Heal Dry Winter Skin

Winter weather causes skin to feel dry, tight, itchy, and flaky. It can damage anything from lips, to overall body skin, to your heels, and it does it's best to strip every last bit of protective oils from them. However, relief from dry skin is within your reach with this simple tips:

Chapped Lips
Drink lots of water to keep lips hydrated, and try to use a humidifier at home to hold moisture in the air. Apply beeswax - which you can get at most natural food stores - or petroleum jelly to your lips, and always remember to wear lip balm with SPF every time you go outside. Licking your lips can actually make your delicate skin worse, and try to avoid overexposure to the sun and wind to keep your lips as kissable as possible.

Cracked Heels
Save your dry feet from infection, painful walking, and calluse-overgrowth by soaking your heels in petroleum jelly and then wrapping them with plastic wrap. Do this at night, and wear a pair of socks over the plastic. You should see an improvement in your heels in just three nights.

Dry Hands
Washing your hands repeatedly keeps cold and flu germs away, but it unfortunately increases hand dryness. Try using a glycerin-based moisturizer when you wake up, before you go to bed, and throughout the day whenever you feel your hands getting tight.

Hair Static
Wash your hair every other day, instead of everyday. Shampoos and excessive shampooing can strip hair of moisture so apply extra conditioner to your hair to lock in that needed moisture. Try to avoid overstyling with a blow dryer or other heated tools in the winter - they generally will cause additional static due to the heat. To be extra cautious, wear a hat to protect your hair from the elements.

Additional Tips:

• Apply a moisturizer or babyoil after a shower - it will help keep the moisture in your body.
• Anti-aging moisturizers that contain retinoids can further irritate dry, and sensitive skin in the winter.
• Exfoliate to clear away dead skin cells. It allows the moisturizer to better penetrate the skin.
• You still need to wear sunscreen in the winter. Apply protection with SPF 30 to avoid getting a sunburn.
• Take a lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda to fight off that dry, itchy skin. Avoid wearing wool and other rough fabrics as this will only irritate it and make it itchier.

After reading these suggestions and following the advice, you should be ready to declare war on your winter skin woes, and prepared for the soothing relief of elastic, soft skin again.