Dry Skin No Matter What? You’re Not Doing Something Wrong!
How I Found The Fix To Dreaded Winter Skin
It all started one cold winter night.
After a long, exhausting day, I finally crawled into bed and quickly drifted off into that blissful, cozy, dreamy state—when suddenly my legs and feet started itching like mad. After some tossing and turning, I realized sleep wasn’t happening because they were so deeply dry and scratchy.
Inspiration struck. I needed to dive into the science behind dry skin.
And I needed to share the solution with you.
Why Winter Skin Feels Dry Even When You’re Moisturizing
Here’s the part most people don’t realize: winter skin usually isn’t lacking moisture — it’s lacking function.
Cold air, indoor heat, hot showers, and harsh cleansers disrupt your skin barrier (the lipid layer that keeps water in and irritants out). Once that barrier is compromised, slathering on more lotion doesn’t solve the problem. Thick oil-based creams just don’t penetrate and water-heavy lotions can sit on top of the skin, evaporate, and still leave you feeling tight, itchy, and somehow even more dry an hour later.
This is why winter skincare so often feels like a losing battle. We’re adding moisture without fixing the system that’s supposed to hold onto it. We’re wasting money on mass-produced “body lotions” that are only sold to make a buck rather than solve the problem.
Why Most Lotions Don’t Cut It
Did you know most body lotions are 70-90% water??
And other ones advertise “With Argan/Jojoba Oil!”.
Manufacturers market their lotions as “luxury” creams and it sure sounds fancy, including buzzwords like shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba oil or other beneficial ingredients—but they fail to mention that they’ve diluted those powerful ingredients down to a negligible amount (0.1%-1%) and cram it so full of fillers, emulsifiers, alcohols and water, it doesn’t accomplish anything except more packaging and sales!
But here’s the truth: water evaporates, alcohols damage your skin barrier, and harsh synthetic fragrances (with phthalates) and preservatives are toxic endocrine disruptors.
Lotions literally cannot moisturize your skin effectively. And companies put all this extra crap in there to “fluff up” the product to just make it feel nice and sell you more. Not for the benefit of your skin. And they definitely won’t moisturize your skin from shower to shower.
If you really want hydrated, resilient skin, choose thoughtfully-formulated products that lock in the water already in your skin with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and skin-penetrating oils. (For an extra hydration boost, pair it with skin-nourishing cleanser before moisturizing.)
The Science of Dry Skin and The Ingredients That Actually Lock In Moisture
(aka: what matters, and what’s mostly just marketing)
Studies show that dry skin develops tiny micro-cracks that weaken its barrier, allowing irritants and bacteria to get in.
If you want skin that stays hydrated instead of feeling dry again an hour later, you need ingredients that support the skin barrier and slow moisture loss.
Butters (non-negotiable for dry skin)
Shea butter, cocoa butter and tallow "(in moderation, and not on face) are heavy hitters. They’re rich in fatty acids that help rebuild the lipid layer of the skin — the part that keeps moisture in and irritation out. This is especially important in winter, when that barrier gets wrecked.
We designed our Hand Rescue with tallow to be ultra rich, reparative and protective while helping to soften skin. It’s one true fix for over-washed, hard-working, dry, rough hands. (Yes, even for men!) It’s our top-selling winter product every year!
Oils that work with your skin
Avocado oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil help penetrate and soften skin while supporting its health. Jojoba is especially useful because it closely mimics our own sebum, so skin actually recognizes it instead of fighting it. Olive, MCT and avocado oil are rich in fatty acids that align with skin health and penetrate. But not coconut oil- which is basically a “dry” oil- it doesn’t penetrate, but it is great at being protective. So when your skin is dry- reach for the olive and not the coconut oil.
Occlusives (the seal, not the suffocation)
Beeswax or naturally occurring waxes slow down evaporation and keep hydration where it belongs. A good occlusive shouldn’t feel heavy or greasy — it should feel protective, like your skin is finally holding onto what you put on it and help fortify the liquid oils. All of our creams include a percentage of beeswax to help stabilize the formula and create that protective layer on skin. (Coconut oil acts as an occlusive and is only helpful when combined with nourishing oils)
Humectants — but only when they’re done right
Ingredients like glycerin or aloe can be helpful if they’re paired with enough fats. In watery formulas, they can backfire and leave skin feeling tighter once the water evaporates.
This is where a good, ultra rich, oil-fortified moisturizer like our Body Crème comes in.
