The skin you’re in

Skin is our bodies’ largest organ, being about 16 percent of our body weight. It is our first line of defense against germs, bacteria and weather. Skin renews itself completely about once a month. Americans spend around a bazillion dollars on products promising to lift, smooth, shine, scent, sparkle and beautify our skin. What a great racket the cosmetics industry is, I just love it.

This time of year is especially tough on skin. It gets dry, rough, itchy and flaky from the cold, wind and indoor heating we use to stay comfortable. Fortunately, there are some things we can do to help our skin out, and they are right in our kitchen and bathrooms.

Drink more water. Water is cheap and readily available from your tap. Glug down eight to 10 glasses of water a day, your skin and other 2000 parts will thank you. You can also apply water externally for fantastic results, leaving your hair shiny and other parts smelling fresh. You can even apply it to your clothing. It will remove stains, dirt and odors. Water will flush toxins from your body and make you lose weight if you drink enough. It is like a miracle drug, and we already have it. Raise your glass, toast yourself, and chug some down.

Does a dry winter complexion have you hanging your head low? Help is on the way! There are some easy and inexpensive ways to give yourself a fantastic facial. I must confess to vanity — I love spa days. A quick fix to brighter, softer skin is to take a small container of kosher salt into the shower with you. After soaping, take small handfuls of salt and gently scrub your face, neck, arms, elbows, legs and anywhere else you need to polish. Rinse immediately. This exfoliates that dry winter skin away. It is important to moisturize after your shower, too, keeping your newly exposed, fresh layer of epidermis protected.

Another simple skin brightener is papaya. Something about papaya enzymes really brighten and tighten skin. Just mash up about ¼ of one fruit and smear it onto your face and neck. I leave it on about five minutes, then either rinse or eat it off. The rest of the papaya can be peeled, mashed and put in a ziplock baggie in the freezer for future facials, or snack on it, your choice.

Winter is especially rough on hands. They get so dry that the skin will crack and bleed. This hurts. A simple trick to help out with this situation is to apply a glob of Vaseline to hands right before bed. Massage it in well up to your wrists, then pull a pair of socks on over your hands. Sexy? No. Hands feel better? Definitely. Vaseline will also help with random dry areas; my kids get them by their mouths. I have to grab them and lube them up before they race out the door to catch the school bus, and again right before they go to bed. Vaseline is also a great skin protector if one is going to be out in the weather all day, or anytime flying commercially. Take a glob about the size of a pea between your palms and rub your hands briskly together a la Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid to liquefy it, then press palms gently all over your face and neck. It will put a thin, protective barrier between you and dry air, preventing evaporation. Using a very small amount of Vaseline will not make you look like a greased pig at the fair, and you can apply makeup over it. Men working outside can use it, too. Vaseline is a “manly” grease that is not only for chapped hands, but can also be put on small bits of kitchen sponge for fishing, simulating fish egg bait. It can also be used to prevent corrosion on car batteries — just smear it on clean terminals. Useful stuff, petroleum jelly.

Before beginning a day of island winter living, remember the importance of protecting yourself from vicious UV rays. It may be cloudy, windy and miserable outside, but sunscreen should always be worn on exposed skin, especially face, neck, and chest. Skin cancer is no joke, and like the old saying goes: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So lube up! For those who plan to escape our current dreary weather and head out for a warmer, drier winter, keep in mind that it takes about 20 minutes for sunscreen to absorb into skin to provide the protection we aim for. It also takes approximately one teaspoon of sunscreen to provide adequate protection for face and neck. Ergo, it takes a tiny bit more than a little dab to do ya, if you catch my drift.

So don’t let dull, dry skin get you down this winter. Drink up, scrub down, moisturize and protect so you can love the skin you’re in.