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"No matter what your skin type, winter dryness doesn&amp;#039;t discriminate: It can occur anywhere on the body, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. The result of cold temperatures, whipping winds, and indoor heating, &amp;quot;winter dryness is also one of the main reasons that skin often looks older than its years,&amp;quot; says Katie Rodan, M.D., adjunct clinical associate professor of dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. But you don&amp;#039;t have to spend another season letting dryness and inflammation age you. &amp;quot;Skin that&amp;#039;s well moisturized always looks healthier and younger,&amp;quot; says Dr. Rodan. How exactly do you care for the skin you&amp;#039;re in? First take our quiz, and then get tailored-to-you advice on keeping your skin healthy, flake-free, and younger-looking. Your Quiz Result: Healthy Skin Lucky you: The only dryness you experience is the kind that sneaks up on your elbows and heels. (If you have any problem at all, it&amp;#039;s likely to be that your skin is too oily.) Why is your skin doing such a good job of retaining moisture? Partly, it&amp;#039;s because it contains enough natural oils. But there&amp;#039;s another reason: Your skin maintains a strong, protective barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out. This barrier is composed of skin cells, which are surrounded by fats called lipids. (Think of your cells as bricks and the lipids as mortar.) Everyone&amp;#039;s skin has a protective layer, but yours is in better shape than most. Your plan: Maintain your natural moisture while giving TLC to the occasional dry patches. To do:  Use face and body wash for normal or combo skin, as long as it&amp;#039;s not oil-based or too perfumed. Try: Almay Cleansing Lotion ($10) or Kiehl&amp;#039;s Unscented Body Cleanser ($12). If you tend to be oily, try an oil-free lotion like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture ($12). And since people with this kind of skin tend to be acne-prone, check labels for the word noncomedogenic, which means the product won&amp;#039;t clog pores, says Debra Jaliman, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. To moisturize your body, choose lotions rather than heavy creams, which tend to be oily. Try: Jergens Skin Smoothing Cellular Renewal Moisturizer ($7). Moisturize your driest spots to prevent a chronic case of rough skin. Use a lotion that&amp;#039;s rich but quickly absorbed. Try: Olay Body Quench Therapy Repair Concentrate ($8).  Your Quiz Result: Middle-of-the-Road Skin You do have a case of thirsty skin, but there&amp;#039;s a silver lining: &amp;quot;Your barrier is probably intact; the problem is most likely that you have lower levels of natural moisture,&amp;quot; says Leslie Baumann, M.D., director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Research Center. That means your skin lacks oil but can hold on to the moisture you give it. Your plan: Increase the moisture in your skin and maintain it. To do:  Avoid harsh soaps (like the ones most men and teens use); they strip natural oils. &amp;quot;&amp;#039;Squeaky-clean&amp;#039; isn&amp;#039;t good \u2014 it&amp;#039;s an indication of dryness,&amp;quot; explains New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, M.D. Instead, try a cleanser for sensitive skin or a hydrating formula that leaves behind a layer of lipids \u2014 even after you rinse. Try: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($12), which is loaded with the lipids known as ceramides. Exfoliate regularly to get rid of dead skin, which moisturizers can&amp;#039;t penetrate. But don&amp;#039;t rub too hard, warns Wechsler. &amp;quot;While dryness can be environmental or genetic, sometimes it&amp;#039;s brought on or worsened by something we do to our skin \u2014 like overscrubbing,&amp;quot; she says. Her Rx: Once a week, use a light exfoliant. Try: Therapy Systems Amazingly Gentle Face Scrub ($34) or Bliss Steep Clean Body Polish ($42). When you step out of the shower, moisturize within three minutes. Post-shower dampness is good for your face if you seal it in; let it evaporate, and you&amp;#039;ll end up even drier, says Susan C. Taylor, M.D., director of Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia. Try: Clinique Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer ($40) or Nivea Body Essentially Enriched Daily Lotion ($7). Skip hot baths \u2014 they drain the water out of your skin. A better choice: quick, lukewarm showers. In fact, ask yourself whether you even need a daily shower. &amp;quot;Research shows that skin loses 25 percent of its natural moisturizers with each wash,&amp;quot; says Melissa Katz, an R&amp;amp;amp;D scientist and cleansing manager at the Unilever North American Regional Technical Center.  