Winterize Your Skin From The Inside Out

6 easy tips on eliminating and preventing dry, cracked, itchy skin

While grabbing a scarf, hat, gloves and long johns may be instant ways to ward off the unwelcome chill of winter, preventing and caring for seasonal skin problems such as dryness, dullness, itching and flaking call for more targeted cold-weather skin care strategies based on well-researched, up-to-the-minute information. You need approaches that work from the inside out—even the supplements that you take and the food that you eat can help counteract winter skin care woes.

Renowned dermatologist Jeannette Graf, M.D., has easy-to-follow, guidelines on treating winter skin:

Keep shower and tub time down to a minimum. Although it feels good on a cold day, hot water quickly strips away the skin’s self-protecting lipid barrier.
Exfoliate regularly (but not excessively) to rid the skin of its dead layers. This helps to keep skin glowing and also improves skin’s natural ability to absorb creams and moisturizers.
Moisturize. Start with a moisturizing body wash or bar without skin-drying detergents. Apply body lotion within 3 minutes of bathing to maximize the moisturizing effects. Look for products with natural humectants such as glycerin, which help to draw moisture to your skin.
Slather on a lipid-rich cream, lotion or oil over your moisturizing lotion as a secondary layer of defense to ensure softness and suppleness.
Invest in a humidifier to combat wintertime’s lower indoor humidity.
Include essential fatty acids, which help skin cells retain moisture, in your diet. Sources include salmon, dark green leafy vegetables and nuts. Vitamin D3 supplements are important for skin repair, and help counteract the dehydrating effects of cold weather.