How to Winterize Yourself

Jan. 8, 2004 — -- The chilly winter winds can do a number on your skin, but there are many ways to keep the damage at bay, from moisturizing lip balm to snug winter jackets.

Ellen Levine appeared on "Good Morning America" to share the Good Housekeeping Institute's top-rated products when it comes to keeping skin protected in the winter months. The lab tested jackets, gloves, hand warmers, lip balms, lotions and 24-hour moisturizers.

Here are the results:

Best Lip Balm: After sampling five new lip balms, the Good Housekeeping test panel gave Kiehl's Lip Balm SPF 15 ($7.50, kiehls.com), the highest marks for moisturizing. Molton Brown Lip Saver Vitamin SPF 8 ($16, moltonbrown.com) was a close second. Though not everyone found its applicator easy to use, most preferred Molton Brown's scent and taste to Kiehl's.

Best Hand Cream: Good Housekeeping evaluated the newest batch of hand creams with a corneometer, a machine that measures the level of moisture in skin. Of the five creams tested, Dr. Gendler's Skin Appointments Helping Hands ($30, available at Lord & Taylor) was the winner. (Testers measured moisture three times at 20 minutes, two hours, and four hours after application.) Volunteers cited the top cream for quick absorption and rich consistency.

Another winner was A-HA & Collagen Hand Crème by Frills. Testers found it had a lighter feel than the Dr. Gendler's product and it scored well on moisturizing and on scent.

All-Day Body Moisturizers: Good Housekeeping tested creams that claim to work for 24 hours and found that all kept their promise. But two softened skin best: Jergens Ultra Healing Intense Moisture Therapy ($5.99, drugstores) and Johnson & Johnson's Soft Lotion 24-Hour Moisture ($5.99, drugstores).