Your skin serves both beauty and function. It may be weird, but it deserves your love

S

kin is weird. Why else would Siberia-level cold give you Sahara-style dryness?

Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to mitigate the misery of winter. Yes, you’ve heard it all before. Think of this as your reminder to actually do it.

• Run a humidifier. Dry air = dry skin.
• Wash your body, especially your hands, with warm, not hot water. (Yes, it kills germs just as well.)
• Use a cream-style moisturizer rather than a lotion, the thicker the better. I’m a huge fan of Aquaphor (you can use it all over your body), or try CeraVe.
• Yes, you still need to wear sunscreen. UV rays can penetrate the grayest clouds, and snow actually magnifies the light. Aveeno’s moisturizer with SPF 30 lets you achieve two goals with one product.
• Use gentle, non-drying soaps and washes. I like the classic Dove body wash and Cetaphil face wash. Hey, they’ve earned their titles.
• Exfoliate before moisturizing. All that dead skin keeps your moisturizer from getting where it needs to go.
• Wear gloves. The more your skin is exposed to the cold, the dryer it gets.
• Remember, your skin serves both beauty and function. It may be weird, but it deserves your love.