3 Ways Winter Wrecks Your Skin Barrier (And How Bees Help)
Winter has a way of sneaking up on your skin.
One day everything feels fine, and the next your face feels tight, flaky, irritated, or suddenly sensitive to products you’ve used for years. While it’s tempting to blame a single product or routine change, the real culprit is often something simpler — and seasonal.
Your skin barrier.
What is the skin barrier?
Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. Its job is to keep moisture in and irritants out. When it’s healthy, your skin feels balanced, calm, and hydrated. When it’s compromised, moisture escapes more easily and sensitivity increases.
Winter is one of the hardest seasons on this protective layer.
1. Cold air strips moisture from your skin
Cold air holds significantly less humidity than warm air. When humidity drops, moisture evaporates from your skin more quickly, leading to dryness, tightness, and flaking.
How bees help:
Raw honey is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and holds moisture. When applied to the skin, it helps draw hydration into the skin rather than allowing it to evaporate.
2. Indoor heat accelerates moisture loss
Heating systems dry out indoor air, increasing something called transepidermal water loss — the process where moisture escapes through the skin barrier.
How bees help:
Beeswax forms a breathable protective layer on the skin. Rather than sealing the skin completely, it helps slow moisture loss while still allowing skin to function naturally.
3. Winter routines can weaken the barrier
Hot showers, harsh cleansers, and over-exfoliating are more common in winter — and they can strip away the natural oils your skin needs.
How bees help:
Honey- and beeswax-based products support the skin’s natural barrier rather than stripping it away, making them ideal for winter care.
Supporting your skin all winter long
At Edgewood Apiaries, our winter skincare is designed to work with seasonal changes, not against them. Made in small batches using honey from our Virginia apiary, our products are formulated to support your skin barrier during the harshest months of the year — gently, effectively, and naturally.
