‘Breaking Beauty’ Exposes the Everyday Habits That Are Quietly Sabotaging Your Skin

On Breaking Beauty, hosts Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins zero in on a hard truth most skincare routines avoid: your skin issues probably aren’t coming from a lack of products—they’re coming from everyday habits that quietly undo your progress. With dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll, the episode cuts through trend fatigue and overcomplication to focus on what actually keeps skin healthy, especially in winter.

That matters because cold weather doesn’t just make skin dry; it exposes weak routines. And over time, those habits can chip away at the skin barrier until irritation and dullness feel inevitable. Dr. Carroll’s approach is to simplify and stop waiting until your skin is already angry to intervene.

Winter Skincare Tips: Why Winter Is So Hard on Your Skin

Winter wrecks your barrier faster than you think

Cold weather doesn’t just make skin feel dry—it actively pulls moisture out of it. “We are essentially a giant bag of water,” Dr. Caroll explains, and when temperatures drop, the air starts stealing that water wherever it can. Lower humidity, indoor heating, and constant temperature changes all work together to weaken the skin barrier, making it leaky and reactive.

Once that barrier is compromised, everything snowballs. “You’ve damaged the barrier, and now it’s not retaining water as well,” she says. “Then more water comes out. The barrier is more damaged.” That’s why skin can suddenly feel itchy, tight, or inflamed even if you haven’t changed products.

The key is getting ahead of it. Moisturizing early, sticking with consistent products, and avoiding habits that strip moisture helps keep the barrier intact—because fixing damage is always harder than preventing it in the first place.

Hot showers are not self-care for your skin

As comforting as they feel, hot showers are one of the fastest ways to sabotage your skin in winter. That heat dissolves the natural oils your skin relies on to stay protected, leaving the barrier vulnerable before you even step out of the bathroom. And the problem isn’t just dryness. When moisture is stripped away repeatedly, skin becomes itchy, inflamed, and more prone to flare-ups like eczema. And once that irritation starts, it’s harder to calm things down than it is to prevent the damage in the first place.

So maybe rethink the temperature. Lukewarm water, shorter rinses, and moisturizing immediately after can make a noticeable difference. Your skin doesn’t need to suffer for you to feel relaxed.

Eye cream isn’t extra—it’s strategic

If there’s one area where cutting corners backfires fast, it’s around the eyes. Dr. Carroll points out that this skin is fundamentally different from the rest of your face—thinner, more delicate, and quicker to show irritation or sun damage. That’s why she treats eye care as protection, not indulgence.

Her personal routine focuses on prevention first: sunscreen that’s safe around the eyes, sunglasses for physical protection, and formulas designed not to travel. “You want something that’s ophthalmologist tested, that is lower in allergens,” she recommends. She also prefers lightweight gel textures during the day because they absorb cleanly and don’t interfere with makeup. “A gel product is nice because it’s light, it has more water in it than a traditional cream.”

Sunscreen is the non-negotiable, year-round habit

Sunscreen isn’t a summer-only thing, and Dr. Carroll is unequivocal about it. “If there’s enough light out that you can see your hand in front of you, then you are getting exposed to those rays.” Even when it’s cold and cloudy, UVA rays are still reaching your skin—and they’re the ones responsible for long-term damage.

Unlike UVB rays, which cause visible sunburns, UVA rays work quietly. They penetrate deeper into the skin, break down collagen, and damage DNA over time. That’s why winter can feel deceptively safe. You don’t see the burn, but the damage is still happening—especially through windows while driving or sitting near sunlight indoors.

And application habits matter just as much as quantity. When people blend sunscreen outward like moisturizer, coverage thins at the edges. That’s why sun damage often shows up along the hairline, around the ears, and on the upper lip. Being deliberate with placement and treating SPF like a protective layer (not a finishing touch) makes the difference between thinking you’re covered and actually being protected.

Humidifiers quietly do a lot of heavy lifting

Dr. Carroll is a big fan of humidifiers because they address the problem at the source: dry air pulling water out of your skin all day long. Indoor heating only makes it worse, no matter what type of system you have. She notes that humidifiers aren’t just for nighttime anymore. “Now that people are working from home, I suggest they put a humidifier in their home office.” It’s an easy habit that supports your skin barrier passively, without adding another product to your routine.

Think of it as background skincare. You’re not fixing damage after it happens—you’re reducing how much moisture your skin loses in the first place. When the air is less dry, your moisturizer and barrier-repair products can actually do their job instead of constantly playing catch-up.

To hear Dr. Carroll’s full conversation, listen to Breaking Beautywherever you get your podcasts.

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