Winter Skin Care: Better Hydrated Skin

Here are the tips and tricks for softer and better hydrated skin.

• The Skin Underneath Your Eyebrows: When was the last time you considered lubing up your brows? Few of us think to do so, which is why the skin under them tends to get red, itchy, and flaky in the winter. Moisturizing twice a day with a very gentle cream should solve the problem. Use a cream that is free of ingredients like retinol, acids and vitamin C.
• The Web of Your Fingers: The webs of the fingers are especially prone to dryness and cracks, since soap and other irritants can easily get trapped in their folds. Rings also can hold irritants against the skin. Be sure to clean your ring regularly to get rid of buildup, and wear rubber gloves when cleaning up around the house. To heal raw hands, apply a thick balm to damp skin at least twice a day, really working it in between your fingers. Thicker formulas contain more oil than water, so they hold moisture better and last longer.
• The Rims of Your Nostrils: Not surprisingly, colds are most common culprits behind sore noses. All that blowing and wiping can chafe the delicate skin of the nostrils. Coat the edges of your nostrils with petroleum jelly before bed to prevent the skin from splitting. If there is still no relief switch to a hydrocortisone cream for two weeks.
• The Corners of Your Mouth: A certain amount of yeast is always present in our bodies. But it can grow rapidly when the corners of the mouth are chronically moist (mostly from lip-licking), causing inflammation. Healing can be tricky, since saliva quickly washes medications, but there are products made to remedy the condition like mild antifungal and steroid creams.
• The Cuticles on Your Toe: When you pull of your shoes and feet go from a warm, damp environment to a cold one, moisture is quickly wicked away, dehydrating the skin around toe and causing it to fray. But don’t think about cutting these cuticles, as they protect skin from infection. Instead, condition cuticles daily with a hydrating oil. Because oils are more fluid than creams, they can seep in and moisturize the entire cuticle; its underside as well as its visible top surface.

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