The first cold week arrives, and your skin feels a size too small by the time you towel off.
Handmade in Chilliwack, BC. Cured 30 days. One return in over 3,000 orders.
Here is the short answer. The best soap for dry skin in winter is an unscented bar that is rich in oils or contains glycerin, used with comfortably warm water instead of hot. That matches the bathing advice Harvard Health Publishing gives for dry skin.
Why winter is hard on your skin
Winter air is drier, outdoors and inside a heated home. Hot water adds to it. Harvard Health Publishing’s Winter skin woes article calls frosty temperatures and dry air “particularly hard on skin,” and its Dry skin page notes that symptoms may worsen in winter, especially indoors where the heated air is dry. Cleveland Clinic adds that wind and long-term exposure to cold air can easily dry out the delicate areas on your face. The soap is only one part of the picture. It is the part you control first.
What Harvard Health Publishing advises for dry skin
- Warm, not hot. Bathe with comfortably warm water.
- The right soap. Use an unscented soap that is rich in oils or contains glycerin.
- No scrubbing.
- Moisturize right away. Pat dry and apply moisturizer as soon as you finish your bath or shower.
- Humidify. If your indoor air is dry in winter, use a humidifier.
None of this needs a new routine. It needs a few small changes. Harvard Health Publishing does not name any brand, and this is general bathing advice, not medical advice.
What to look for in a winter bar
Use this list in the shop or on a product page.
- Olive oil leads the recipe. Every Fresh Suds bar is 42%+ olive oil.
- The glycerin stays in. Cold-process soap keeps the glycerin that forms as the oils turn into soap.
- Unscented, if scent bothers you. Olea Unscented is made with olive oil, aloe vera, distilled water and lye (sodium hydroxide), which is used up as the soap cures. Some batches also include sodium lactate, which helps the bar harden. No fragrance. Our other bars are lightly fragranced.
- A good cure. Every bar is cured 30 days. A harder bar holds up between washes in a damp bathroom.
- Comfortable, not squeaky. Squeaky is not the goal. Comfortable is.
The winter wash in six lines
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- Run the water comfortably warm, not hot.
- Lather in your hands and let the lather do the work. No scrubbing.
- Pat dry instead of rubbing.
- Moisturize straight away.
- Run a humidifier if your indoor air is dry.
- Rest the bar on a draining dish to let it dry between uses.
That last one stretches a bar further. We wrote about it in how to make a handmade bar last.
Your winter bars, picked for you
If you want the decision made, start with Olea Unscented. It is made with olive oil, aloe vera, distilled water and lye, which is used up as the soap cures. Some batches also include sodium lactate, which helps the bar harden. No fragrance. It is the bar this page describes.
If you would like a little scent, choose Restore Dandelion. It is a lightly fragranced floral bar made with dandelion leaves infused in olive oil for three months.
Want more than one bar for the season? The Dry Skin Bundle is three lightly fragranced bars, already picked for you. True North is five places in one box of handmade soap. You can also browse all our soap bundles.
Orders ship in 1–2 business days and usually arrive in 3–5 business days, depending on where you are in Canada. Shipping within Canada is $5 flat, and free on orders of $50 or more.
Would you rather be matched to your skin? The skin consult has five questions, takes about 90 seconds and needs no email to show your match.
Try it without the risk
Not happy within 90 days? Full refund — and keep the bar.
We have had one return in over 3,000 orders.
Not sure which bar? Take the 90-second skin consult →
FAQ
Why does my skin feel tight after a winter shower?
Winter air is drier, and hot water adds to it. The short version is warm water, no scrubbing and moisturizer right after you pat dry. This is general bathing advice, not medical advice.
Is bar soap a good choice if my skin is dry?
It can be, when the bar leaves your skin comfortable after you rinse. Look for an unscented bar that is rich in oils, or that contains glycerin, such as a cold-process olive oil bar. We cannot promise results for your skin. The 90-day guarantee lets you find out.
Is unscented the same as fragrance-free?
Not always. Check the ingredient list for “fragrance” or “parfum”. Olea Unscented has no fragrance. It is made with olive oil, aloe vera, distilled water and lye, which is used up as the soap cures, and some batches also include sodium lactate.
How do I stop my bar from melting away in a damp bathroom?
Rest it on a dish that drains, away from the shower stream. A bar cured 30 days is harder to begin with. More tips are in our post on making a handmade bar last.
Which bar should I start with?
Olea Unscented if you want no added fragrance, or Restore Dandelion if you like a light floral scent. If you would rather be matched to your skin, take the 90-second skin consult.
Sources
- Harvard Health Publishing, Dry skin (reviewed November 21, 2023 by Howard E. LeWine, MD)
- Harvard Health Publishing, Winter skin woes (January 1, 2025, by Maureen Salamon, reviewed by Toni Golen, MD)
- Cleveland Clinic, How To Prevent Dry Skin This Winter (Health Essentials, August 25, 2026)
Harvard Health Publishing is the consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School. We do not claim its endorsement of any product.
