*Hi friends, just a heads up that this post contains affiliate links and I might receive a small commission. Affiliate links are indicated with an asterisk.

I know it’s not “officially” winter … yet. But as the air gets colder and dryer in New England, I’m already in winter mode with my skin. Here are my favorite ways to battle the dry skin that comes with living in a cold winter climate. Even people who wouldn’t call their skin “sensitive” experience more reactions in the wintertime. At the bare minimum, avoid products with fragrance.* Better yet, stick with products that are green, clean and natural to make sure you’re helping, not aggravating your possibly-already-aggravated dry skin.

I have a lot of other moisturizers* hanging around, but these are the ones I reach for most often and I find are most effective (aka I don’t have to reapply every 5 minutes):

1. Argan Oil
I use it on my hands, body, face, hair … It’s incredibly versatile and can be mixed with other products. I usually use it on it’s own but if you find the texture hard to spread on arms and legs, mixing with a moisturizer can help. There are lots of great brands out there. I like Arzoyi because the bottle is glass. I also like the oil from Mountain Rose Herbs.*

2. Aveda All-Sensitive Moisturizer
This has a thin texture that might make you think it’s not as effective as a huge glob of thick cream. Not so! I like that it’s easy to spread out over my arms and legs. Super dry skin will easily “drink it up.” It’s fragrance free but I find it does have a nice light scent. This is always in my rotating arsenal of moisturizers because it always works. I sometimes use it as a bottom “layer” of moisture and then add one of the other products mentioned in this post as needed. Another great, similar option I sometimes use is Beauty Without Cruelty Hand and Body Lotion – Fragrance Free (get it on Vitacost.)

3. NovaKera Cream
Made in the USA with simple ingredients. Not greasy but works really well on hands and feet. I see pretty instant results even on cracked fingers/heels but it’s designed to be used for 7 days straight to get full results. Buy it on Amazon or buy it here. Get the small tube if you want to test it out.

4. Coconut Oil*
No list would be complete without this workhorse oil! Depending on how dry I am, I find this doesn’t work as well on my hands as I’d like but it’s great for the rest of my body and I do like working it into my fingers to keep hangnails at bay. It smells great and absorbs relatively quickly, though I usually have to wait a few minutes for it to fully soak in. I buy a huge tub at Costco so I usually portion out a small amount to keep in the bathroom. You can usually find low prices on Vitacost.com (click here for $10 off your first order!)

TIP >>> If you’re standing at the (mainstream drug or grocery) store, desperate for something to help your dry/itchy skin, check out the baby stuff. Aveeno, Burt’s Bees and a few other big brands have with good moisturizers that are green/clean/non-toxic but marketed for babies. Scan the bar code or search the product on EWG’s Skin Deep app from your phone to double check that there aren’t any gross/possibly irritating ingredients inside.

What are your favorite hand and body lotions and potions? Share in the comments!

*Hi friends, just a heads up that this post contains scary affiliate links and if you click, a shark will EAT YOU. Just kidding! Clicking my links just means you like my site and like reading my recommendations. Your shopping experience doesn’t change, but I might get a tiny commission. Affiliate links are indicated with an asterisk like this* If you have any questions, I’m here to talk —> meredithtested@gmail.com … or leave a comment below. xoxo.