How To Combat Itchy Winter Skin

BOSTON (CBS) – Itchy, flaky, dry skin. That's what many of us can expect this winter. But what can you do about it?

As we turn on our heaters in the cold winter months, the humidity in the air decreases and consequently everything dries out, including our skin.

"You can think of it like a rubber band that has gotten old and you start to stretch it and it snaps in that non-elastic way," says Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatologist, Dr. Alexa Kimball.

That causes your skin to crack, become irritated, and itch, itch, itch. But you don't have to scratch until spring if you follow some simple tips.

Slather on moisturizers, more often than usual. The greasier the better. You can try Vaseline, Aquaphor, even Crisco.

But if you don't like the way those feel you can mix and match moisturizers to get a texture you like better. If you have a lotion you love, add a little Vaseline and rub it together to make it thicker.

Don't forget to apply moisturizer to your lips, Kimball says, and skip the soap in the shower. It can strip your skin of natural oils.

"You don't need to use those every day except areas that get grimier," says Kimball.

And when you do lather up, use a moisturizing soap.

Power up the humidifier, avoid fabrics like wool if you find them annoying, and most of all don't scratch. That will make the itch worse.

"Start to apply moisturizers to that area to help repair the barrier and bring down the inflammation that's driving the itch," advises Dr. Kimball.

An over the counter hydrocortisone can help, so can antihistamines, but Dr. Kimball warns that you still need to get at the fundamental issue which is that your skin isn't functioning normally and you need to get moisture into the mix.

Dr. Kimball says you really can't add moisture back into your skin through diet or drinking lots of water.

Your lower legs and hands tend to suffer the most so pay close attention to those areas.

And hand sanitizers are less drying than soap and water, so try to use a combination when warding off colds and flu.