Have we talked about how much I love the cold weather?

We haven’t?

Ohhhh right! That is probably because I DON’T. At all. Anything below 50 makes me a touch crabby…. and honestly, it is partially because the colder weather seems to wreak such havoc on my body – starting with my skin. (I look much like my good friend Dumbo over there)  In an effort to keep my home (and MY KIDS) germ-free, I’m constantly washing my hands – which means my skin, especially on my hands and knuckles, is at risk for drying and cracking. So, after my first year of tear-inducing cracks – coupled with the inability to tolerate getting my hands wet, cold or even warm…. I’ve become an expert at preventing this type of dry skin.

Here are my Favorite Skin Saving Tips:

Start in the Shower: Use a moisturizing soap or body wash. Many soaps have a ‘drying’ component – and may even rob your skin of the moisture it has. They do rinse from your skin more easily and may leave you with a ‘cleaner/quicker’ feeling, but they lack the additional moisturizer you need in the Winter months.

This is a tough one, I know…. especially in the coldest of months – you WANT the hottest shower possible, but opt to tone it down a notch. Scalding water is drying and can wash away some of your natural oils.

If your skin is particularly dry – keep baby oil or bath oil in the shower. Once you have turned off the water, pour some into your hand, spread it onto your skin and then pat dry with a towel. The oil will lock the moisture into your skin, keeping you soft for the entire day.

If you take a bath: Add a teaspoon of baby oil or bath oil to the water – this will have the same effect of locking the moisture into your skin. (You’ll want to pat dry when you get out too!)

Use Lotion Right away. Pat your skin dry… leaving a small amount of moisture in place, add the lotion and rub until mostly absorbed.

Exfoliate. When you do this – you are getting rid of the top layer of dry skin, revealing a new layer underneath that is perfectly ready for additional moisture. Don’t do this more than once a week.

Water. Water. Water. (You know that water = moisture and moisture has water, right?) Drinking water moisturizes your body from the inside out.

And finally – WEAR GLOVES. The more you can protect your skin from the elements, the better…. but do remove them when you head inside, before you start to sweat.

Happy Skin Saving (and say Adios to Dumbo-type skin!)