Banish dry, taut skin as the temperature drops by pampering your skin more than ever. Nourish your skin and soothe senses with gentle cleansers, heavy-duty moisturizers, regular pedicures & manicures & your skin will have a flawless finish all through winter.

Winter is all about warm woolies, a steaming cup of hot chocolate and crisp, nippy air that invigorates. But it is also about dry, flaky skin, chapped lips and hands. Biting winter air can give you rosy cheeks, but it also saps all the moisture out of your skin faster than you can say the word. Despite the perception, it is not January or February that are the worst months. By that time our skin actually gets adjusted to the temperature. It is at the onset of the season that our skin begins to get affected, when we move from humid autumn air to cooler winds in the last few months of the year beginning with October. This is the time when humidity drops and our skin gets tighter and drier. And, it is not just the chill in the air, but also the hot air from room heaters that is also equally to blame when it comes to harming your skin. The combination of dry winter wind and hot air from the heaters can actually dry up water and natural oils from your skin's top layer. Natural oils in your skin generally act as a barrier to protect your skin's natural water balance. You know that your skin in winter is dry when your skin feels tight, is flaky, your pores are no longer visible, and your skin looks dull, feels itchy and rough to touch as well. Most of us do know that moisturizing is the key to fighting winter skin woes. But simple moisturizing will not really help you fight a severe winter skin condition.


As we know, our skin goes dry when we lose water and natural oils from it. If we do not control the situation, our skin tends to develop cracks and fissures, invisible to the naked eye. Your skin can get itchy as bacteria, pollutants and other chemical irritants enter the lower layer of the epidermis. This also gives you a flaky, dull complexion. In most cases this kind of severe dry skin can be brought under control in about two weeks with some TLC and specific creams and lotions. During this period, swear off drying soap and water to cleanse yourself. Instead opt for some creamy cleansers or homemade moisturizing body packs to clean you. Forgo light lotions and use thick creamy moisturizers or cold creams that contain skin repairing agents like collagen, lactic acid or urea. Avoid products based on alcohol, clay or even glycerin, which can have a drying affect. In case of a severe dry, itchy skin condition try medicated skin potions like pure Aloe Vera gel, calamine lotions or Benadryl creams for immediate relief.


While moisturizing is the mantra to get soft supple skin throughout winter, you should know how to get the most out of it. First of all, you do not need gobs of the stuff but you need the right product. In fact a right moisturizer, specially made for your skin type, can wipe the flakes off your face and body very nicely. Remember that a dime size is enough for the face and a blob, the size of a round biscuit is enough for your body.

So what is your basic moisturizer? It is a mixture of oil, water, minerals and stabilizing agents that help the oil in the formulation to sit on your skin and lock in your skin's natural water. If you have a severely dry skin condition, remember that you will need to be patient and give time for the moisturizers to heal your skin. Some great skin savers include petroleum jelly, cocoa butter, shea butter and baby oil. To make most of your moisturizer, remember to cleanse and gently scrub your face to wipe away dead skin cells. It will allow your skin to absorb the emollients better. While you should not go for heavy duty scrubbing, a home-made scrub of milk cream and oatmeal or wheat husk can help you get rid of dead skin cells without stripping moisture and natural oils. In fact, the lactic acid in the milk cream can help improve your skin's condition. Unlike in summer, before you apply lotions or body cream on damp skin, in winter you need to wipe off water nicely from your skin. Damp skin can actually dilute your potion's effectiveness. Another great and very cost-effective way to protect your skin is to coat your skin with petroleum jelly and then wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. This acts as a great barrier against harsh winter wind.


As the air around you starts getting drier, it is best to switch to cream or oil-based cleansers. It is even a good idea for girls with oily or combination skin to opt for creamy cleansers. In fact, baby oil works great as a moisturizing make-up remover. Skip alcohol-based toners or astringents. However, if you feel that your cleansing routine is incomplete without a toner, and then just picks good old rose water to wipe away any trace of grime or make-up. While twice a day cleansing may be a good idea during summer, you can ditch your morning cleansing routine during the winter days. Just splash your face with warm water and wipe with a wet flannel to clean your face and then moisturize as usual. This also exfoliates your face without using any scrub.

