Between cooking, cleaning and washing dishes, my hands stay dry in the winter.  Through the years I have identified a few wonderful products that are part of my wintertime routine.

What I always ponder is why my grandmom (who cooked, cleaned, washed dishes, etc. for many years) always had soft hands.  I never saw her apply hand lotion.

Every day, all year long, I rely on Lubriderm hand lotion.  I keep it on the counter of my vanity at home and in my desk drawer.  It is well-priced and therapeutic.  Too many lotions smell good but feel like water when applied to the skin.

This winter I have also added Crabtree and Evelyn’s Gardener’s Handcream to my dry skincare routine.  It feels thick and moisturizing without being greasy.  I love it!

I have very dry cuticles, so I also use either Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream or L’Occitane Shea Butter on my cuticles.  They come in little metal tins; I keep one in my desk drawer, one in my vanity drawer, and one in my purse.  They can be used for other purposes as well such as on lips, elbows, feet or nose.

The Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream is a bit oily feeling, but since it is targeted to cuticles, it prevents oil from getting on everything touched.  The shea butter is a bit waxy feeling, but again, its application is targeted.  They are both relatively inexpensive, depending on the size.  I use the shea butter on my lips, elbows, etc.

I also like Bliss’s Body Butter, especially the Lemon + Sage scent.  I keep several of the small tubes around because they fit nicely in my purse and/or suitcase.  It is a little oily feeling to me, but not too bad.  It works well on legs and arms as well!

For my lips, I have fallen in love with Lanolips.  I chose the Rhubarb color, but even if it only came in purple, I would still buy it!  It feels amazing and lasts almost all day.  I think it must be a winner because I noticed it was pretty much sold out at Nordstroms when I purchased my latest tube.

For my feet, I like CND Spa Cucumber Heel Therapy.  It works, but I tend to forget to put it on my feet!

Amlactin is one of those products which seems to be hidden away at the drug store; it looks like nothing fancy.  However, it will soften the worst dry patches, elbows or hands.  It feels milky when it goes on, but it removes the dry skin and leaves the soft silky skin below.  This stuff is amazing.

Now if only I could remember to apply these great lotions and wear my dishwashing gloves, I wouldn’t have a problem at all!

How do you combat dry skin during winter?  Share your secrets!