Oh, that winter itch! Your skin feels as rough and dry as sandpaper. If your skin is chapped, cracked, and inflamed during the coldest months of the year, take heart. Relief is a simple matter of water conservation.

The basic problem is lack of moisture. Anything that steals moisture from the skin will result in dryness and chapping. The drier the air, the more rapidly moisture evaporates. (In winter, heated indoor air tends to be dry.) Also, soap and excessive bathing or showering strips the skin of its natural oils, compounding the problem. Add it up, and the dehydrated cells begin to shrink and separate like caked mud in a dry lake bed, and a network of painful cracks appear on your skin.

Dry skin affects everyone, but older people have it worse, because oil production gradually declines with age.

Since you can't change the weather or your age, try these suggestions if you want to prevent winter itch.

• Avoid bathing or showering more than once a day.
  
• Alternate bath or shower days with sponge baths.
  
• Use mild soap, and lather as little as possible. (Deodorant soaps are hard on the skin. Select a moisturizing soap instead.)
  
• Don't apply soap directly to the skin. Soap up a washcloth instead. Add a bath oil to bathwater.
  
• Pat your skin dry with a towel instead of rubbing it dry, and apply a moisturizer immediately.
  
• Apply lubricating skin cream or lotion several times a day on your hands, elbows, or other areas frequently affected. These provide moisture to hydrate the skin and oil to lock in moisture. Petroleum-based creams work well. (Try to avoid scented products.) Apply a moisturizer after bathing, at bedtime, and in the morning. Start early in the dry-skin season, before skin becomes chapped or severely cracked.
  
• Avoid immersing your hands in hot water and strong dishwashing detergents. Wear rubber gloves.
  
• Lower the setting on your heating thermostat so you're comfortable, but not toasty.
  
• Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air in a room, or have a humidifier connected to your furnace. Also, avoid sitting too close to fireplace heat--it's drying.