The chilling cold in the air from the sudden change of seasons can leave your skin chapped and devastatingly dry. Winter atmosphere is notorious for scarcity of humidity, compounded by indoor heating which is winter's most vicious skin-drying scoundrel.

Winter often spells disaster for your skin. It looks rough and chapped, feels tight and drawn. What should be one of your greatest assets becomes one of your biggest beauty problems. You have to take extra care for your skin during this season and with our tips you will find that having a beautiful skin is not that difficult after all.

Your mission: remove less oil and moisture, and add extra oil and moisture as needed.

Keep your whole body hydrated. Drink approximately 64 ounces or more of water daily. Limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you intake; these act as diuretics releasing fluid from the body.

Protect your skin from sun damage. Apply sunblock, preferably SPF 25 or higher, as a part of your daily skin care routine all year long. Remember to apply to all parts of your body that will be exposed during the day: face, arms, neck, etc.
Take warm-not hot showers or baths or at least reduce the amount of time. While this may not seem best during the cold winters it will actually help prevent the amount of natural acid mantel that is stripped off by the hot water which leads to dry skin. A soak in a warm bath amply infused with sweet almond or jojoba oil would be a soothing and skin-nourishing way to end the day.

Ditch your usual soap and use an emollient-rich beauty bar, such as Dove or Oil of Olay. Cleanse gently and don't soap up dry parts such as legs and arms.

Smooth on body oil or lotion as soon as you get out of the shower, to trap in the shower's moisture. Apply petroleum jelly on problem areas to seal in moisture and heal very dry skin. This includes your face -- petroleum jelly is noncomedogenic (it won't clog your pores) and very soothing.

It’s also a good idea to exfoliate once a week to get rid of flaky skin. Use a type of scrub that’s made for your skin type – and always remember to be gentle. Exfoliating gets rid of built-up dead skin cells and exposes a fresh layer of skin ready to suck up all the moisturizer you're going to apply when you step out of the tub.

After any bath or shower you should always apply a good quality moisturizer to help keep your body's natural oils sealed inside. You entire body should be moisturized daily so that it doesn't dry out, even those areas that are covered during winter can get dried out as a result of the central heating.

Use a humidifier to maintain at least 30 percent humidity in your home. With the heat on and the windows closed, the air inside can become very dry in the winter, making the dryness and itching of eczema even worse. If you don’t want to invest in an expensive humidifying system, smaller, relatively inexpensive humidifiers can be obtained at a local drug store. Placing two or three of these around your home will help to humidify the dry air. This can keep skin from drying and becoming cracked and itchy.

When you wash your hands, slather on hand cream immediately afterward to trap in moisture. Also, wear gloves when you're outside, to protect against cold, dry air that evaporates moisture from your hands.

Wear Natural-Fiber Clothing: Synthetic fabrics and wool can be very irritating to dry skin, so opt for soft cotton clothing instead. If you need to wear wool to keep warm, wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt or turtleneck underneath to provide a "buffer zone."

Stop Licking Your Lips: When our lips feel dry, we lick them. Of course, this only leaves them more chapped. Keep a tube or jar of lip balm with you at all times, and apply every time you get the temptation to lick those dry lips.

These tips which if executed, will lead to moisture, healthier skin this wintertime. With a little preparation and extra skin care, there is no reason why you need to suffer from "winter skin."