I live in Minnesota, which is fairly cold and dry in the...

I live in Minnesota, which is fairly cold and dry in the winter months. Nevertheless, the most important thing you can do for your skin is gentle cleansing and hydration. I have already discussed the use of a gentle cleanser, such as Vanicream, but the hydration component is very important.

• The best time to put a moisturizer on is right after bathing or showering. It serves two purposes: It will seal in the hydration that you achieved from the bath or shower and add even more hydration and serve as a protective barrier.
• The best lotion is the one that gets used; however, I recommend CeraVe, which is a new generation moisturizer that employs a technology called microvesicular emulsion. The tiny microspheres are layers of lotion and water almost like little tiny onions. These layers will continually break down providing hours of hydration and protection to the skin.
• I recommend a moisturizing lotion immediately after bathing and one other time a day. Keeping the skin hydrated twice a day with topical emollients and/or moisturizers will make a huge difference in the overall health of skin.