All summer long we’ve been polishing up and moisturizing legs, arms and feet. In warm weather we pay attention to how these parts of our bodies look, because warm weather clothing and footwear expose them for all to see. Now that these areas are going undercover during the cooler weather, they tend to get ignored more.

Elbows, knees and heels are especially prone to becoming dry, flaky and cracked when the air is dry and they get neglected.

For extremely thick, dry heels I recommend Avon’s Foot Works Cracked Heel Relief Cream. It contains a topical analgesic and works as an antiseptic to soothe and protect against infection.

For less dire cases, the old home remedy of applying petroleum jelly under a pair of socks overnight does wonders. This works well for hands too. Whenever doing any activity that requires gloves, such as cleaning or yard work (like raking all those fall leaves), just apply petroleum jelly to your hands before putting on your gloves.

The best treatment is to prevent the dry skin before it gets started. Exfoliating with a body scrub is a first step. Then moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Apply your body lotion or cream immediately after getting out of the shower to lock in moisture. Keep a protective moisturizing hand and body lotion at both the kitchen and bathroom sinks.
Remember that when you unveil these areas again next spring, you don’t want to have to start a reclamation project.

In a couple of weeks the Autumnal Equinox will be upon us. The sun will cross the equator and the day and night will be of equal length. The beginning of Autumn also marks a new season of skin care that needs to be adapted to suit the changing season.

As Autumn moves in days are warm but with less humidity. Summer tans are fading, even those attained with self-tanners. Because we still can spend a lot of daylight hours outdoors, it is important to continue to use a sunscreen.

But perhaps we aren’t quite ready to adopt the pale face of winter just yet. The deep orange hue of a self-tanner might look more fake in the autumn setting but using one of the many “body glow” products can give you just a hint of sun-kissed color. The products that are combination moisturizer and color enhancer are perfect for this in-between season as they give a healthy glow and combat the increasing dryness of the weather.

Moisturizing is essential. Now is the time to condition skin, before the unavoidable dry air (both indoors and outdoors) that winter brings. Make it a point to drink more water. As the weather cools our natural thirst is not as great, so this has to be something you make part of your daily routine.

Be sure to use a moisturizing body wash. This is a great way to add some moisturizer to your daily regimen. If you normally use soap, replace it with something like Aveeno or Olay body wash. It’s a way to replenish the moisture that bathing can strip away from your skin.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer

L’Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer

Olay Complete Body Wash with Vitamins

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash