What I’m Using To Soothe Dry & Sensitive Winter Skin

Last Updated on October 21, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but winter for me is all about staving off dehydration. As soon as those cold winds start to blow and the temperatures drop down a few notches, my skin starts screaming for moisture. It. Can’t. Get. Enough. In my quest to find the right skincare products to keep it soft and moisturised (who am I kidding, I just try new skincare products because I like it 😉 ), I turned to French pharmacy skincare. La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, Lipikar Surgras Concentrated Shower Cream, and Lipikar Baume AP+, to be exact. Is this a good routine for dry winter skin? Let’s find out:

Cicaplast Baume B5

I love using La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 on those days when my skin is particularly dry and sensitive. Admittedly, that doesn’t happen often, but it’s good to have something to turn to in case of need, isn’t it? The balm feels more like a thick cream and leaves a white sheen on the skin when you first apply it. Luckily, it absorbs pretty fast, so you don’t have to put up with it for long.

The formula is a blend of water, UV filters (including Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane), soothing agents like Panthenol and Madecassoside, and skin-conditioning ingredients such as Dimethicone and essential minerals.

Panthenol does double duty. Together with Madecassoside (a component of centella asiatica), it soothes irritated skin and redness. If my skin gets too dry or flaky, I put the cream on and it instantly feels calmer. It stops stinging and doesn’t feel so tight anymore. If your skin is dry and sensitive that anything seems to bother it, I highly recommend you check this out.

Related: Is Shea Butter The Best Moisturiser For Dry Skin?

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Lipikar Surgras Concentrated Shower-Cream

If you’re a regular reader here, you know that the skin on my body is very dry. A gentle moisturiser that removes dirt without drying it out even more is a must for me (and not the easiest to find, either).

La Roche Posay Lipikar Surgras Concentrated Shower-Cream fits the bill perfectly. It uses a mix of gentle cleansing agents (for the curious, they’re Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Coco-Betaine, and Sodium Laureth Sulfate) that remove dirt and grime without disrupting the skin’s protective barrier. After the shower, my skin is clean and soft. Finally.

Just be careful when you use it. This stuff is not a shower cream. It’s a shower gel. A super runny one. It doesn’t foam much and feels super nourishing on the skin, but as soon as you open the lid, way too much product is gonna pour out. Don’t say I haven’t warned you.

Related: The Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin

Lipikar Baume AP+

La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ has both Shea butter, one of the most moisturising substances on the planet. It should be a thick, gooey mess. Instead, it feels surprisingly lightweight on the skin and sinks in quickly. Shea butter works by creating a shield on the skin that traps in moisture. This way, it keeps skin hydrated and protect it from the environment (think harsh weather and pollutants).

Niacinamide gives them a helping hand. It moisturises skin, soothes irritations, and even helps treat eczema. It’s quite the multitasker. The best part? This cream is gentle enough even for sensitive skin. You can use it both on your face and your body, on you and your children. If skin is dry, irritated or has a bad flare up, this’ll soothe it and moisturise it back to health.

It’s not the most exciting product out there. It doesn’t have exotic ingredients, a unique scent or creative gimmicks. It’s just a solid moisturiser for dry and sensitive skin that gets the job done well and quickly. The bottle is huge so it will last you for a long time too. 🙂

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Niacinamide In Skincare

FAQs

Can these products be used together in the same routine, or should they be alternated?

Yeah mate, chuck ’em all in! I literally use the shower thing, then the body cream, then if my face is being a dick I’ll whack on the Cicaplast. They’re all La Roche Posay so they’re not gonna fight each other or anything.

What’s the difference between Cicaplast Baume B5 and Lipikar Baume AP+? When would you use one over the other?

Okay so Cicaplast is like when your skin’s properly pissed off – red, stinging, the whole drama. It’s got the soothing stuff that calms it down fast. Lipikar is more like your regular everyday “please don’t be dry” cream. So Cicaplast = emergency, Lipikar = normal life. Make sense?

Are these products suitable for all skin types, or just dry/sensitive skin?

Nah they’re definitely aimed at dry skin. If you’re oily you’ll probably hate them – way too heavy. But if you’re like combination or your skin’s just being weird and sensitive for a bit, could be worth a shot. The shower cream’s alright for anyone though.

How long does it typically take to see results with these products?

Cicaplast works straight away, like you feel better immediately. The other stuff takes maybe a week or two? It’s not dramatic but one day you’re like oh shit my skin doesn’t feel crap anymore.

Price & Availability

Cicaplast Baume B5, $19.99; Lipikar Surgras, £18.50; and Lipikar Baume AP+, $22.99 at Sephora, Superdrug, and Ulta