This Esthetician's Shower Time Hack Is The Antidote To Dry, Winter Skin 

One of the biggest culprits for dry, wintry skin? Your shower habits. It's a double-edged sword of sorts: When temperatures turn frigid, it's only natural to defrost under a steamy spray—but in the long run, that hot water can compromise your skin barrier and lead to drier, itchier, flakier skin. 

You likely know to apply body oil or lotion post-shower in order to trap all that precious water and keep the hydration from escaping into the air. As a general rule of thumb: If you step out of the bathroom resembling a slippery, baby seal, you're in a pretty good place. 

This tip is especially helpful for those who love long, steamy showers, as hot water has the ability to strip the natural oils and lipids from your skin. "Most people tend to increase the time spent in the shower as well as crank the water to nearly scalding hot levels to 'warm up,' and this literally strips the skin of moisture," Aguilar explains. By coating your skin with an oily barrier, you reduce the amount of water compromising your skin's natural lipid layer and maintain its integrity; essentially, you're creating a partition between the scalding water and your wintry skin, thus keeping it from drying out. 

While you can choose any body oil you fancy, Aguilar's go-to occlusive has some noteworthy benefits: Grapeseed oil, especially cold-pressed, unrefined options, is thought to have impressive antioxidant properties1, studies show. It's also technically a "dry oil," which means it sinks in quickly and won't leave a sticky feeling on the surface of your skin.