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Seasonal care
An Indian winter does not announce itself the way it does elsewhere. The temperature barely moves in much of the country, but the humidity falls off a cliff, and it is humidity rather than cold that your skin actually notices.
That is why skin can feel tight in Chennai in January at 24 degrees, and why the same routine that worked all through the monsoon suddenly stops being enough.
What actually changes
Three things, and they compound.
So your skin loses more of its own to the air, all day, without you noticing.
Hot showers strip the fatty layer that holds water in skin. The relief lasts minutes, the dryness lasts hours.
Thirst drops in cooler weather while water loss carries on. This shows up as dullness long before it shows up as thirst.
The one change worth making in October
Move oil to before the bath rather than after. Applied to dry skin and left for 15 to 20 minutes, oil has time to absorb properly instead of sitting on top of damp skin and transferring straight onto a towel.
This is the abhyanga principle and it is the single highest-return change in a winter routine. It is also free if you already own the oil.
Warm the oil, do not heat it. Stand the bottle in a mug of hot water for two minutes. Warm oil spreads much further, so you use less and absorb more.
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The three places that crack first
Lips. Lip skin has no oil glands of its own, which is why it goes first and goes fastest. The licking reflex makes it worse: saliva evaporates and takes more moisture with it. Balm in the morning, balm before bed, and again any time you notice yourself licking.
Heels. Thick skin splits rather than flakes. A warm soak followed by oil, at night, under socks, does more in a week than any amount of daytime cream.
Knuckles and elbows. Very little fat underneath and constant movement. These need oil rather than lotion, and they need it after every wash.
Hair in winter
Static, frizz and an itchy scalp are all the same problem wearing different clothes: not enough water in the hair shaft and not enough oil on the scalp.
Lukewarm, not hot. This is the single biggest winter correction for hair.
Winter itch is scalp dryness. Lengths-only oiling does nothing for it.
Stretching to every four or five days helps, as long as you are not simply leaving product build-up in place.
Hot air on already-dry hair in already-dry air is a compounding problem.
What not to change
Do not stop exfoliating entirely, which is the most common winter overcorrection. Dry skin still sheds, and the flakes sit on the surface and make everything look worse. Once a week with something gentle is right. What you should stop is anything harsh or granular on skin that is already compromised.
And do not abandon sunscreen. Winter sun in most of India is strong enough to matter, and pigmentation does not take the season off.
Is coconut oil good for winter?
On hair and body, yes. On an acne-prone face, it is a common trigger, so keep it below the neck if that applies to you.
How often should I oil in winter?
Two or three times a week on the body, before the bath. Daily on lips, heels and knuckles, which lose moisture fastest.
Why is my skin dry even though I moisturise?
Usually water temperature. A very hot shower removes more than a moisturiser can put back, so the routine never catches up.
Do I still need sunscreen in winter?
Yes. UVA levels stay high across the Indian winter and that is the part responsible for pigmentation and ageing.
