Quick answer: Flaking when the seasons change is not a reason to exfoliate more often. First check whether your skin feels tight or stings right now, and if it does, put the exfoliating step on hold and adjust your moisturizing step first. If cracking or itching continues, consider seeing a dermatologist.
This guide is for readers in their 20s to 40s whose face has started to feel rough and whose makeup has started to lift as the season turns. It covers how to decide whether to exfoliate more or less often, and how to recognize the skin states in which exfoliating should wait.
| Item | What’s documented |
|---|---|
| 6 hours in a dry winter indoor environment (20 Korean women) | Roughness measure on the bare face rose by 7.38% |
| Salicylic acid in Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser | Formulated at 0.5% |
| Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser size and price | 150 mL (5.07 fl oz) / $18.90 |
| Ceramides in Revive Therapy N.F Cream | 4 ceramides (NP, NS, EOP, AP) |
| Revive Therapy N.F Cream size and price | 50 mL (1.69 fl oz) / $28.00 |
Why does your face seem to flake more all of a sudden when the seasons change?
Keratinocytes are made in the basal layer of the epidermis, move upward while changing shape, and are then shed from the outermost layer of the skin (the stratum corneum). When the humidity in the air drops and the water content of that outer layer falls, this shedding stops happening evenly.
Dryness can make skin texture look rough or flaky, but the relationship between season, humidity, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is reported differently depending on the person, the body site, and the environment. TEWL alone cannot tell you the state of one person’s skin barrier.
The flakes you notice on your face when the seasons change are less a sudden increase in dead skin and more what is left behind when shedding is uneven. In a 2018 observational study that followed the forearm skin of 99 healthy Japanese people across the seasons, covalently bound ceramides in the stratum corneum were about 50% lower in fall and winter than in spring and summer. Still, on the link between season itself and transepidermal water loss, a 2022 systematic review found that the results of the 11 studies covering season and climate disagreed with each other, with no agreed conclusion.
| What to check now | If this is you |
|---|---|
| Your skin is flaking, but it does not sting or look red | Adjust your moisturizing step first |
| Tightness lasts long after washing, and your skin stings or looks red | Put the exfoliating step on hold and watch how your skin does |
| You have scratches, open cuts, or sunburned areas | Do not exfoliate those areas |
The decision changes depending on whether your skin stings.
Three things you can change right now
1. Separate the cleansing step from the exfoliating step
Exfoliation falls into two types: mechanical methods that rub the surface with a brush, pad, or scrub, and chemical methods that use alpha and beta hydroxy acids and similar ingredients. Mechanical methods can be irritating for dry, sensitive, or breakout-prone skin, so if you do exfoliate, it is better to choose a mild method and set the frequency by the product’s instructions. Chemical methods can also cause irritation, so check how your own skin responds. During the period you use acid ingredients, keep up your sunscreen as well. In a 2003 study of 29 people who applied 10% glycolic acid for 4 weeks, sensitivity to ultraviolet light increased, and the difference was gone 1 week after they stopped. Keep your daily face wash and your exfoliating step separate.
2. Cut the water temperature and washing time first
Frequent hot showers and alkaline soaps are named as causes that wash away the oils protecting the skin and make dryness worse. For dry skin care, limiting baths and showers to 5 to 10 minutes and using lukewarm water is recommended.
3. Move moisturizing up to right after washing
Moisturizer is better at trapping water when you apply it right after a shower or face wash, while your skin is still damp. Reapply it after washing your hands and whenever your skin feels dry. Dry indoor air is another variable. In a 2023 study in which 20 Korean women stayed for 6 hours in a winter indoor environment at about 23% humidity, the roughness measure on the side of the face with nothing applied rose by 7.06% after 1 hour and 7.38% after 6 hours.
Temperature and time are the first variables you can change.
For more detail, see Sensitive Skin: How Many Products Is Too Many?
When should you consider seeing a dermatologist?
- Your skin cracks, and the cracked areas hurt.
- Itching does not settle and keeps going.
- Areas you scratched ooze or swell.
- Redness and stinging have been getting worse for several days.
- It disrupts your daily life enough to cost you sleep.
Everyday dryness and a condition that needs medical care are not the same thing.
What should you check after exfoliating?
If redness, stinging, or tightness continues or gets worse after exfoliating, postpone the next session, stop using the product, and watch how your skin responds. Over-exfoliating can cause redness and irritation.
For more detail, see Dexpanthenol in Skincare vs. Ointment: How Is It Different From Panthenol, and How Do You Use It Daily?
