Cold weather is harsh … especially on our beloved hill where the wind can literally cut your face and make your skin red, dry, chapped and irritated. The truth is that it’s easy to take good care of your skin and that it is important. Studies show that people who practice healthy skin care are lest likely to have irritated skin, develop skin cancers and (not surprisingly) have younger, more vibrant skin. It is important to take care of your skin now to prevent premature aging in the future. Keeping the skin hydrated and clean maximizes its “plasticity,” so it can do its job and keep you protected from the environment and harmful germs floating around in the air. Healthy skin is as important for females as it is for males. I don’t remember the last time a friend said “oh and he had such rough, chapped lips and scaly, blistered hands. And his cheeks were naturally red from pimples … mmm.” The following is a list (for guys and girls) of the top 5 ways you can change the fate of your skin before it’s too late!1. Wash your face every night to remove any makeup, dirt or oil that may have crept its way onto your face over the course of the day. Choose a face-wash that matches your skin type; washes are usually made for oily, dry, “normal,” and sensitive skin types. I find it useful to use a mild astringent (like Biore or Neutrogena) if you have relatively few blemishes and dry skin. Once you’ve done this then moisturize the drier areas…like a custom facial … how exciting!2. Keep your lips protected from the cold by keeping chapstick close at hand. Buy chapstick with an SPF factor in it, because UV rays from the sun easily reflect off the snow. Chapstick will keep you from having to re-wet your lips naturally (with your spit, yummy), which will dry out your lips more because spit is evaporated away very fast in cold weather.3. Use body washes instead of soaps. You may think there is no difference, but soaps tend to be harsher on your skin and can dry it out faster because of added deodorants. Body washes usually have a moisturizing ingredient, which will make you smell good without being too stringent.4. Make sure you cover your head from the cold. This will help keep your body warm, and protect your hair and ears from the wind and snow. Hoods will also cover parts of your face, which will help keep it from drying out and your lips from chapping.5. Moisturize your hands before you go to bed (and the rest of your body for that matter); you’ll wake up feeling surprisingly soft and glowing. The best time to moisturize is directly after taking a shower when your pores are open from the heat. Moisturize any body parts that are exposed to the cold before going out for the day. Make sure you apply lotion to your cheeks and hands especially, because these areas are especially sensitive to cold and wind. Be sure to put on moisturizer that is made for your skin (i.e. sensitive, oily, dry, etc). And a tip for the girls: apply moisturizer before putting on foundation or eye makeup that way nothing will smear and your foundation won’t loose the look you are going for. Skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is important for our health by keeping out harmful products of the environment, and though it is a powerful body part, it needs to be cared for in order to contribute to keeping a person looking and feeling healthy.