Dry skin in the winter is everyone’s worst enemy. It cracks and peels and makes you look like you haven’t moisturized in ages. It also hurts. You can’t even smile without getting wrinkles and feeling like your face is made of paper.

We’re here to talk about what you can do to protect your skin from dryness—and how you can prevent your skin from drying out excessively in the first place.

How Do You Combat Dry Skin?

The best way to stop your skin from drying out in the winter is to moisturize is as much as possible.

Find the Perfect Moisturizer for You

One of the main problems people have when it comes to picking moisturizers is that they don’t get one that’s suitable for their skin. Everyone has a different skin type, so just because there’s only one lotion in your house doesn’t mean you should use it too.

Some moisturizers also irritate sensitive skin while being completely fine for others. If you use a moisturizer that doesn’t sit well with your skin, your skin could get dry and irritated, making your skin feel dryer than before.

For example, some people use alpha hydroxy acids like lactic acids to clear dead skin cells but they can cause redness and itchiness for others if they aren’t suited to their skin. For a cleanser that can help restore your skin’s natural glow, try the Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser that will take away the layer of dried, dead skin on your face.

If you can stand greasy moisturizer, find one that’s thicker. Thick creams or even ointments like petroleum jelly form a more resistant layer over your skin and keep it moisturized longer. Other moisturizers that keep the dryness out will include ingredients like ceramide and shea butter.

Watch Out for Harmful Ingredients

The more you know about the effects of the moisturizers you’re putting on your skin, the more informed you’ll be on how much to use and whether you should use it at all. Soap is damaging for your skin because it dries it out, so try to replace soap with body wash in the shower.

Scented products may smell appealing, but they can be even more harmful than regular, unscented soap. If possible, only use soaps and body washes in parts of your body that are more likely to get dirty with sweat and grime.

Places like your feet, underarms and neck need to be thoroughly cleaned, but places like your torso probably don’t get as sweaty. The more unnecessary soap you apply on your skin, the more damage you’re causing.

Don’t Take Long Showers

Who doesn’t love a long, hot bath when it’s freezing outside? As relaxing as the warm water may feel, the longer you stay in there, the more you’re robbing your skin of any moisture it had. If you’re a fan of taking long showers, then lower the heat and try to shorten the time you spend in there.

Another essential practice when getting out of the shower is to moisturize your skin as soon as you can. When you apply lotion on while your skin is still a little moist, it helps the moisturizer stay on longer.

Moisturize Every Single Day

No, just because you’re home all day and have no plans of showing your cracked, dry face to the outside world doesn’t mean you should skip the moisturizer. You should avoid letting your skin ever get dry enough to look cracked because when your skin starts showing signs of being dry, chances are it is even more dehydrated than it looks.

As you age, moisturizing daily becomes even more important. On average, a person over 40 should have a daily skincare routine. When the weather is colder, however, you might want to push that up to twice a day. One great moisturizer to keep you looking young even in those long those winter nights is the Image Vital C anti-aging serum.

Use a Humidifier

When you’re home all day with the heating on, you can feel how stale and dry the air becomes. This also has an adverse effect on your skin and takes away its moisture. A good alternative to going out and getting freezing cold—but fresh—air is investing in a humidifier in the rooms that you stay in the most. Keep the humidity inside your house at 30-50 percent and it’ll bring the moisture back into your home—and skin.

Pay Attention to Your Diet

What you eat and the condition of your skin are interrelated. If you don’t adjust your diet to go with the change in the weather, you might not be giving you skin the proper care that it needs. Buy a packet of walnuts. Get some avocados and some olive oil too. These are essential in keeping your skin looking fresh and smooth.

Of course, you need to keep your regular skincare regimen running, because the diet isn’t going to make up for not moisturizing your skin. You should also be mindful of how much alcohol you’re taking, because it is dehydrating. You might not have felt a difference before, but in the winter, your skin dries faster than during other months.

Although you probably love a cup of warm coffee or tea on a cold winter night, try to limit how much you consume because the caffeine can be dehydrating. And, of course, don’t miss out on drinking as much water as you can.

Final Words

If you’re careful with your skin, it will not disappoint you. Your skin is the largest organ of our body, yet we neglect it more than anything else. As long as you take the time out to properly moisturize your skin, maintain a healthy diet, and limit the use of products that do more harm than good, you can keep your skin looking young and wrinkle-free for years.

The more you procrastinate on taking care of your skin, the more it will show when you’re older and your skin can’t bounce back the way it used to.