With wonderful winter and cold air comes dry, chapped skin. It hurts, it cracks, it flakes and peels causing you to run for the drugstore to find any possible cure to help with the pain. Your hands and face are most likely the areas of your body that are going to be effected, and often areas that have a lot of movement. your eyes, corners of your mouth and the knuckle area of your hands and palms.

The one thing you want to stop doing is washing your face with soap. Soap drys your skin and prevents the natural moisture and oils from being able to do their jobs, making your skin more vulnerable to chapping and cracking.

Always be sure to drink a lot of water, sure the professionals are now saying that you don’t NEED 8 glasses of water a day, but it is advised to do so as your skin and all its layers require the internal moisture that those 8 glasses will give you. As well as the water, make sure to keep your skin moistureized at all times. there are many different products that can provide you with the proper amount of moisture. Before going to bed at night try applying a thin layer of Vitamin E oil on the parts of you skin that require the extra moisture. You can even use olive oil if you would prefer, it does the same trick. Vaseline also has a great line of moisturizers that are very helpful during the winter.

If you don’t exfoliate now is the time to start. Using a gentle scrub on your face and other effected areas at least 2 times a week will help to slough off the unwanted dry skin. Your skin will absorb moisturizer so much more when applied to freshly polished skin as opposed to not. It is also a great idea to apply your moisturizers right after a bath or shower. This way your skin will lock in the moisture and help you maintain a great healthy glow during these cold crisp winter months.