Why the freezing COLD is damaging your looks

As the temperature plummets, you’ll have probably noticed that the quality of your skin has, too.

‘When the temperature falls, the humidity level drops, so dry air leaves the skin parched,’ says Dr Jules Nabet, a cosmetic doctor at Omniya MediClinic in Knightsbridge, London.

‘If you’re prone to dry skin anyway, where your body produces less sebum than average, this can just make things worse.’

Add in central heating, plus the fact we tend to drink less water and eat less water-heavy fruit and veg than we might in the summer, and our skin can be left seriously lacking in moisture.

the result? A host of irritations, from flaky scalps and armadillo elbows to chapped lips, crocodile skin and the dreaded leg-dandruff when you remove your tights — OK, these might not be the technical terms, but you know exactly what we mean.

so here’s your top-to-toe guide to dealing with those winter skin nightmares . . .

ARMADILLO ELBOWS

‘AREAS where the skin is extra thin — such as your elbows — will show the dryness more in the form of cracking, redness or scaly patches,’ says Dr Nabet.

‘so even if you’re already using a rich body moisturiser all over, you should pay extra attention to these areas during the cold months.

‘emollients, such as petroleum jelly, which act as lubricants on the surface of the skin and stop water inside the skin from escaping, can be beneficial.’ TRY: Vaseline — it’s the best-known petroleum jelly brand. But if slathering the thick stuff on your elbows doesn’t appeal, there’s also an Intensive Care lotion (£5.99), a body butter (£5.99) and even a spray & Go moisturiser (£6.59, all superdrug.com) which are more easily applied and absorbed if you’re in a hurry. All of these contain petroleum jelly.

DRY, FLAKY LEGS

It’s not pleasant, but any woman who suffers from dry skin will have experienced the dusting of white dead skin cells when they remove their tights in winter.

According to Dr Nabet, the solution is to lock in moisture after bathing and showering by applying a good, thick cream while the skin is still damp.

‘Look out for a cream or ointment that contains an oil such as olive oil, jojoba oil or shea butter,’ he advises. TRY: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Deep Moisture Oil-in-Lotion (£4.99, lookfantastic.com), which contains shea butter, a number of vegetable oils — including sesame oil — and dimethicone, another excellent ingredient for soothing dry skin.

FROSTY LIPS

WHEN chapped lips become cracked, it can be utter agony. As lips don’t have any sebaceous glands to produce oil, they tend to chap easily in the cold thanks to a combination of dehydration, sun exposure and windburn.

And much like cracked ice, once they are damaged it can be hard to repair them, so preventing them from chapping in the first place is the best approach.

Dr Nabet recommends using a moisturising SPF 30 product that contains zinc oxide, which forms a barrier between your lips and the sun and protects against ultraviolet rays. TRY: Badger All season sport Face stick SPF 35 (£7.35, biovea.

net). Not only does it contain zinc oxide to act as a barrier, but there’s also olive oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter to moisturise. For a touch of colour, try Coola Mineral Liplux SPF 30 (£15, freepeople.com) which comes in five shades.

CROCODILE SKIN

USUALLY you notice it most on your ankles and forearms, but crocodile skin, that horrible scaly stuff, can appear anywhere.

Using a moisturiser — including any of those mentioned above — will help, but Dr Nabet says you should also be ‘nourishing it from the inside out with omega 3.

‘If you don’t have enough in your diet [from oily fish and nuts], ensure you take supplements.’ TRY: Vitabiotics Omega-3 capsules (£10.15, vitabiotics.com) — two a day will provide 1,080 mg of omega-3 fish oil, sourced from sustainable fisheries.

FRAYING NAILS

EVER noticed that your manicure seems not to last as long during the winter months? Don’t worry — you’re not just imagining it.

‘During cold weather, the nail plate becomes dehydrated, resulting in peeling and splitting nails that fray at the edges,’ says Dr Nabet.

he suggests persevering with polish as that can help protect the nail plate and reduce further dehydration, but also recommends using a non-acetone polish remover, which is less drying. TRY: A shellac gel manicure (they cost from around £30) which is less likely to chip and — crucially — allows oil to penetrate to the nail so you can keep it moisturised. Find a salon online at lovecnd.com. you can also apply solar Oil (£12.95, cultbeauty.co.uk) at least once a day.

FLYAWAY HAIR

WINTER is harsh to those heads prone to dry hair. the lack of moisture in the air means you won’t get frizz, but you may well be plagued by flyaway hair and static.

‘As hair gets drier, it produces more friction and static electricity,’ says Dr Nabet.

‘A silicone-based hair serum works for most kinds of hair, keeping it moisturised, shiny and flexible.’

TRY: the original silicone serum, Frizz ease from John Frieda (£6.99, superdrug.com), or Color Wow’s Pop & Lock high Gloss shellac (£16.50, colorwowhair.com). Both products moisturise, calm and deliver serious shine.

SNOWY SCALP

Dry skin doesn’t only affect the skin on your body, it can also affect your scalp.

the solution? As with the body, look for gentle products that will hydrate your scalp and keep it moisturised through the day.

TRY: espa Pink hair & scalp Mud (£34, espaskincare.com) — a super-moisturising treatment that will also help condition hair. For best results, leave on overnight. Or, for a cheaper alternative, give Dead sea spa Magik Conditioning scalp Mud a go (£10.29, hollandandbarrett.com).

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

the skin on your hands dries out more easily in winter as dry air, cold weather and frequent hand-washing to prevent coughs and colds all strip away the natural layer of protective oils.

‘Lack of moisture is the main culprit for hands in a bad condition,’ says Dr Nabet. ‘Natural oils are sapped from the skin, so hand creams that put these back in are essential.

‘Apply these several times a day for them to be effective and look for emollient ingredients, such as lanolin, squalene and glycerol stearate, which lubricate the surface of the skin and “glue” skin cells together, as well as humectants such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol and urea, which draw in moisture.’ TRY: Gallinee hand Cream (£11.90,

gallinee.com) with lactic acid and shea butter, or Kind Natured Coconut And Monoi hand Cream (£4.99, kindnatured.com) with glycerin and coconut oil — both are absorbed super quickly.