One of the things I dislike most about this time of year is how the cold weather often leads to chapped lips and dry dull skin.

The best way to prevent both of these is to drink lots and lots of water. I can’t stress enough how important this is. I just spoke with a doctor about this and he said, “We, [Americans] as a culture, are severely dehydrated.” He even attributed it to the root of many of our problems such as obesity and diabetes.

So start gulping away. Not sure how much you should be drinking? Try this hydration calculator on about.com

I know it’s easier said than done, especially when it’s cold outside and you’re not necessarily feeling thirsty, but do yourself a favor and make sure you’re getting enough water. Your body needs it to flush out toxins.

If you’re already suffering from chapped lips and/or dry skin, it means you’re already dehydrated, so in addition to drinking lots of water, you might want to try one of these little tips:

For chapped lips, try putting some honey on your lips and letting it dry for a couple of seconds. Then slab some good ole’ Vaseline on top of the honey and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Remove with a q-tip or cotton ball dipped in hot water. Do this once a day until you kiss chapped lips away.

For dull skin, try adding a hydrating mask to your skin routine once or twice a week. One product that’s getting rave reviews from facialists is Skin Ceuticals’ Hydraing B5 Masque.  It’s a little pricey at $48, but it works really well.

It’s a light clear gel, so you can wear it to bed or even under your moisturizer during the day.

If you follow these tips and start drinking lots of water, you should be able to beat the winter blahs in just a couple of weeks. Good Luck!

Until next time,

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