Save Your Skin!

When it comes to your skin-care routine, leave out the products that can strip excess oil from skin, such as toners and harsh salt-based scrubs. Avoid using products with drying alcohols in them. If you use a gel cleanser or bar soap to wash your face, try switching to a creamy or "milky" cleanser — the texture is more gentle and moisturizing. And if the formula is soap-free and fragrance-free, all the less irritating for your skin!

L'Oréal Paris Go 360° Clean Deep Cream Cleanser, $5.99, Target

Moisturize your face and your entire body twice a day, morning and night. "If you use water-based lotions, switch to creams; they have a higher degree of hydration," Dr. Alvarez recommends.

Fresh Crème Ancienne, $135 for 1 oz., fresh.com

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Therapy, $28, sephora.com

Think oily or acne-prone complexions don't need to be moisturized? Wrong! It's actually just the opposite: If you deny your skin the moisture it needs, it will react by producing more oil, therefore creating a breakout. Look for moisturizers that are oil-free. "Use one that's noncomedogenic — it won't clog pores," Dr. Alvarez says.

Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion, $10.79, drugstore.com

Though it's tempting to soak in a sizzling bath, keep your showers short and at a lukewarm temperature.

Many dermatologists agree there's no need to soap up your whole body in the shower. In colder months, scrub underarms and private areas and let water take care of the rest (unless your sweaty self just finished a hard workout!). And forgo harsher antibacterial soaps for more gentle, moisturizing body washes. Try one like Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash ($8, natures-gate.com).

Have a body moisturizer right by your tub and use it to lather up the second you step out. This will trap as much water and moisture as possible into your skin.

Curél Itch Defense Skin Balancing Moisture Lotion, $6.39, drugstore.com

"Inflammation can result from excessive dryness, which can lead to hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones," Dr. Alvarez explains. So, if skin is becoming increasingly itchy, flaky, or discolored, ring the doctor. "See your dermatologist if the dryness is more than a heavy moisturizer can control," she says.

The sun still shines in the wintertime, so remember to use an SPF-rated blocker on face and lips to protect against manchas, wrinkles, and cancers that develop from UV exposure.

Neosporin Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy Sunscreen SPF 20, $4.99, drugstore.com