De-Winterize Your Skin

Cures for Winter Skin

With bare spring and summer fashions on the horizon, it's time for skin rejuvenation! Here, 10 easy ways to make dry, flaky winter skin a thing of the past:

1. Get lukewarm -- in the shower, that is. Hot water feels good, but actually saps your skin of moisture, causing more dryness. As the weather gets warmer, switch to lukewarm showers to stave off that dryness.

2. Brush your body. Long an Ayurvedic ritual, using a stiff-bristled brush to brush dry skin before a shower helps remove flakiness and dead cells quite effectively!

3. Try a foot file. Chances are, your feet have been crammed into socks and shoes all winter, making them dry and cracked. Begin to use a foot file (found at drugstores) daily to slough away calluses and dryness on heels and soles, getting feet ready for sandal season.

4. Go for moisturizing body washes. Instead of harsh antibacterial soaps, which can cause dryness, do your skin a favor and pamper it with a moisturizing body bar or wash.

5. Apply sloughing body lotion. A lotion containing salicylic or alpha-hydroxy acids chemically exfoliates dry, winter skin cells. Apply to slightly damp skin after every shower for the best result.