You know winter is here when you pull off your clothes and find the insides lined with a thin coating of tiny dry skin particles. (Am I alone here, or do I have more serious dry skin issues than I thought?) Looks like it`s time to change up our skin care routines for the cold season--and before you pledge to coat yourself in two inches of heavy body lotion every night before bed (although this certainly will help matters), I wanted to note that the no. 1 piece of dry-skin advice I hear over and over again from dermatologists has nothing to do with moisturizing.

Whenever I write about this topic for magazines and interview derms for their winter dry-skin tips, the biggest thing they mention is: Stop taking long, hot showers! I know, this advice is not what any of us wants to hear, seeing as long, hot showers are one of the most soothing things in the known universe, especially in the winter. But their effect is devastating for skin--all that hot steam sucks the natural moisture right out of your skin.


Your best bet: Keep your shower water as lukewarm as you can tolerate, and keep the process as brief as you can. You`ll find you won`t be as desperate for lotion afterward, although you should still apply some as soon as you step out of the shower, while your skin is still a bit damp.

Do you swear off hot showers to keep your skin from getting too dry, or can you just not give them up? What are your own secrets for keeping your skin hydrated in winter?

BDST: 1529 HRS, Dec-09, 2013