It’s packed with nutrient-rich butters and oils that:
Restore and strengthen the skin barrier
Prevent moisture loss
Protect against environmental stressors with nourishing antioxidants
If your skin is extra sensitive and reactive- maybe you even experience bouts of eczema at the beginning of each November and lasting through the whole winter season. A rich protective salve like our Skin Medic+ is best for this to soothe, protect and calm with infused oils like calendula, plantain, yarrow, frankincense resin, marshmallow root, lavender and some white willow bark to soothe the pain. (This salve is also fantastic for speeding healing in wounds, diaper rash, other rashes, tattoos, hemmorhoids and more!)
By using rich, natural products and pairing it with moisturizing cleansers and alcohol-free products, you’re giving your skin everything it needs to stay soft, healthy, smooth, and resilient.
Skin doesn’t need more water dumped on it. It needs lipids, structure, and protection so the water already in your skin doesn’t escape.
That’s the difference between lotions you have to reapply constantly… and creams that actually change how your skin behaves.
What Else You Can Do
When someone asks me about a skin problem, I always remind them that our skin manifests what’s going inside of us.
Band-aid solutions will only go so far to help systemic imbalances or problems- one needs to address the underlying issue.
Dehydration is one of the major causes of dry skin, but it’s not just about drinking more water- medications, age and hormones (ugh, perimenopause!), water quality (hard water especially), alcohols in skin products, diet habits, lifestyle can further dehydrate us.
Anyone who really knows me, like REALLY knows me, knows that one of my mantras is “Are you drinking enough water?” but I’ve learned that water alone doesn’t cut it- we also need to be replenishing our minerals, which basically supercharge the water, shuttling it into our cells without so much resistance. (Yes I nerd out about nutrition, too, lol!). In my mid-forties, I’ve been experiencing the shift in hormones personally for the past few years and this is a major change I had to make. My osteopath (Lee ❤️) was actually the one who kept reminding me as she worked on my fascia that I really needed to be consuming electrolytes. The chronic dehydration was affecting me on several levels, causing fascia dehydration (leads to tightness, pain, stuck energy), brain fog, bladder irritation, dry skin, and more. (*getting up to go take my electrolyte and creatine*)
Electrolytes are the easiest way to combat this, but which electrolytes are right for you? There are SOOO many out there. Some are high in sugar, some are high in additives. Since I’m a crunchy ingredient nerd, I skipped all the crap I don’t want in my like citric acid, flavours, sweeteners) and blended my own. You can look up a dupe LMNT recipe on the internet that contains only sodium chloride (I use Celtic salt), potassium chloride and magnesium malate (I bought them in bulk at some health site). I’ve been doing this for the better part of a year and am feeling SOOO much better!
And cleansers, of course! If you’re showering three times a day using skin-stripping body wash, then trying to moisturize with cheap, commercial, water-heavy lotions- you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Your skin is begging you to need to back off on the cleansers, choose something healthier, richer, more gentle that supports skin and choose healthy hydration.
Like luxurious, glycerine-rich handmade soaps and deeply effective moisturizers.
What Makes our Body Crème Different
Our all-natural Body Crème isn’t your average lotion. It’s rich, oil-based and deeply nourishing—designed to support your skin’s natural barrier instead of stripping it.
Most lotions rely on waxes, an abundance of emulsifiers to make it feel silky, preservatives, silicones and other non-beneficial ingredients to improve the feel of the formula without actually helping your skin. Our Body Cream is only 55% water and the rest is nutrients.
Your skin is made of water and lipids (fats). Those lipids are essential for keeping moisture in and irritants out. That’s why well-made (like this one) deliver longer-lasting softness and protection, especially through dry winter months.
How to Use It for Maximum Results
Cleanse: Start with a warm shower (not blasting hot, which dries your skin out) using a nourishing, superfatted soap to wash away buildup.
Exfoliate: Use a special cloth or glove* to exfoliate dead skin and boost circulation
Lock It In: Massage in Body Crème immediately after towel-drying to seal in moisture and fortify your skin’s barrier.
*Pro tip: Scrubby gloves not only exfoliate to help your skin absorb nutrients better—they also boost circulation and make your soap last longer!!
Why Skin Potion Naturals Does It Better
We don’t dilute, disguise, or add fillers—ever. We don’t resort to cheap waxes, emulsifiers, or seed oils like canola oil or cheap sunflower oil under the guise that “any oil is good for your skin”. We intentionally choose premium, fresh ingredients (not the Wally world grocery shelf!!) that smell amazing and are the least processed. Only the best for you, my lovelies!
Our Body Crème is made with gorgeously silky and healthy oils that deliver visible results for your skin. Because there’s less water, every jar is highly concentrated and long-lasting, which means less waste and more nourished bodies out there in the world. 🤍
Ready to Give Your Skin the Winter Rescue It Deserves?
Don’t waste another season on water-heavy, ineffective lotions. Treat your skin to Skin Potion Naturals’ Body Crème and experience hydration that actually lasts.
Shop our nourishing cleansers and moisturizers →
