3 Quick Fixes for Dry Skin

by Elizabeth Siegel

Plenty of factors conspire to make your skin dry and dull (awesome) … like your central air, last night's martini, this morning's coffee, and even harsh, gritty facial scrubs. I was surprised by that last one, too. But here's the good news: Using just one of these easy hydrating tricks will bring the moisture and radiance back to your skin, fast.

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Evening primrose oil. If the skin around your eyes and lips has a way of getting crazy, painfully dry, this is the stuff to fix it. It's actually a supplement (you can find it at drugstores), but Jeanette Graf, a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York, recommends popping one capsule open and rubbing the oil inside over chapped areas. Do it at night (so you don't look like a greaseball during the day) and you'll notice a marked improvement when you wake up.

Sheet masks. The best moisturizers contain humectants to pull water into your skin and occlusives to seal it in. Well, when you put a sheet mask against your skin, that moisture isn't going anywhere. "The sheet mask has an occlusive effect so it's really sealing moisture into the skin," says Graf. Look for ones with hydrating ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and your skin will look glow-y for a day--sometimes even two, says Graf. Try Masque Bar by Look Beauty Brightening Sheet Mask.

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Flaxseed or fish-oil supplements, a.k.a. omega-3 fatty acids, a.k.a. the building blocks that enable your skin to retain moisture, says Francesca Fusco, a dermatologist in New York City. Take one daily so your skin can bounce back from the cold--it's a lot easier than eating salmon for every meal. Unless you really love salmon, in which case, go for it.

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