How to Keep Dry, Itchy Winter Skin at Bay

Keeping your skin soft and moisturized during the winter is no easy feat. Along with dry, winter chills, wind, and ultra drying forced air heaters, our skin tends to go from glowy to flaky, from tanned to irritatedly red. Dry skin doesn't have to be a curse from fall to spring. With a few simple steps, you can keep your skin smooth and quenched during the long, gray days of winter.

-When bathing and washing your hands,make sure to use warm water rather than hot water. Hot water may feel good but it robs the skin of moisture leaving you with dry itchy skin. The rule of thumb is that if the water is hot enough to make your skin slightly red, then it's too hot. For all over dryness, try a warm water soak in your tub. 15 minutes is all you need to let your skin "drink" the extra moisture it is craving. For extra itch relief, try adding uncooked oatmeal or Aveeno's oatmeal bath to your bathwater. Oats have been used for centuries to soothe irritated skin.

-Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! During winter's drying months you can't give your skin enough to drink. Use emollient rich moisturizers after every time you wash your hands and take a shower. Excellent products you can find at your local drugstore include Eucerin, Nivea, and Cetaphil. For extra sensitive skin Kiss My Face's Olive and Aloe Moisturizer is an excellent, non-irritating pick.

-Try not to overdry your body and hands after washing. Instead, you should pat your self dry and while your skin is still a little damp, and lather on your moisturizer for double the quenching effect. At night try using olive oil, vitamin E oil, or Vaseline on your cuticles and feet to keep them extra hydrated and less prone to flaking. Vaseline also works wonders for dry, chapped lips.

-Exfoliate your skin once a week. By removing dry skin and deep cleaning your pores with a good exfoliating treatment, moisturizers will be able to work twice as well. St. Ive's Apricot Scrub is a gentle, great smelling product that you can use on your face and neck. A sugar or salt based scrub is ideal for the rest of your body and can be found in invigorating scents like grapefruit and calming ones like lavender. Removing dry skin flakes and dead skin cells allows your moisturizers to sink in much more effectively.

-Make sure you keep up your water intake. It's easy to forget to drink water when it's cold outside, but even in the winter we need to continue hydrating our bodies from the inside out. Winter also sees us drinking hot chocolate, teas and coffee, all of which can be dehydrating, so water is essential to drink during this time. If cold or room temperature water doesn't sound good when the weather is far below balmy, try non-caffeinated teas and warmed up apple cider. Hot water with lemon and honey in it is also a nice, warm way to drink your daily dose of H2O.

-Use a humidifier in your room while you sleep. This will also help keep your skin hydrated and less prone to the prickly itching associated with dried out winter skin. Forced air heat may keep you warm and cozy, but it will also parch your epidermis. If you don't own a humidifier, try cracking your bedroom window open at night allowing some cool, fresh air to enter the room.

-When going outside make sure to moisturize before you bundle up. Everyone knows to put sunscreen on in the summer, but sunscreen or any other moisturizing product is just as important in the winter to seal in your body's moisture before Jack Frost nips it away.

The winter months may be dreary, but they don't have to rob your skin of its natural glow. With a few simple steps you can maintain soft, radiant skin that doesn't itch or feel irritated. Keeping your skin healthy and supple during the winter will make it that much easier to bare it when tank top season rolls around...something we are all looking forward to!