Frost Bites: 9 products to help you fend off the threat of parched skin this winter

See our top product picks to protect your skin this winter »

If there’s ever a time you’ll want to retain water, it’s winter. “As the temperature falls, the air’s ability to hold moisture tends to reduce, which creates dryness in the environment,” says Dr. Jaggi Rao, a dermatologist and associate clinical professor at the University of Alberta. In other words, your dewy summertime complexion is going to thirstily tense up and beg for a drink. Dr. Rao suggests applying a hydrating cream or serum on damp skin, as “it will seal whatever is there and retain that moisture.” Skin around the eyes, the thinnest on the body, also requires immediate attention, and not just because of its fragility. We make so many facial expressions in that area that “if the skin is already dry, you will enhance the microscopic breaks in it.” Remedy the situation by dipping deeply into some eye cream.