It's Easier than You Think to Prevent Cracked Winter Skin ...

Vaseline, also known as petroleum jelly, is your first line of defense against cracked winter skin. It’s actually one of the best products for locking moisture into your skin and keeping it hydrated and smooth. Spread a thin layer of Vaseline on areas that are prone to cracks and you should be able to keep them at bay. It’s also ideal for helping heal cracks that have already happened.

Preventing cracks in your skin requires lots of moisturizer. This is because the lotion or cream helps keep your body hydrated, which is how you keep those cracks from opening up. Make sure you slather lotion all over your body once or twice each day. You probably want to pay close attention to your hands because they are more prone to cracks since they are exposed to harsh weather during the winter and you also wash your hands often.

It’s a good idea to wash your hands often during the winter when the cold and flu are rampant. All that extra hand washing might save you from getting sick, but it can lead to cracked skin. One thing you can do is to wash with warm water, but not piping hot. Water that is too hot dehydrates your skin and makes them more prone to cracking.

Your lips are covered with some of the thinnest and most delicate skin on your body. Special care is required to ensure that your lips don’t get dried out and cracked. Having lip balm with you can really help prevent the problem. Slick on a layer several times per day and you can save yourself the pain and bleeding that occurs when your lips crack.

Emollients work by creating a barrier between your skin and the world around it. When you use such a product, you lock moisture into your skin and effectively prevent cold, harsh winter air from sucking the moisture from your body. You can find great emollients for your face, hands and entire body and the wintertime is definitely the time to start using them. Lanolin is a great choice.

This goes for hand soap, body wash and facial cleansers. You want something that doesn’t have an ingredient list that’s a mile long. Instead look for gentle cleansers with natural ingredients. They’ll help you get the clean skin you want, but won’t strip all the moisture and barriers away so that you have protection against dryness and cracking at the same time.

A humidifier is designed to put moisture back into the air, but most people only break theirs out when they’re sick. Running your humidifier all the time helps add moisture back into the air, which in turn helps hydrate your skin and keep it healthy so it won’t crack.

Do you get cracked skin in the winter? Which of these tips are you planning to try today?