Winter is here! Moisturizing is back.

The Upper Midwest is a great place to live and raise a family, but in the winter it is cold and dry! Our houses get even more dry inside with the heat we need to keep us safe from the chilly outdoors. The cold air is also drying to the skin when outside. A simple start for winter skin care: START MOISTURIZING! It is part of what dermatologists call “Gentle Skin Care”, which is how you keep your skin barrier healthy!

What moisturizing means to a dermatologist is adding a non-medicated lotion, cream or ointment to your skin to help repair the dry skin barrier. Practically speaking, once or twice a day, rub a fragrance-free lotion, cream or ointment or oil on your skin. Lotions are thin and soak in fast and are the least moisturizing (many options here, watch out for fragrance!), creams are next - thicker and sometimes a little more sticky on the skin (many options here, a few examples are Cerave, Cetaphil, Gold Bond, Aveeno), ointments (plain white petrolatum, often found as Vaseline Petroleum Jelly) and oils (cold-pressed coconut oil) are the thickest and for some feel a bit greasy, but for others work great with their skin.