Winter Skin Care Expert Choices Part 1

Winter Skin Care - WebMD Expert Choices - Part 1

by Sumanth Donthi

Cold Comfort for Your Skin

It's cold outside, but your skin doesn't have to know the low temperatures. Keep your skin moisturized and pampered all winter long with WebMD the Magazine Experts' Choice top products for your face and body.

Experts took their quest for the best cold-weather skin care products to the pros: two cosmetic dermatologists and a wellness expert with a nutrition-focused skin care line.

Winner: The Best Hand Cream

The cold and wind can wreak havoc on your hands. Look for lotions with the big three: humectants, emollients, and occlusives (the label might say glycerin, lecithin, paraffin, and/or petroleum).

Experts' top pick, Vaseline Intensive Rescue Healing Hand Cream, with its uniquely high concentration of glycerin (16.8%), "can change your skin physiologically". "It helps your skin heal itself."

Runner: The Best Hand Cream

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is great for healing dry winter hands, but it could be too greasy for daytime use. It's great for nighttime, and cracked cuticles.

The expert panel also liked Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Hand Cream. "It creates and leaves a lasting barrier on the skin to lock in moisture".

Winner: The Best Lip Care

A good lip protectant should have sunscreen, even in the winter, and natural oils. Experts winner is Aveeno Essential Moisture Lip Conditioner With SPF 15 has these, plus skin-soothing oatmeal (Aveeno's trademark ingredient).

Experts say that the product's jojoba oil, a natural anti-inflammatory, and says this balm "provides long-lasting essential moisture and also helps condition and protect."

Runner: The Best Lip Care

Like the winning selection, Aveeno Intense Relief Medicated Therapy Lip Protectant features soothing oatmeal, but the menthol kept it out of the winner's spot.

Experts say it's not necessary, but it does ease pain. Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 also made the experts' list, in part because of its silky feel, easy absorption, and easy-to-apply squeeze tube.

Winner: The Best Face Wash

Many cleansers are ineffective because they don't rinse off completely, but our experts' favorite, Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser, is gentle and comes off using just your hands and warm water, making it our experts' favorite. And it has feverfew as a main ingredient, which, "can reduce inflammation and is great at gently soothing skin without irritating it."

Runner: The Best Face Wash

Frequently recommended for dry and sensitive skin, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser divided our judges. Experts say that "it's so gentle, it's ineffective. It lacks the necessary cleansing ingredients like surfactant and an exfoliant."

On the flip side, one of the expert routinely recommends it to his patients. DDF Non-Drying Gentle Cleanser is good for gentle exfoliating, but, the other expert says, "It doesn't come completely off easily."