Jack frost beware!(skin protection)

Protect your skin and prevent winter dryness with this easy skin care regimen

icy sidewalks, high-energy bills and failing car batteries are all to be expected during the winter season. But, here's another cold fact: Your skin can suffer during the colder months, too, and, if left neglected, can begin to look like, and feel like, that proverbial dried-out fruit cake still in the box. Fortunately, a few simple precautions and initiating an easy skin care regimen can make all the difference in fending off winter's worst skin woes.

Loss of moisture is the most evident problem for skin in winter. For the most part, this is due to a drop-off of humidity in your environment, depriving your skin of the ability to retain moisture. Outdoors, cold temperatures and drying winds do their part to lower humidity; indoors, arid central heating is the main culprit. Couple these issues with the fact that your skin produces less oil as you age, and it's easy to understand how your skin can quickly become prone to dehydration. Not only can this process lead to itchy, flaking skin, but it can become severe enough to leave you vulnerable to infection as well.

YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

The very first thing to consider for your skin during the winter months is how you clean it. Forget about harsh soaps and using very hot water; both of these will only strip away What natural oils you have and rob your skin of moisture even more. Instead, start and end each day by washing your face with a glycerin or vegetable-based cleanser. You'll feel clean and avoid that feeling of tightness often produced by many detergent-type soaps.

Warm, not hot, baths or showers are better for your skin, especially during the winter season. Hot water doesn't get you any cleaner and it strips the natural lubricating oils from your skin. Actually, soaking in a tub of warm water (90 degrees Fahrenheit or less) for about 10 minutes a day is the best form of bathing. For one thing, people tend to use hotter water when showering and, for another, the action of resting, not standing, in warm water is therapeutic in itself as a form of hydrotherapy. After bathing, always apply a moisturizing lotion or light off while your skin is still damp and gently pat skin dry with a soft towel.

If you work in a profession that calls for frequent hand washing, use a vegetable-based liquid soap that gently cleanses without over-drying. Follow up with a non-greasy moisturizer after each washing to prevent getting that "dish pan hands" look and feel.