DRY SKIN & WINTER ITCH

As winter approaches, our bodies turn toward flannel, our attention turns toward cheap Florida airfares, and our skin takes a turn toward something resembling Melba toast.

You can blame that toasted skin on the warm, toasty air that heats our homes, schools and offices. When it gets cold, we naturally warm up the house. The problem is, unless you add humidity to your surroundings with a humidifier or pans of water near radiators, a heated room has only about 15 percent relative humidity-as dry as Death Valley. And that turns our skin dry, flaky, scaly and usually itchy (and always bothersome).

Plus, there are other irritants to make matters worse--wind, cold, soaps, water (which dries skin when it evaporates), even added stress. Put it all together and your epidermis can dry out quicker than Aunt Gizelda's holiday fruitcake.

Dry skin and winter itch share a lot of symptoms with eczema and dermatitis, and some of the remedies for those problems can bring relief. But the key to making the winter season a merry one, itch-wise, is keeping your birthday suit well protected.

Here's how.

Keep skin moisturized. Probably the most important thing you can do to prevent and treat dry skin is to moisturize daily with a cream-based moisturizer, advises Sheryl Clark, M.D., a dermatologist at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "An oil-free moisturizer is recommended for those who tend to break out. Also, those with sensitive skin should choose a moisturizer without perfumes or lanolin." The brands most highly recommended by experts include Eucerin, Complex 15, Moisturel, Aquaphor and Aquaderm-all available over the counter.

But don't get soaked. You don't need expensive skin creams to keep skin moisturized. "Nothing beats plain petroleum jelly or mineral oil as a moisturizer, " says Howard Donsky, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and author of Beauty Is Skin Deep. In fact, he acids that virtually any vegetable oil or hydrogenated cooking oil--from Crisco oil to sunflower or peanut oil--can be used to relieve dry skin. But note: They do feet greasier than commercial moisturizers.

Don't be too hyper about your hygiene. "Bathe in cool to tepid water as briefly as possible and no more than once a day," according to Michael Ramsey, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Cleansing lotions are more gentle than soaps, and they're just as effective at removing dirt," adds Leonard Swinyer, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. And don't use a washcloth--just your fingertips. If you must use soaps, stick with mild brands such as Dove, Aveeno or Basis.

Add some oil to your bath. Make the most of your tub time by adding a bath oil rich in moisturizers- -even when you apply creams after bathing.

Again, there's no need for the fancy stuff: Plain ol' castor oil is an excellent, low-cost choice. "It's one of the few oils that will disperse in water, and it won't leave a ring around the tub," says Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and author of The Honest Herbal.

Make your own bath oil by mixing 1/2 cup of castor oil with ten drops of sandlewood-, pine-, rosemary- or mint-scented oil and storing it in a closed jar. Add one teaspoon of the mixture each time you bathe. For those who prefer store-bought brands, Alpha Keri body oil, Geri-Bath and Nutraderm bath oil are highly recommended.

Caution: Be careful in the bathroom, because these oils can make tubs and floors extremely slippery.

Dry yourself damp. After bathing, pat your skin almost dry-never totally dry with a towel. While the skin is still damp, apply your moisturizing lotion. "It's more effective to apply moisturizer to damp skin immediately after bathing than to put it on totally dry skin, because the moisturizer is what holds the water in," says Kenneth H. Neldner, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. "A couple of pats with a towel will make you as dry as you want to be before you apply the lotion. You're trying to trap a little water in the skin, and that's the fundamental rule in fighting off dryness." If you have dry hands, he advises keeping some moisturizer near each sink in the house and using it as needed.

Be wary of wool. Clothing made of wool--or any other fuzzy or heavy material--can be particularly irritating to excessively dry skin, says Stephen M. Purcell, D.O., chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and assistant clinical professor at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. "The last thing itchy skin needs is to have something scratchy over it. Cotton is probably the best material to wear, since polyester blends can also be irritating to some people."

Shave before bedtime. Shaving is tough enough on your tender skin, but meeting the cold reality of Old Man Winter right afterward makes your dry skin even worse, adds Dr. Swinyer. Unless you're hampered by severe five o'clock shadow, shave before bedtime, when your puss won't be subjected to such a drastic change in temperature.

And avoid eye-opening after-shaves. Their high alcohol content is too drying and zaps remaining moisture during this mean season, adds Dr. Swinyer.

Wear baggy, loose-fitting clothing. In addition to being more abrasive, tighter clothing traps perspiration, which softens the outer layer of skin, breaks down its protective barrier and worsens dry skin, says dermatologist Rodney Basler, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. But looser-fitting clothes, particularly in "breathable" fabrics like cotton, allow perspiration to be absorbed naturally.