If your skin feels dry, itchy and uncomfortable in the wintertime, your first line of defense is probably moisturizer. Although slathering moisturizer on your body may help restore your dry skin, in some cases, lotion may not be enough. If it's OK with your doctor, use items from around the house and from the drugstore to help soothe your dry skin at home. If you notice skin reactions, consult a doctor.
Moisturize After Showering
Moisturize immediately after showering so your skin will retain the most moisture possible, suggests Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at St. Louis University School of Medicine. After bathing or showering, pat your skin with a towel so you are damp but not completely dry. While you still have water on your skin, apply moisturizer. If your skin is sensitive, use a moisturizing lotion that contains no scents or dyes, notes the Mayo Clinic. If you have very dry skin, moisturize with an oil instead of a moisturizing lotion.
Shave
If the skin on your legs gets dry during the winter, keep shaving, recommends Lisa Kovalovich in an article in "Ladies' Home Journal." Shaving the skin will help exfoliate dead skin cells, making skin softer and smoother. Instead of using regular bar soap, which will tighten and dry out skin, smooth a shaving gel or shaving cream that contains added moisturizers on the legs before shaving. To maintain soft, smooth legs, shave at least twice a week and moisturize afterward.
Wear Socks
Add moisture to dry, cracked feet, then seal the moisture in by wearing a pair of socks, suggests Dr. Glaser. Soak your feet in warm water until your toes shrivel up, then pat your feet until they are damp. Slather vegetable oil on your feet, then put on a pair of old socks that you don't mind getting oily. If you have dry hands, apply vegetable oil to the hands and wear a pair of cotton gloves, says Glaser. Go to bed wearing the socks and cotton gloves, then shower as usual the next morning.
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