People have a tendency to over-wrap themselves for all the wrong reasons, and cold being a sure sign of winter, it tends to be the time when skin gets a bit more irritated than usual. First, the skin tends to be drier due to cold air having a nasty ability to suck out moisture from it which necessitates heavy moisturizing maintenance to keep it smooth and healthy. Our clothes have to be designed fro the cold weather yet must also allow it to breathe so as to discourage moisture loving bacteria and fungi from growing in them and onto the skin.
breathable clothing allows moisture out, wicking it away from the skin and out toward the external fabric layers, keeping you warm and yet protecting you from the cold weather. Wind is also a very drying factor to consider and because it tends to be colder, proper protection should also be used. Modern materials used for winter clothing are a true wonder of these needs, keeping us warm yet dry, adding or treating them with active chemical treatment that discourages bacterial growth adds to their skin protecting properties so choose clothing wisely.