan extracts, essential oils, Damascus rose, honey, and olive oil. Very gentle and effective for men, women, adults, teens, or children to calm and soften their dry, chapped skin in winter. Usable for exfoliating, body, face, hand washing, etc. Its vitamin E fights free radicals, aging signs, and dull skin. Zeitun Beldi Soap enters deep into pores and takes out all dirt, impurities, and dead skin cells letting you feel silky skin.
9. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar
It locks your skin in moisture 3x longer. This soap is developed by a dermatologist to pamper dry skin with organic creamy emollients. It is ideal to use in winter to cleanse, soften, and protect the skin from drying, chapping, and dullness. Suitable for normal to dry skin, non-irritating, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, sulfate-free, and paraben-free. CeraVe Hydrating Cleansing Bar contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides that work as superb moisturizers and anti-agers. HA hydrates and evens out dull skin better than other products.
10. Aspen Kay Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap
It is a mildly exfoliating, cleansing, and nourishing soap bar with sweet honey, warm oats, shea butter, and goat milk. You can use this soap all over your body, hands, and face. This anti-aging, moisturizing soap also contains organic sunflower oil, olive oil, castor oil, and palm oil that nourish, heal, and repair chapped skin. Also, gentle for sensitive skin, even teens, babies, or children can use it. Aspen Kay Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap instantly relieves you from irritated flaky skin.
What else can be used besides a moisturizing soap
You should also take some measures to improve your skin’s moisture level. These are basically SECRETS for lively skin:
Apply moisturizer daily — After cleansing your face or body, apply a moisturizer like lotion, oil, or cream. These products will help your skin seal in moisture.
Don’t over-wash your face — Washing too much may dry out your skin. Taking a hot shower also removes the skin’s natural oils. Limit your bath not more than 5 minutes in winter and apply a moisturizer immediately while your skin is still damp.
Use a humidifier — Dry air dries out the skin that leads to itching, peeling, dull skin cells, or irritation. Switching on a humidifier in your room will add extra moisture to the air.
Keep your body hydrated — Dehydration also triggers dry skin. Taking lots of fluids, especially water, and limiting beverages such as alcohol or caffeine will help keep your skin hydrated.
Avoid irritants — If you have skin conditions like eczema, contact with any irritants can worsen your symptoms. Allergens, stress, and diet are common triggers for dry, sensitive skin.
My thoughts about dry skincare
Some home remedies like honey or coconut milk can be used as face packs or masks to keep the skin hydrated and moisturized in winter. Taking exercise also balances the skin’s natural moisture.
I PERSONALLY USE OLIVE OIL IN WINTER TO KEEP MY SKIN NOURISHED AND SMOOTH. IT WORKS GREAT FOR ME. NOT ONLY I BUT ALSO MY WHOLE FAMILY USE OLIVE OIL FOR WINTER.
And I use Dove soap to wash my face, hands, and body throughout the year. It keeps my skin moisturized for longer hours and its creamy lather is amazing and really tougher to rinse off.
