Chapped Skin Rescue: Serums for Cracked and Flaky Skin

Cracked, flaky winter skin is a barrier problem, not a dirt problem. Here is what is actually happening, and what a rescue routine needs.

What "Chapped" Actually Means

The outermost layer of skin holds water thanks to a mortar of lipids and a mix of water-binding compounds called natural moisturizing factor. When that system is disturbed by environmental stress, the result is dry, flaky skin^[1]. Cold, dry weather is exactly that kind of stress: reviews of the research conclude that low humidity and low temperatures reduce skin barrier function and make skin more reactive^[2].

In one animal experiment, scales appeared on the skin of hairless mice after just three days in dry conditions. The water content of the outer layer fell, and the surface cells were not being shed properly^[3]. It was a mouse study, but it shows how quickly dryness alone can produce flaking.

Flakes Are a Symptom, Not a Reason to Scrub

Flaking looks like dead skin that needs to come off, which is why many people reach for a scrub. But in dry skin the flakes appear because cells are not being shed normally, a step that depends on enough water in the outer layer^[3]. Scrubbing a dry, cracked surface adds irritation to skin that is already reactive. Wednesday's post covers when and how to exfoliate safely. For chapped skin, the first job is to restore water and seal it in.

What a Rescue Routine Needs

Dermatology reviews describe moisturizers as products that often combine humectants, which hydrate the outer layer, with emollients, which smooth skin and help break the dry-skin cycle^[4]. A serum is the humectant layer. On its own it is not enough for cracked skin, because water needs something over it to stay in. In a trial in 54 volunteers, petrolatum increased skin hydration and, unlike olive oil, also reduced water loss through the skin; both improved measures of how the skin surface sheds, and more so with petrolatum^[5].

What About Urea?

Urea is a natural component of the skin's moisturizing factor. A review of the clinical evidence found that urea at 10% or less acts mainly as a moisturizer, while above 10% it has a keratolytic (skin-softening) action^[6]. A caution: low pH and stinging reactions from ingredients like lactic acid and urea can make some people stop using a product^[4], so on cracked skin start with a low strength.

A Simple Chapped-Skin Rescue Routine

• Wash with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser, and pat dry rather than rubbing.
• Apply a hydrating serum to slightly damp skin.
• Follow with a moisturizer, then a thin layer of an occlusive such as petrolatum on cracked or very rough patches.
• Skip scrubs and strong acids until the flaking and stinging settle.
• Keep sunscreen as the last step in the morning.
• See a doctor if cracks bleed, look infected, or do not improve after a couple of weeks.