Vaseline is your friend

Preventing dry eyes in cold wind means switching from lotion to a barrier product. Standard eye creams and facial moisturizers are mostly water and humectants — they evaporate or freeze on your skin in wind, leaving you raw.

Instead, use an occlusive. The classic is petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Apply a thin layer around your orbital bone — not on the lashes or inside the lid, but the skin itself. It doesn’t moisturize; it seals the moisture already in your skin so the wind can’t rip it out.

If Vaseline feels too greasy, look for a dedicated eye balm with lanolin or beeswax as the base. Lanolin is thicker and stays put. CeraVe Healing Ointment works too. Avoid anything with alcohol, fragrance, or retinol around the eyes in winter.

For really harsh conditions — skiing, cycling, walking through a wind tunnel — barrier creams alone might not be enough. Add wraparound sunglasses or goggles. Yes, you look a little extra, but irritated eyes ruin your whole day. Future You will appreciate not having red, flaky eyelids by lunch.