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.