Baby, It's Cold Outside (But You Don't Have to Pay a Mint to Protect Your Skin)

by Valerie Gladstone — December 10, 2007

As the chill winds blow making your face red, itchy, and dry, there are other places to turn for protection than expensive products. In some of the coldest climes, people rely on cheaper, simpler solutions--the most reliable a wool scarf, a thick hat, warm mittens, and a down parka. You can also insulate your skin with Dove body lotion both day and night or other simple moisturizing products that are more effective than the more expensive versions.

It's not the cold itself but the dryness it brings to the air, that parches the skin, breaking down its natural protective layer of dead cells that helps keep moisture in the skin. When it dries out, the skin is more vulnerable to the elements, slower to heal from injuries, and more prone to flaking and cracking.

To help retain moisture, dermatologists recommend using a humidifier and to avoid scalding showers and harsh soaps, which can strip away the oily layer. Lukewarm water instead of boiling water and a soap with moisturizing agents like Dove or Olay can be enough to keep your skin in shape for the winter. They also say bathing less is an answer.

You might also try adding a fragrance-free oil like RoBathol (sold in drugstores) to bath water for increased hydration. After a bath or shower, it's better to gently pat yourself dry than to rub and buff the skin with the towel. Then while you still have water droplets on your skin, you can coat yourself with a humectant to seal the moisture in, like Aveeno, Purpose, Nivea Crème or a little olive oil, Crisco, or Vaseline.

Skiers face even more challenges. What works for them are Kiehl's All-Sport Non-Freeze Face Protector SPF 30, which coats the face in a layer of beeswax and castor oil, or Dermatone, made with beeswax and lanolin, to shield the face from windburn. It's sold at sporting goods stores like REI and Eastern Mountain Sports.

The only trouble with oil-based products like Dermatone, which won't freeze, is that oily treatments sometimes trigger pimples. It's probably best for people with oily skin to use water-based products like Replenish Hydrating Cream from M.D. Forté (sold by dermatologists) on the face and relegate oil-based products to the hands and feet. For those who run in low temperatures, it's a good idea to coat hands and feet in oily products like Aquaphor, cover them with socks, and sleep like that. Makes for very soft skin.

Lips, too, are vulnerable to dry air. First, stop licking them. Then try A+D Original Ointment, a diaper rash cream made with lanolin that helps treat irritated skin, or Dermatone. But if your skin gets really itchy and irritated, it's probably best to go to a dermatologist.