By Sally Farhat Kassab
Her Sports + Fitness
Every winter, you might notice what triathlete Maggie Gresio does: That radiant summer glow disappears, and her skin gets dry and cracked. Not only because she continues to run, bike or swim almost every day, but because of the cold, dry air in her hometown of New York.

It’s no surprise that Old Man Winter wreaks havoc on our skin. Cold suppresses moisture, much needed by our skin, and dry indoor heat and air pollution sap it of its suppleness. But don’t worry, it’s easy to fight back. Follow these tips to keep winter skin healthy and beautiful.

Face
First rule of thumb: Don’t over-wash. At this time of year, your complexion is much more sensitive to allergens and oils in skincare products. If you wash too often, you’ll dry out your skin, says Alan Dattner, M.D., a holistic dermatologist in New Rochelle, N.Y. “There’s no replacing the natural substances in the skin,” says Dattner.

Let steam from the shower wash your face in the morning, and give it a quick rinse with warm water, or with a cleanser, at night. Most dermatologists warn not to use heavy products that strip skin of its natural oils. Try the new Olay Warming Deep Purifying Cleanser ($10, drugstores).

Taking the outer layer of dead skin off your face also helps, as long as you don’t overdo it. Use an exfoliating product with glycolic acid once a week. If you want to treat yourself, get periodic facials at a spa. Or apply a mask, such as Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Brightening Mask ($66, department stores) or DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask ($34, ddfskin.com), once a week.

To battle dryness, you’ll need to use moisturizer day and night. “As winter wears on and the humidity drops, moisturizing frequency must increase,” says James Fairfield, M.D., a dermatologist in Lansdale, Penn. Look for products that have enough oil to hydrate your skin, but not so much they make you break out. Try Lumene Vitamin + Radiant C Beauty Drops ($22, cvs.com), or a good at-home kit, such as Cygalle Healing Spa ($175, http://www.cygallehealingspa.com/), which includes an aromatherapy mist.

Serums–oilier, lighter moisturizers–work wonders in the winter, says Lise Corriveau, director of skincare at Gene Juarez Salons & Spas in Seattle. “Serums are based on micro molecules that actually penetrate the skin,” says Corriveau. “They easily bring dry skin back to normal.” Try MyChelle Apple Brightening Serum ($34, mychelleusa.com).

Maintaining the right pH of your skin is also important. To keep skin healthy, use products with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which can help even out pigmentation and tone down fine lines. For do-it-yourself masks, slather on natural sources of AHAs: vinegar, sour milk or yogurt. Or try something ready-made like Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel ($39, juicebeauty.com), a hydroxy acid complex full of organic fruit.

If you find yourself dealing with wintertime blemishes, don’t be surprised. Wearing a headband or hat for warmth encourages oil to build up. Oil traps dirt, which breeds bacteria and infection, and clogs pores.

To clear up blemishes, dab a benzoyl peroxide product on acne. Or pick up acne-treating formulas containing cedarwood, cypress or lemon grass. Vinegar or aloe vera also works.

And don’t forget about your lips, which easily get chapped in winter. Keep in mind: The more you lick your lips, the more chapped they get. Wear something that seals in moisture, such as Blistex Lip Infusion Cherry Splash ($3, drugstores) or Afterglow Natural Lip Gloss, full of organic oils ($22, afterglowcosmetics.com). Keep a tube next to your bed and apply before you sleep so your lips can heal at night.

Body
Those white, itchy patches of dry skin you get on your arms, legs and back are a normal part of winter. In the shower, use a product like Borba Firming Spandex Fiber Body Polish ($28, borba.com) after washing with a gentle soap or body wash. You have fewer oil glands on your body than on your face, which means your body’s skin dries out faster, but you can also use heavier moisturizers. To apply body lotion such as Body Drench Nourish Hydrating Moisturizer ($17, beauty supply stores) or St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Advanced Body Moisturizer ($5, drugstores) effectively, gently pat yourself dry after a bath or shower and apply immediately.

Hands & Feet
We wash our hands countless times during the day, and they are often the first to dry out. Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or cleaning. Next, use a hand cream with glycerin, as it helps retain moisture without feeling sticky. If you need deep moisturizing, slather your hands with petroleum jelly before bed and put on gloves. You’ll notice a difference in the morning. Keep a bottle of lotion next to all the sinks in your house.

Crammed into winter boots, our feet get severely abused and drier by the day during the winter. “People forget they’re on their feet all day,” says Michael Lanzo, assistant manager at Spa Moana in the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Especially athletes. Eve Stein of Duluth, Minnesota, says that people can tell she’s a runner just by looking at her feet. “Mine are always dry despite efforts to moisturize,” says the 42-year-old.

She’s not alone. Feet can get dry, itchy and painfully cracked. To get yours soft, slough with a self-heating, exfoliating scrub like Olay Thermal Pedicure ($10, drugstores) and moisturize with a product such as Gena Pedi Care Sloughing Lotion ($7, beauty supply stores). Keep a pumice stone in the shower and use it regularly. If your feet are in particularly rough shape, start by getting a pedicure. Not only does it remove dead skin and calluses, it helps stimulate reflexology points on your feet, says Lanzo, which relaxes the rest of your body, too.

Sally Farhat Kassab lives in Seattle and writes for dozens of magazines including Parents and Every Day with Rachael Ray.