Moisturizer/lotion for winter chapped nose/windburn

December 10, 2023 3:26 PM

Please recommend your best moisturizer/barrier lotion to prevent chapped skin on your face (nose specifically) in the winter.

My wife gets bad chapped skin or windburn on the tip of her nose - like raw red skin. She wears moisturizer with UV protection every day and she wears special moisturizers and creams to try to stop this from happening, but she hasn't found a sure fire preventative. Some of her friends have recommended La Mer creams, but these seem to be like $100 for a few ounces. I'll buy that if it's worth it, but is there anything else she should try? She is using Kiehl's stuff right now on her nose. Bonus question - do you have a recommendation for treatment/repair stuff once she gets the chapped skin?

posted by Mid to Health & Fitness (24 answers total)

Everyone here always recommends Cerave or something, but I'm here to extol the crazy wonderful virtues of First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream. It has saved my skin from being absolutely ravaged by an allergic reaction, after surgeries, after infections... It's the only thing I say "ahhh" when I put it on. It's wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. You can also buy it at Sephora or Ulta and sometimes at Nordstrom Rack.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 3:38 PM on December 10, 2023

I use Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, applied nightly to my face just before bed. Challenge level: I walk 30 minutes to and from work year-round in Ottawa, Canada, which is second only to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the record of World's Coldest National Capital.
posted by heatherlogan at 3:41 PM on December 10, 2023

If you want a dupe for La Mer, Nivea in the blue tin is quite similar (I've used both) and is usually about a dollar; I have sensitive skin and it doesn't break me out, though I usually use it as a night moisturizer. It does have a strong perfume smell, if that's a concern.
posted by carrienation at 3:43 PM on December 10, 2023

Lansinoh Nipple Cream (the one that's pure lanolin, not the balm that's oil and beeswax).

Other very good options if the lanolin is overkill:
- Jojoba oil. Don't bother with a fancy cosmetic brand (like this one). You can get 8oz for about $10US if you look at a local health food store, whole foods, or online. Jojoba is not actually an oil, so it won't clog pores if that's a concern. It's very moisturizing but it's absorbed very quickly. I often put a layer on before I go out on cold days.
- Mustela cold cream stick. I occasionally used this instead of lanolin on my kids' chapped faces.
posted by cocoagirl at 4:10 PM on December 10, 2023

If the sunscreen in her moisturizer is zinc-based, zinc can be drying. I switch to a chemical-based SPF in the winter.

To prevent windburn, before she leaves the house she probably needs to follow her moisturizers with an occlusive moisturizer. That could be Aquaphor or petroleum jelly or Paula's Choice Lip and Body Balm or something like that. You can search for occlusive moisturizer if you're looking for something higher end than Vaseline.

One downside is it can clog pores/cause breakouts if her skin is prone to that. The other is it can take a while to sink in, and in the meantime something like Aquaphor or Vaseline will be tacky/sticky, which can be annoying when combined with a scarf or other face covering. But it's really the best way to seal in the moisture that she has applied so the cold, dry wind doesn't just suck it all back out.
posted by misskaz at 4:10 PM on December 10, 2023

I wonder if she has a sensitivity to an ingredient in the moisturizers she is using.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:13 PM on December 10, 2023

A bit of Vaseline might work well.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:52 PM on December 10, 2023

Weirdly when my nose gets really chapped (most often from being sick and blowing my nose a lot) using Blistex medicated lip balm on it works really well.

Also shea butter is very protective but is use it with a moisturizer of some kind and put the shea butter on top
posted by raccoon409 at 4:55 PM on December 10, 2023

Vaseline before going out is what we use but also seconding Lansinoh.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:28 PM on December 10, 2023

Vaseline. Lots of it.
posted by heathrowga at 5:58 PM on December 10, 2023

Yes, once damage is done you need to repair it first and then move to something for longterm maintenance and relief. For long term solution - Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume worked for me. No matter what and how much normal moisturisers I used the back of my palm and nose and side of my nose always remained dry (I have extremely dry skin) until I started using Baume just for those parts. It’s on the thicker side though.

