1. Winter blah: Your skin feels dehydrated, so you try to quench its thirst with 10 to 12 glasses a day. But you don’t see any improvement.

   Winter ahh:

   • It’s a common misconception that drinking water will nourish dry skin. Though drinking water is vital for your health — keeping you happily hydrated on the inside — it doesn’t do anything to moisturize your dry skin on the outside.
   
   
   • Instead of relying on water to hydrate your skin, use a rich cream.
2. Winter blah: You emerge from your shower with tight, itchy, red skin.

   Winter ahh:

   • Instead of using hot water, opt for a five to 10-minute lukewarm shower. Long, hot showers remove the natural oils from your skin, causing that tight, itchy feeling and flaky appearance.
   • Avoid harsh, over-drying soaps — antibacterial, fragrant or colored soaps are typical culprits — and choose a mild cleanser like ATOPALM Body Wash.
   • Exfoliate weekly to remove dull, dead skin, but pass on abrasive scrubs and harsh chemical exfoliants.
   • Instead, pick products with lactic acid. Its large molecular structure makes it less irritating to skin than other alpha hydroxy acids. Also, because lactic acid is a natural humectant, it draws and holds water in the upper layers of the skin. Removing this dry skin barrier improves the efficacy of your moisturizer and gives your skin a refreshed, healthy look.
3. Winter blah: Not only is your skin dry and itchy after showering, but you spend the entire day with flaky skin.

   Winter ahh:

   • Moisturize your skin three to four times a day, including immediately after your shower and before bed.
   • Apply moisturizer to your face and body while skin is damp to trap the water and maximize hydration.
   • Follow the three-minute rule by applying moisturizer within three minutes of your shower or bath.
4. Winter blah: After a lot of trial-and-error and too much time spent scoping out the skincare shelves, you still can’t find a good moisturizer to transition from the warmer months to wintertime.

   Winter ahh:

   • Arm yourself with a thicker, oil-based moisturizer. "If you are very dry, you should be dipping into a jar, not squirting lotion out of a bottle," dermatologist Barbara Reed tells Real Simple.
   • Select face-friendly oils like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil or almond oil.
   • Also, look for ingredients like shea butter and petrolatum, stylist David Evangelista tells CBS News. Try L’Occitane 24 Hours Ultra Rich Face Cream.
   • For luxurious creams, try ATOPALM MLE Cream or L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Cream.
   • To hydrate dry, cracked hands, try Elizabeth Arden EA Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment or StriVectin HC Hand Cream.
   • For even better protection from the cold, also wear leather gloves instead of cotton.
5. Winter blah: When cold weather hits, you crank up the furnace, space heater or fireplace. But these heating systems make your skin even drier, drawing moisture out of the air and out of your skin.

   Winter ahh:

   • Try turning down your thermostat a few degrees.
   • If you’re chilly, layer up with cotton clothes, because wool can irritate your skin.
   • Invest in a humidifier. Make it a habit of changing the water daily and cleaning the humidifier every three days, so it doesn’t become a haven for mold, fungi and bacteria, recommends Real Simple.
6. Winter blah: Your skin’s health is on the fritz. And your complexion is looking particularly dull and lackluster.

   Winter ahh:

   • Focus on eating a well-balanced, antioxidant-rich diet. During the wintertime, when many fruits and veggies aren’t in season, we tend to miss out on much-needed nutrients.
   • These nutrients play a large role "in the way your skin looks and feels — and even in how well it ages," nutritional supplement expert and co-founder of Olympian Labs, Mary Sullivan, RN, tells WebMD.
   • Make sure you’re getting your vitamins, including A, C, E, K and B complex, according to WebMD. For instance, though eating more vitamin A won’t work wonders for your skin, inadequate intake can make your complexion dry and flaky.
   • Consider topical treatments that use these vitamins. Try SkinMedical Retinol Complex, a form of vitamin A that helps to reduce wrinkles and acne.
   • Are you consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids? When you’re lacking omega 3s, your skin starts producing "a more irritating form of sebum," according to WebMD. This can contribute to skincare problems, including dryness, inflammation and breakouts.

7. Winter blah: After burying your sunscreen with the rest of the summer stuff, you notice your skin is red and sunburned — in the middle of winter!

   Winter ahh:

   • You’re among many who commonly and mistakenly believe that UV rays are much weaker in the winter than the summer. Particularly when our bodies are freezing and we don’t feel the scorching UV rays, we grossly underestimate the sun.
   • Even if you don’t experience a lobster red, painful sunburn, not wearing sunscreen can contribute to premature aging, wrinkles and worse skin cancer.
   • So slather on the sunscreen just as you would in the summertime. If you’re outdoors for over two hours, make sure to reapply. Try Murad Oil-Free Sunblock, SPF 30 or Peter Thomas Roth Oil-Free Sunblock, SPF 30.
   • Live in a climate with lots of snow? Going skiing for your winter break? The sun's reflection off of snow and ice is particularly damaging because of increased intensity; in higher altitudes, there’s less atmosphere to filter UV radiation. For these times, choose sunscreen with zinc oxide. Obagi Nu-Derm Physical UV Sun Block SPF 32 contains 18.5 percent zinc oxide.
8. Winter blah: One step outside the door and your lips look and feel chapped and cracked.

   Winter ahh:

   • Invest in a moisturizing lip balm. "Just as you shouldn’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water, don’t wait until your skin and lips are dry before moisturizing," explains Real Simple.
   • Look for these ingredients in a lip product, according to Evangelista: shea butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, mango oil and lip balm.
   • Try Peter Thomas Roth Lip Balm
   • Resist the urge to lick your lips. Excessive licking — an actual condition called lip licker’s dermatitis — can dramatically dry out your lips and cause redness.

9. Winter blah: You’ve tried everything — literally! — and you still feel unsatisfied with your skin.

   Winter ahh:

   • It’s time to see a dermatologist, who can thoroughly examine your skin and provide advice for your specific skin type.
   • When searching for a dermatologist, make sure to research his or her background and credentials. For more on choosing a dermatologist, read How to Find a Great Dermatologist: 7 Tips and More!

See also:

5 Tips for Winter Skin Survival

Beauty Tips and Tricks for Radiant Winter

Skin Care Solutions for Every Season