Next: . Your Quiz Result: Sahara Skin Flaking, itchiness, inflammation \u2014 you&amp;#039;ve got it all. And you probably look older than your better-hydrated counterparts. So what&amp;#039;s making you so parched that you want to crawl out of your skin? The problem: Your skin barrier \u2014 the wall of cells and fat that keeps moisture in and irritants out \u2014 is probably impaired and, as a result, unable to retain water. Other Sahara-skin factors: age (if you&amp;#039;re over 40, your body is probably producing less of its own oil), genetics (predisposing some people to dryness, allergies, and severe skin irritation like eczema), or skin-care mistakes (like too-aggressive cleansing). Your plan: You can&amp;#039;t boost your own natural-oil production, but the good news is you can repair your barrier, says Wechsler. That will help you hold on to moisture and oil \u2014 and you&amp;#039;ll look younger in the process. To do:  Follow the moisturizing advice suggested for the middle-of-the-road group, with one big difference: Choose products with heavy-duty hydration properties, and use them more frequently. A rich cream provides the ingredients your skin barrier lacks (like fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol); apply it at least three times daily. Try: Nivea Q10 Advanced Wrinkle Reducer Night Cream ($11). Moisturize your body (not just your face) with the same types of rich ingredients mentioned above. &amp;quot;You can&amp;#039;t overmoisturize if you&amp;#039;re in this group,&amp;quot; says Baumann. And since you probably haven&amp;#039;t had acne in years, don&amp;#039;t shy away from oils, says Jaliman. Try: Dove Pro-Age Body Cream Oil ($7) or Decl\u00E9or Aromessence Nourishing Concentrate ($62). Tip: Prevent irritation that can leave behind lasting spots by moisturizing any area where you feel the urge to scratch. Be wary of bar soaps, foaming or gel cleansers, and toners, all of which can be drying. Instead, use soap-free products to keep your skin&amp;#039;s moisture level intact. Try: Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser ($11). Coat your driest parts (like soles of feet, where skin is three to five times thicker than on the rest of your body) with a thick, even greasy, cream as often as possible. Try: Cur\u00E9l Targeted Therapy Deep-Penetrating Foot Cream ($8). Tip: Apply cream and cover feet in plastic wrap and socks overnight.   5 Commandments of Great Skin    Keep your moisturizers in plain sight. That way, you&amp;#039;ll remember to use them quickly, before your face and body are completely dry.   Eat some &amp;quot;good fat,&amp;quot; even if you&amp;#039;re on a diet. Skip unhealthy saturated fats (like butter) and reach for foods with essential fatty acids (like those found in salmon, nuts, flaxseed, and avocados). These healthy fats are core components of both lipids and sebum (your body&amp;#039;s natural oils), says California-based dermatologist Howard Murad, M.D. They are also said to calm inflamed skin. Aim to get two to four servings a day.   Learn to love sunscreen \u2014 year-round. Yes, you&amp;#039;ve heard it before. Now your skin wants you to listen. Solar rays disrupt the skin&amp;#039;s barrier and decrease its ability to moisturize naturally. Enough said.   Be a teetotaler. Many moisturizers contain fatty alcohols that are good for your skin, but the same can&amp;#039;t be said for alcohol that comes in a bottle. Avoid its dehydrating, dulling effects by limiting yourself to two to three drinks a week.   Drink your H2O \u2014 and retain it. &amp;quot;What matters is the water you keep, not the water you drink,&amp;quot; says Murad, meaning that if your skin cells can&amp;#039;t hold on to the water you consume, you could drink a lake and it wouldn&amp;#039;t help. Strengthen your skin cells with nutrients like lecithin (in egg yolks and walnuts) and glucosamine (from a supplement); boost hydration by eating more water-rich fruits and veggies.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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