It may not work for her and you may have to do a bit of hit and trial. Unfortunately that is how skins are. Something seemingly for similar skins in similar conditions may not work at all for someone while it works for others.

What I would truly recommend is visiting a good dermatologist.
posted by amar at 6:06 PM on December 10, 2023

I get really bad chapped and dry skin around and on my nose in the winter. I finally got ahead of it with a two step process--a good, gentle moisturizer that doesn't bother my skin, followed by a petrolatum based product to act as a barrier. In my particular case I am using Cerave AM (or PM) lotion followed by a thinly applied layer of Cerave Healing Ointment on the tip of my nose and in the creases where my nose connects to my cheeks. (I use that same tub of healing ointment on my lips.) It's important to reapply the petrolatum product throughout the day--for me, I do it 3-5 times.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 6:11 PM on December 10, 2023

HempZ the original formula.
posted by hortense at 6:14 PM on December 10, 2023

I’ll share my hard-won recipe: A layer of something with snail mucin and hyaluronic acid if possible (I usually use Mizon black all-in-one cream), then steam my face a little over the kettle to make sure the hyaluronic acid has moisture to absorb), then a hefty layer of Nivea in the blue tin (made in germany version specifically, and warmed up by rubbing between the hands similar to LaMer or over the kettle too, so it spreads nicely), then vaseline on top to seal it. I have extremely sensitive skin and this is the only thing that consistently saves me and causes no issues (sometimes I add in raw Shea Butter to mix things up. But I come back to this regimen every winter). If I could afford it I’d try LaMer though in place of Nivea, but I’ve never been able to swing it.
posted by asimplemouse at 6:53 PM on December 10, 2023

I recently started a very drying acne treatment, so I stepped up my moisturizer game to help keep my skin from getting angry. One of the products I’ve been using is Buffer Jelly from Experiment Skincare. They describe it as a “semi-occlusive” and I find it to be like a thinner version of Vaseline. It might be helpful for your wife!
posted by bluloo at 11:27 PM on December 10, 2023

Aquaphor
posted by Violet Hour at 12:16 AM on December 11, 2023

Dermatone skin protector, the original stuff in the little blue tins. Should be under $10 per tin, and it's what the US Olympics team uses to keep their faces from chapping when shooting down windy ski slopes at ludicrous speed.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:10 AM on December 11, 2023

I bike outside in Wisconsin winters a lot. What helps protect my face from windburn is rubbing lip balm on the exposed areas before I go out. I use homemade stuff that contains beeswax and olive oil among other things, but anything that provides a good moisture barrier will help, like this https://www.lusaorganics.com/natural-organic-skin-care-handmade-baby-balm-p/cheek-chin.htm
posted by juliapangolin at 9:00 AM on December 11, 2023

I use Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, applied nightly to my face just before bed.

Seconding.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 3:15 PM on December 11, 2023

I have newly been dealing with a few spots of dry skin on my face, and the best solution hasn't been a moisturizer, but something with a barrier. She could try starting with a dab of vaseline or lip balm/chapstick on her nose at night and in the morning. That would be a cheap and simple approach. What I use on my face now, specifically because of these dry spots: some facial oil (like literally oil; I mix it myself from stuff bought from the cosmetics area of my local natural grocery store) and some heavy facial moisturizing cream, and then shea butter on top of it. I think it's the shea butter that really acts as a barrier.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:25 PM on December 11, 2023

When I have dry skin in the winter on a particular area, I start with a hydrating spray. I like rose water because it smells good and that keeps me applying it to my face. Then I dab on a cream balm, like the la roche posay vitamin b5 cream, and then top that off with an occlusive - my preference being aquaphor.
posted by coldbabyshrimp at 5:01 PM on December 11, 2023

Bag Balm
posted by Thorzdad at 8:34 PM on December 11, 2023

2nding Dermatone for prevention - I've used it for long days outside in cold windy places and it's quite protective!
posted by inexorably_forward at 2:47 AM on December 12, 2023

What about wearing a cloth mask while out in the wind?
posted by SandiBeech at 4:17 AM on December 12, 2023