Help Your Skin Beat the Winter Blues: Hydrate Your Face, Lips and Hands

Jan. 25, 2010— -- Skin, lips and nails can take a beating in cold weather, but dry skin and chapped lips are preventable.

Dr. Doris Day, a New York dermatologist, visited "Good Morning America" to tell viewers what they can do to protect themselves from winter's harsh effects.

Keep Your Face Moisturized

Our faces often get dry, especially when they experience quick changes in extreme temperature. If you go from the cold outdoors to a warm, dry office or house, the outer layers of the skin on your face can feel tight and itchy, no matter how much water you drink.

Tip 1: Day said the first line of defense starts in the shower: Avoid hot water. Hot showers can dry out your skin, so be sure to use water that's set at a moderate temperature and pat your skin dry with a towel.

Tip 2: Exfoliate your skin regularly. After you remove the dry skin cells, make sure to moisturize. Day said your winter moisturizer should come from a jar, rather than a bottle. Moisturizers in jars tend to be thick enough to help your skin in the cold weather.

You should check the label on your moisturizer for key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and dimethicone. These moisturizers will replenish the moisture that the cold weather takes out of your skin by pulling the water from the inner layers of your skin to the surface. Of course, you should always use creams and lotions that come with UVA/UVB protection.

Some of the doctor's favorite products for faces are Olay Professional Pro-X Hydra Firming Cream or Olay Micro-Sculpting Cream, Neutrogena Copper Peptide formulations or Aveeno Positively Radiant, which hydrates and contains antioxidants. These and other products are available at the drug store.

Your face isn't the only body part vulnerable to changing humidity and temperature. Your hands, too, can feel the dry skin itch.

Much of the problem is due to overwashing, Day said, noting that people are so afraid of contracting swine flu that they're washing their hands too much, which strips away the natural protections and the skin's own immunities. You should wash your hands but you should moisturize when you do so.