5 Winter Skin-Care Tips You Might Not Know

Each year, when the weather turns cold, we stock up on scrubs and body butters like they're going out of style. But before you blow a paycheck on fancy products, read up on a few unexpected tricks for keeping your skin supple all the way to swimsuit season.

1. Ease up on the hot showers. Sure, you might want to do anything and everything to keep from shivering. But according to WebMD, scalding hot water can actually deplete skin of protective oils. Keep your temp on the right side of lukewarm to hold onto as much moisture as you can.

2. Don't over-moisturize. Face cream doesn't magically become more effective the more you use it. Celebrity aesthetician Dangene says doing that can actually cause unnecessary breakouts. If you're having a particularly dry day, feel free to troubleshoot but don't lather just for the sake of lathering.

3. Consider an aloe vera plant. Yup. Those gorgeous little succulents at Home Depot are straight-from-the-source calming agents for itchy skin related to winter rash and wind burn. All you do is snip a stalk and rub it straight onto any rough areas. (Here's a quick tutorial.)

4. Use lip balm even when you think you don't need it. Don't wait for dry, chapped lips to start busting out the waxy balms and jellies. Prevent cracking before it starts by protecting your pucker with good old-fashioned Vaseline. (It's a dermatologist's secret weapon.)

5. Eat all the salmon. Lipid barriers are a thing and highly important for holding onto existing moisture. Load up on cold-water fish like salmon to replenish the reservoir all winter long.