Love the skin you’re in— even in January

Cold air and dry heat are rough on skin— no wonder 78% of us are bothered by itchy, flaky patches this time of year. To keep your skin summer-smooth all winter long…

Itchy hands? Rub in coconut oil

Gently massaging coconut oil into your hands twice daily can cut dryness, itching, redness and even cracking by as much as 68% in three days, plus it destroys 95% of the staph bacteria that worsen hand rashes, three studies suggest. Explains dermatologist Lillian Lopez, M.D., coconut oil contains an antibacterial compound (lauric acid) that calms inflammation, blocks moisture loss and speeds healing.

Cracked feet? Massage in aloe vera

Moisturizing winter-weary feet twice daily with aloe vera cream can cut dryness by 82%, plus help heal cracks in half the time, Swedish researchers say. Thanks goes to aloe compounds (acemannan and

glucomannan) that soften, moisturize and promote healing when skin’s epidermal layer is damaged. Tip: For best results, gently buff calloused areas to remove dead skin cells before moisturizing.

Rashy scalp? Scrub with lavender oil

If scalp itching and shoulder flakes are driving you mad, lavender oil can help! According to a study in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, this fragrant plant extract can tamp down itching and flaking in as little as three days. Explains study co-author Monica Zuzarte, PH.D., lavender oil reduces scalp irritation, plus it kills the yeast that cause flaky dandruff.

Simply add

15 drops of lavender essential oil to a dollop of your regular shampoo and massage into your scalp for two minutes.

Flaky face? Dab on sea buckthorn oil

Feel like your usual moisturizer isn’t doing enough these days? To the rescue: sea buckthorn oil. Turkish researchers say dabbing a few drops onto damaged facial skin at bedtime can reduce redness, prevent flaking and encourage healing in as little as

48 hours. The credit goes to sea buckthorn’s palmitoleic acid— a rare building block of healthy skin cells.