Have you ever wondered why your skin itches more during the winter months? The humidity in the environment goes down in the winter, which results in irritated, dry skin. When it gets cold, we hike up the thermostat in our homes, further exposing our skin to winter itch. Furnace-heated air can reduce humidity levels in your house by 20 to 30%. Between the natural changes in humidity outside and the changes caused by heating inside, it is no wonder we suffer from dry skin in the winter months. Stick to the following top tips for treating winter itch and not only will you save money but also the pain of dry skin.

Winter Skin Tip 1. Start with suds. Be careful of what type of soap you use. Lots of soaps have lye in them, and are better for leaving your skin squeaky clean than leaving it soft and moisturized. Look for soaps that have a high content of fatty substances like cold cream, or coconut butter or oil. You won't miss the lye; your skin will be just as clean and much less dry.

Winter Skin Tip 2. Hunt for humidity. A good humidifier will help cancel out the dry air produced by furnaces during the winter. Furnaces act as air dryers and leave your skin red, irritated, and flaky. Put your humidifier in a key place of your house so that you really feel the effects. Even small efforts like leaving the bathroom door open while you shower can make big differences.

Winter Skin Tip 3. No more burning baths. We can't deny the relaxing benefits of a hot bath, but your skin certainly doesn't benefit. If you don't want to sacrifice your baths, you can help keep your skin moisturized by leaving the water lukewarm rather than steaming hot and throwing in some ground oatmeal. Oatmeal alleviates dry skin by exfoliating all those dead, dry flakes and helping moisture bind to your skin.

Top tips to prevent dry, sensitive skin

Winter Skin Tip 4. Remember sunscreen. You know by now that you should be using sunscreen on a daily basis. Sunscreen is essential to healthy skin for its UV protection. UV rays go through clouds and glass and cause the same harmful sun damage on your skin on overcast days as they do on sunny days. Sunscreen will protect your skin from the drying effects of the sun and provide additional moisture.

Winter Skin Tip 5. Put down your towel. Skin more readily absorbs moisture if it is a little wet, rather than completely dry. When you get out of the shower or bath, gently pat your skin to collect excess water and then apply a bio antioxidant moisturizer to your skin when it is still a little wet.

Winter Skin Tip 6. Heal your lips. Our lips are especially exposed to chapping. Licking your lips will not leave them more moisturized. Use a natural lip balm that does not contain alcohol, which will only further dry your lips.