You go somewhere cold and your skin becomes red. Chances are, your skin has succumbed to the effects of a sunburn (yes, it can happen in cold weather too) or windburn. Whenever the skin’s ability to protect itself is compromised by the environment, it goes into defense mode and tries to safeguard itself. “Essentially, the skin has experienced trauma to the superficial layer and some of the ceramides have been lost, so it can’t protect itself as well,” says New York dermatologist Hooman Khorasani, MD. “It becomes dehydrated and exposed to allergens and pathogens, causing an inflammatory response, which leads to redness.”

 

How to fix it: Gently feed skin with oils and vitamins, which will nurture inflamed skin. You can apply a hydrating cream like Vitaplex C to soothe skin.

You load up on salty foods and your eyes becomes puffy.
Salt is notorious for leaving the skin, especially the eyes, looking puffy come morning. Consuming too much salt can cause the skin to retain water, resulting in a puffy look.

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How to fix it: You can always apply cold spoons or a chilled face mask to problem areas. Or you can layer on an anti-puff cream. There are some ingredients to look for when purchasing an anti puff eye cream, including vitamins A, E and K. All these are beneficial to the under eye area for puffiness as well as dark circles and wrinkles like Microsilk-C. fits the bill!  For an added bonus and even quicker de-puffying results, keep it in the fridge so it is nice and cold. 

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You’ve had one too many desserts and you're starting to break out.
There’s never a good time for a breakout, and the holidays could be one of the worst times for one. While it may seem like they pop up over night, pimples actually take days, if not weeks, to manifest on the skin because they are the result of oil mixed with dead skin and bacteria.

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How to fix it: To prevent a blemish from becoming larger, redder or more painful, don’t pick at it. Apply an anti-acne spot treatment to the area like Blemish Control Gel or Bio-Drying Lotion.

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Your skin is dry and dull due to too much traveling.
Airplanes and major climate changes (going more from warm to cold) can wreck havoc on your skin, making it dry and flaky. Not only will your makeup not go on smoothly, but if you don’t tackle it head on, the dryness can also lead to dehydration.

How to fix it: First off, gently exfoliate any dead skin that you can see on the surface of your skin to remove it. Then, load up on a moisturizer that’s appropriate for your skin type. For an added dose of hydration, try a hydrating mask, even a facial oil or serum. I suggest Carrot Oil  24k Gold Serum or Vitanol-A Serum  And for a hydrating mask, Skin Recovery Mask.

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FOR DRY LIPS

Dry lips are par for the course during winter, thanks to lower humidity outside and Sahara-level pumped-in heat inside. Certain habits and products can take lips from merely parched to cracked—or cause some to have allergic or irritant dermatitis, which may look like chapped lips but won't be cleared up by lip balm alone. Here's how to avoid making a dry situation worse. 

What to do at Night: 

Let facial products thoroughly sink into skin before bed. 

The lip connection: Unless you sleep on your back with nary a movement side-to-side, unabsorbed products can end up on your pillowcase. And as you move around throughout the night, ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (both of which you find in acne products) or retinoids (found in both acne fighters and anti-wrinkle products) can end up on your lips and lead to irritation, says Doris Day, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York. 

Keep your toothpaste in your mouth. 

The lip connection: Toothpaste can be a source of lip irritation and, eventually, dryness for some people, says Sejal Shah, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York, thanks to preservatives, flavoring, coloring and other ingredients. Sensitivity varies, but messy teeth brushers are more likely to get toothpaste on their lips, making them more likely to notice chapping. You might consider switching to a natural toothpaste, which, Shah says, tend to have fewer potentially irritating ingredients. Another tip: try applying a barrier like Vaseline to lips before brushing to keep stray paste off. 

Exfoliate—but not with your face scrub 
The lip connection: Getting rid of dead skin allows moisturizing lip products to do their job more effectively. Your lips are more sensitive than the skin on your face, though, and don't require the same intensity of exfoliation (they don't have oil glands or hair follicles, so there's less buildup to clear away), so face scrubs with large particles are generally too rough. Instead, Shah recommends using a clean toothbrush to gently brush over lips before bed once a week.

 

What to do During the Day 

Pick the right lip balm and apply liberally. 
The lip connection: Your choice of product can be the solution or the problem. Some contain could-be irritants like salicylic acid (often added as an exfoliant), menthol and camphor, says Shah. Fragrances and artificial colors may also be problematic in a small subset of people, as are hydrators like lanolin and beeswax, which can trigger an allergic reaction. A few safer hydrating ingredients to look for: petrolatum, glycerin and dimethicone. If your daily look involves lipstick, put the balm on over your go-to shade to prevent excessive drying due to ingredients in the formula (long-wear varieties can be particularly problematic, says Day). 

Stop licking 
The lip connection: You've heard it before, and you're about to hear it again: Do not lick your lips. Saliva won't cause allergic or irritant dermatitis, but it does leave lips drier as it evaporates. Apply a moisturizing product instead. 

For When Your Lips Are Already Chapped 
First, figure out exactly what type of dryness you're dealing with. If applying hydrating, non-irritating moisturizing products and being aware of how often you lick your lips does the trick, it's likely a normal case of chapped lips and you should keep your application (and no licking) regimen rolling. 

If the dryness persists, try to identify the cause by running through the tips above. Does it improve once you become a little more careful with your toothpaste or leave ample time between nighttime product application and lights out? Then it's likely a dermatitis reaction to something in the paste or the product—keeping it off your lips and using a good moisturizer should help. If it still doesn't clear up or you can't pinpoint a cause, ask your dermatologist about it; they may suggest an anti-inflammatory topical cortisone cream for a few days or a short course of a prescription-strength topical steroid once they've made a diagnosis.