Chilly winds, plunging temps and dry winter air can leave us wondering how to protect our skin in the winter. Though chapped lips, cracked knuckles and itchy limbs might seem like inevitable side effects of the season, they don’t have to be if you know how to protect your skin from winter dryness and how to repair winter-damaged skin. With the right winter-worthy skin care products and a few simple tips, we’ll help you get through the winter feeling cozy and comfortable in your own skin. Here, we’ll cover:

• How to protect skin from winter dryness

• How to repair winter-damaged skin

• How to protect our skin in the winter from sun damage

How to protect skin from winter dryness in four steps

1) Cover up when going outside

When it comes to how to protect skin from winter dryness, one thing to keep in mind is physically covering your skin with classic winter gear can go a long way. Gloves or mittens not only keep your hands toasty warm, but they also prevent moisture loss from cold, dry winter air. A cozy scarf can help protect your neck and cheeks from being sapped of moisture and keep your lips from becoming chapped. Even just on short trips outside—like to and from your car or stepping outside between stores—making the effort to cover your skin in this way can make a big difference.

2) Switch to a gentler cleanser

If you’re feeling like the foaming face cleanser you use during warmer months isn’t quite right for winter, it could be worth making the switch to a creamy, moisturizing face wash. Try LovelySkin LUXE Gentle Cream Cleanser, a gentle hydrating cleanser that contains meadowfoam seed extract, olive oil extract and afaLUXE, a dermatologist-developed blend of amino-based fillagrin antioxidants, vitamin C and Dead Sea salt that encourages natural exfoliation while working to improve your skin’s moisture barrier. Another option is the Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser, which gently removes makeup, dirt and impurities while fortifying skin with vitamin E. Because it’s a wipe-off cleanser, you can apply it to dry skin and wipe off the excess using a cotton pad, without the need for rinsing.

3) Use a rich face moisturizer daily

If you get by with a tinted moisturizer or lightweight day cream during the warmer months, you might consider upgrading to a richer face moisturizer during the winter. LovelySkin LUXE Ultra-Rich Peptide Moisturizer from LovelySkin’s own line developed by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joel Schlessinger is a fantastic daily option to help deeply hydrate normal to dry skin.

It contains pomegranate oil and peptides to help reverse cellular damage caused by free radicals and restores your skin’s moisture balance with afaLUXE™, a dermatologist-developed blend of antioxidants. Argan and grapeseed oils help nourish skin with a fast-absorbing finish.

4. Keep hand cream handy

The onset of cold and flu season has us all washing our hands more often during the winter months. Protect the skin on your hands from dryness and cracking by keeping hand cream nearby—by your sink, at your desk or in your bag—so you can easily apply a dab right after you’ve towel-dried your hands.

Eminence Organics Mangosteen Replenishing Hand Cream is formulated to help maintain your skin’s hydration in between hand washings with hydrating aloe and shea butter to lock in moisture. It has a light, pleasant botanical scent and a non-greasy feel, both of which are top priorities when it comes to a winning hand cream.

How to repair winter-damaged skin in four steps

1) Heal irritated skin and lips with a medicated balm

If your skin has already become dry, cracked and irritated, FixMySkin 1% Hydrocortisone Healing Body Balm will help put you on the path to healing. It contains 1% hydrocortisone along with a blend of shea butter, cocoa butter and meadowfoam seed oil to help repair winter-damaged skin anywhere on your body, from dry, ragged cuticles to cracked elbows and knuckles.

For use on chapped or cracked lips, there’s FixMySkin 1% Hydrocortisone Healing Lip Balm, which comes in a smaller tube and in both unflavored and vanilla versions. “My son Dr. Daniel Schlessinger and I developed this medicated balm, and it truly is a trusted remedy to keep on hand to heal dry, cracked skin on the face, body or lips,” says LovelySkin founder Dr. Schlessinger. “In addition to helping heal dry, irritated skin, you can also use it preventively when you plan to be outside for extended periods of time for winter activities such as skiing or hiking.”

2) Restore moisture with a nourishing face cream

Stay committed to your anti-aging routine with nourishing face creams that help repair winter-damaged skin while simutaneously improving signs of aging as well. SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 Anti-Aging Cream helps support cell repair with vitamin E to restore your skin’s moisture barrier with a patented combination of 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol and 2% fatty acids.

Another option is Dermalogica Super Rich Repair, which was created for dry and mature skin types, which features a powerful blend of shea butter and jojoba seed oil to help restore and nourish skin and strengthen your moisture barrier.

3. Apply body lotion post-shower

Wondering how to repair winter-damaged skin on your body? Applying a body cream or lotion to damp skin right after your shower or bath can help, as it helps provide a barrier against moisture loss. A simple, effective option is Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion (formerly called Vanicream Lite Skin Care Lotion), a gentle lotion that you can use on the body as well as face to help repair dry, damaged skin.

Another LovelySkin staff favorite is Epionce Enriched Body Cream, a rich, all-over body cream that provides long-lasting relief to rough, dry skin with meadowfoam seed oil and avocado oil. It also helps calm irritation with chamomile extract and zinc pyrithione.

4. Exfoliate with a warming face mask

If the skin on your face is looking dull and flaky, you might benefit from some gentle exfoliation from a once-weekly face mask. With a spice-forward fragrance of nutmeg, sweet clove and warming cinnamon, Osmosis Skincare Winter Warming Enzyme Mask makes for a cozy winter treat. Lactic acid and malic acid-rich apple extract work together to help exfoliate dull, dead cells on the skin’s surface, leaving it feeling softer and smoother after each use.

How to protect our skin in the winter from sun damage

Though protecting your skin from moisture loss might be the most obvious concern throughout the winter months, protecting your skin from sun damage is equally important.

“Wearing sunscreen isn’t just for summer,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “Your face is still often exposed when you’re outside in the winter, so daily sunscreen use is still important to protect the skin on your face from the sun’s damaging rays.” EltaMD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 Facial Sunscreen is one of Dr. Schlessinger’s favorite sunscreens to use on your face year-round.

You can learn more about why you should wear sunscreen in winter and what kind of sunscreen to try on the LovelySkin Blog.