Coming to applying a good moisturizer, as mentioned earlier,a dime size amount is enough for your face and neck. Be very gentle when massaging it into your skin; don't tug or pull your skin. Massage using circular, upward strokes avoiding the under-eye region. For your under-eye region, put a little cream on the tips of your ring finger and pat it gently on the area. Do it ever so lightly, as the skin here is most likely to get damaged. Start at the outward corner of your eye, going slowly to the inner corner.


Our pouts show the first sign of winter by going dry and chapped as humidity drops. But very few of us really bother about this part of our face, other than applying lipstick over them. But like your face, lips too need daily maintenance or else you stand the danger of developing wrinkles and fine lines around the lips that can make your mouth lose its definition. Try out this move to get your kisser in shape. Dab petroleum jelly or your favorite lip balm generously over your mouth and around it as well. Then, taking a soft baby toothbrush, rub gently in circular motion to dislodge the dry flakes. Wipe with soft wet muslin and apply more Hp balm. Do this daily to fight a dry, puckered pout. In case you notice the appearance of fine lines around your mouth, use a cream/balm with AHA to wipe them away. In case of a severe pout problem, use your night repair cream on your lips as well. These creams generally contain AHA, vitamin A and E and other healing agents that can cure cracks very easily.


1. Despite temptation, avoid using hot water for bathing - it strips your skin of natural oils.

2. Use lukewarm or tepid water. Cut down on the rinse or soaking in the tub time.

3. Ditch soap or face wash. Switch to creamy cleansers.

4. Skip toner, use rosewater instead post cleansing.

5. Go for heavy-duty cold creams and body creams. Moisturize twice a day.

6. Avoid licking your lips. Apply lip balm regularly to prevent chapping.

7. Exfoliate using scrubs with fine granules. They are gentler on skin.

8. Try body brushing or use a loofah and don't rub too hard.

9. Drink water to moisturize inside out.

10. Keep a vessel filled with water in front of your blower or drape damp towels over radiators to retain some moisture in your room.

11. Have a weekly oil massage.


Body skin may be tougher but it still needs some extra TLC during winters to keep it gleaming with health. Also, the woolies we wear during winter have the tendency to strip away our skin's moisture making it flaky and dry. Like your face, you also need to moisturize your body twice a day with a body cream to keep it looking smooth. You also need to exfoliate your body skin, especially dry patchy areas more often than you would your face. This is because body skin tends to get dull faster with dead skin cell buildup. Also, unscrubbed skin cannot absorb moisturizers as effectively as exfoliated skin can.

So try to buff your body skin at least twice a week with exfoliating cream. You can even try out a homemade salt scrub. Mix finely ground sea salt with olive oil and apply all over your body beginning with your feet and legs using circular and upward strokes. While the salt exfoliates, oil quenches your skin. Wash off with lukewarm water. In this treatment you don't really need to apply moisturizer post bath.


Most of us suffer from cracked heels and dry peeling cuticles during winter months. Both can be very painful conditions. Here again you need to exfoliate and moisturize on a regular basis. In case of dry hands, you should try to re-apply hand and nail cream every time you wash your hands during winter. To buff your hands, take a bit of your body scrub and rub it into your hands taking extra care around your nails and fingertips. Wash off with nearly cold water. Do not cut your dry cuticle; instead push it back with a cotton bud dipped in cuticle cream. Then dip your hands in a bowl of olive oil for 10 minutes. Massage your hands and wipe off oil with a warm wet towel. Finally, moisturize with your body cream to keep them petal soft. To soothe dry cracked heels and feet, buff the rough areas daily with a foot file and pumice stone. Pat your peds dry and massage in a thick coat of Vaseline on the cracked area and rub some on your feet as well. Put on your socks and go to sleep. If you generally have normal skin, then you can even try glycerin mixed with rosewater instead of Vaseline. When going out during the day, apply a creamy foot balm to protect your feet. You can even try creams with chamomile and mint or eucalyptus extracts for faster healing.

Finally, you need to give extra care to your hands and feet and remember to do a mini pedicure and manicure every night throughout winter.

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