6 Healthy Winter Skin Habits

If you live in an area of the country where the temperature subtly shifts between warm and hot year round and the only way to tell that the seasons are passing is to note the change in holiday decorations, you can stop reading now. For the rest of us, who have to contend with wicked winter conditions that can leave our skin looking and feeling parched, we've rounded up some expert advice and Sprig-approved products that will help you survive the impending winter. We hear it's going to be a cold one!

In the Shower

Save time, water, energy and your skin by stepping out of the shower sooner and dialing back the temperature a few degrees. "Long, hot showers break down your skin's protective lipid barrier and deplete skin of its natural oils," says Rebecca Tung M.D., a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. If you strip away the body's oil reserves, you have to apply more moisturizer to compensate. Using more moisturizer means you're spending more money, so this simple step saves you dough, too.

Pick up a sugar body scrub with a natural oil base to slough away dead skin cells without overdrying. Dry skin tends to build up and stick to the surface of the skin, which makes moisturizers less effective. Help speed up the shedding process by gently exfoliating skin two or three times a week with a sugar scrub (try Giovanni Cosmetics Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub, which has a safflower seed oil base that softens skin as it smoothes). Sugar dissolves quickly in water and is easier on your skin than salt, so you're less likely to over-scrub.

Use a body wash made with moisturizing ingredients. We like Nature's Gate's Velvet Moisture Body Wash because it's made with vegetable glycerin, shea butter and sweet almond oil, all of which Tung recommends looking for in a cleanser. Of course you're going to be rinsing most of the product right off, but Tung points out that these botanical ingredients help lock water into the skin. Be sure to pat your body dry when leaving the shower so as not to wipe away any more of the hydrating benefits of these botanicals.

At the Sink

When washing your face, whether in the morning or at night, switch to a cleanser that's fragrance-free and made for sensitive skin. "Harsh wind and cold conditions can predispose skin to becoming more irritated," says Tung, which is why gentle products are more important than ever. Natural cleansers are usually free of potential irritants — like sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and parabens — that can cause further damage to skin's barrier layer, but read over the label before picking one out. You can also try Jason Natural Product's Fragrance Free Twice Daily Facial Cleanser, which is soap-free and loaded with skin-soothing cucumber extract.