Body Skin 101
Snakeskin is stylish on bags and shoes. But on your body? Not so much. Here’s how to keep your skin soft and scale-free in winter, no mater how dry the air gets.
1.Limit baths and showers to ten minutes, and use warm-not-hot—water. If your skin is extremely dry, before you even step in, apply body oil everywhere but your feet; let It sink in for a minute before getting wet.
2. Avoid deodorant soaps: They tend to contain harsh detergents. A creamy, fragrance-free body wash is best.
3. When shaving, use a razor with three or more blades and a rich shaving cream with shea butter. If you still get razor burn, apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream immediately after shaving, then a cream with lactic acid the next day (but not right afterward, or ft will sting).
4. Exfoliate twice a week. Coarse salt or walnut scrubs can be too scratchy; oil-based sugar scrubs are better because they moisturize as they slough. On the days that you shave your legs, don’t exfoliate them.
5. Gently pat skin dry, and while it’s still damp, slather on a body cream with moisture-locking ceramides. Avoid heavily fragranced ones, which can be irritating.
6. Soothe rough or cracked elbows, knees, and feet with creams that contain lactic or salicylic acid. For red patches, dab on a hydrocortisone-and-aloe cream.