How to choose SKIN9HARI products for this concern
If your skin texture has turned rough with the change of season, look at your washing step and your final moisturizing step before adding more products. SKIN9HARI Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser is a rinse-off formula with a 4-acid lineup that includes 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA); this discloses how it is formulated and does not mean the finished product’s effects have been confirmed. SKIN9HARI Revive Therapy N.F Cream is formulated with 4 ceramides, and neither product will work the same way for every skin type.
| Product | What’s documented | How to weigh it for this concern |
|---|---|---|
| Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser | Formulated with 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA) · 4-acid lineup · rinse-off formula · 150 mL (5.07 fl oz) / $18.90 · irritation patch-tested (24-hour patch test, 30 adults) | Compare it when deciding whether to set your cleansing step toward deep cleansing |
| Revive Therapy N.F Cream | Formulated with 4 ceramides, 5 types of hyaluronic acid, and dexpanthenol · 50 mL (1.69 fl oz) / $28.00 · irritation patch-tested (24-hour patch test, 30 adults) | Compare it when deciding whether to set your final moisturizing step toward barrier care |
Related guides
- Skin Breaks Out Every Season Change — What’s Actually Different?
- Dry Skin That Still Breaks Out? A Cleanse-and-Moisturize Checkup
- Mildly Alkaline Foam Cleansers: Is Daily Use Okay? A Cleansing Guide for Breakout-Prone Skin
- Peeling Gel: Is What Rolls Off Your Skin Really Dead Skin?
FAQ
How often should you exfoliate your face?
There is no number that fits everyone; the rule is not to go beyond the frequency in the product’s instructions. If your skin feels tight or stings when the seasons change, do not exfoliate more often, and put the exfoliating step on hold.
Do you really need to exfoliate?
It is not a required step. If flakes are lifting, start by changing your face-washing water temperature and when you moisturize, and when your skin feels tight or stings, it is better to give the exfoliating step a rest.
Can you use a scrub on flaky skin?
Not on scratches, open cuts, or sunburned areas. For dry or sensitive skin, guidance says methods that use acid ingredients are less irritating than methods that rub.
Why is your skin still rough even though you moisturize more?
Your washing step may not have changed. Frequent hot water and alkaline soaps wash away the oils that protect the skin and make dryness worse.
Your skin turned red after exfoliating. Can you exfoliate again the next day?
It is better not to. Redness and irritation are signs that the exfoliation was too much, so skip the next session and check how your skin is doing first.
Why is exfoliating bad for your skin?
It is not a step you must never do; it is a step that becomes a problem when overdone. Over-exfoliating can cause redness and irritation, and rubbing methods can be irritating for dry, sensitive, or breakout-prone skin.
How do you get rid of dead skin on your face?
There are mechanical methods that rub with a brush, pad, or scrub, and chemical methods that use acid ingredients. Either can irritate, so choose a mild method and follow the frequency in the product’s instructions.
What should you put on after exfoliating?
Apply moisturizer right after washing, while your skin is still damp. During the period you use acid ingredients, keep up your sunscreen too, and if redness, stinging, or tightness continues, postpone the next session.
If your face keeps flaking, when should you see a dermatologist?
Skin that cracks, itching that keeps going, and signs of a risk of infection are classed as a state that needs medical care. If it is disrupting your daily life, do not put it off.
In one sentence
Before exfoliating more often, check for tightness and stinging first, cut the temperature and time of the water you wash with, move moisturizing up to right after washing, and consider seeing a dermatologist if cracking or itching continues.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). How to safely exfoliate at home. AAD public information.
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin. AAD public information.
- Green M, Kashetsky N, Feschuk A, Maibach HI. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL): Environment and pollution—A systematic review. Skin Health and Disease, 2022.
- Fujiwara A, Morifuji M, Kitade M, et al. Age-related and seasonal changes in covalently bound ceramide content in forearm stratum corneum of Japanese subjects. Arch Dermatol Res, 2018.
- Park EH, Jo DJ, Jeon HW, et al. Effects of winter indoor environment on the skin: Unveiling skin condition changes in Korea. Skin Res Technol, 2023.
- Kaidbey K, Sutherland B, Bennett P, et al. Topical glycolic acid enhances photodamage by ultraviolet light. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed, 2003.
- Gade A, Matin T, Rubenstein R. Xeroderma. StatPearls Publishing.
- Korean Dermatological Association. Basic skincare products. Dermatology information for the general public.
This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.