I can say, hands down, this is the absolute best moisturizing lotion for extremely dry skin. This lotion was given to me by my mother for my almost scaly, extremely dry skin, and within a few days of use it made my skin soft, with no dry patches. Although my skin is normal now, I still use it every day in conjunction with self tanner. It keeps my skin evenly moisturized so there or no streaks or darker patches when I apply the tanner.

Side Effects: The active ingredient is 12% lactic acid neutralized with ammonium hydroxide, and it can sting slightly the first few times it’s applied, especially if you have cracks in your skin, but it stings because it’s working, trust me. Caution should be used if applying it to the face, because irritation can occur, especially if you use any anti-aging or retinol products. It makes some peoples skin more sensitive to the sun.

Ammonium Lactate Lotion 12 used to be available only with a doctors prescription, but now you can get at various on-line stores. It ranges in price depending upon the store from $8 to $22. To be safe and make sure I’m getting a bottle that hasn’t expired I pay about $17 for a 14 oz bottle plus shipping. A little goes a long way with this lotion, so a bottle lasts me almost 3 months.

This winter avoid looking older by keeping your skin moisturized. For some of us it's not that easy, as it will make our skin look oily. So a great alternative is a moisturizing mask, used up to once a day. The one I use is Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Mask. It's a cream-mask that intensively re-hydrates and revitalizes my skin, keeping it from getting dried out in the cold winter months. It's a reasonably priced mask ($35 at Nordstrom.com) that lasts about 6 weeks if I use it every other day. I put it on in the evening, as if I do it in the morning my face looks a bit oily. Don't apply past the brow or eye bone or you could wake up with puffy eyes.

Also it was named a 'Consumer Choice' at Allure magazine

Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum is the latest and greatest from Avon Skincare. Costs about $54.

The claim: this products fills wrinkles and restores plumpness to the skin, using the same ingredient found in hyaluronic acid injections.

Whats in it: Injectable grade hyaluronic acid gel, fennel extract, peptides and glyconic acid.

How it works: Hyaluronic acid attracts water to the skin to plump up lines, fennell extract stimulates collagen synthesis, and peptides and glycolic acid boost hyaluronic acid.

What the expert says: Hyaluronic acid can't penetrate the skin, but the gel form is a better moisturizer than hyaluronic acid in liquid form, which is generally used in cosmetic products. Applied regularly for weeks, hyaluronic acid in gel form can make the skin appear more hydrated and look smoother. However, it will not have an effect comparable to dermatologist injecting it into wrinkles.

What I say: The lightweight serum softened the fine lines around my eyes and mouth almost instantly, but they came back as the day wore on.

If you have used this product, please leave a comment about your satisfaction.

Emu oil is being touted as one of the best things you can put on your skin. Lately it has been discussed on Oprah and in every women's magazine from Harpers Bazzar to Vogue. Emu oil is made from the fat of the second largest bird in the world the Australian emu and has been proven to be an effective anti aging skin care treatment.

Here's why: Emu oil naturally contains Vitamin E, which is a major antioxidant and healing agent; Vitamin A, a known skin repairer and antioxidant; Oleic acid, which is a proven skin cell re generator and anti-wrinkle agent; Sapogens, proven skin softeners; and Terpines, known antiseptics.

Emu oil is sold commercially as Dremu oil, and sells for about $55 an ounce. That sounds kind of steep, but Goldie Hawn, Demi Moore and Oprah swear by it. I haven't tried it yet, but hearing all the hype, it's definitely on my 'must try' list.

Here are the Dremu claims:

Available at emustore.com.

If you have used this product, please leave a comment about your satisfaction.

Olive Oil! That's right. I have used it on every inch of my body, including my hair. I first discovered the miracles of olive oil in my early twenties when I used it on my hair. I had been hearing about all of the fabulous health benefits of it in your diet, so I thought if it's so good for our insides, it should be beneficial to a healthier outside. At this point in my life I had stopped coloring my hair and was trying to grow it long, which isn't easy for my fine, thin hair. First microwave the oil so it's warm. Then I would saturate my dry hair with olive oil before bed time, put on a shower cap and rinse it out the next morning. It washes right out. I did this for about a few months and people who had not seen me in awhile ALL commented on how good my hair looked. I have maintained my olive oil hair treatment about twice a year, and my thin hair is to the middle of my back and looks healthy and shiny. I attribute this to the olive oil.

I also use olive oil as a anti-oxidant rich moisturizer for my face and body. If you have oily skin, I wouldn't use it on your face, but don't skip the lips, the oil keeps them looking fabulous in every possible way. For a great hand or foot treatment, rub them in olive oil and stick a bag over them overnight, when you wake up your skin will feel brand new.

When you are pinching pennies, you can still keep your skin and hair looking fabulous with olive oil. I use it even when I'm not pinching pennies.

During these blustery winter months, our skin get dry and cracked. Personally, I itch more and my skin looks older. Of course you know a good moisturizer is important, but during the really cold months, sometimes it takes more. The first thing I do after a shower in the morning is apply moisturizer. I just lightly towel dry, still damp and then apply moisturizer. This locks in the moisturizer from my shower. I use a heavy duty cream for my body, like Lubriderm. Anything from the drugstore will do, as long as it is for extra dry skin. For my hands, I like Gold Bond Ultimate softening skin therapy lotion. You can use this on your skin also, but it's quite rich and thick and may be too much, but for exposed hands, it's perfect. Then for my face I use Kinerase Pro+Therapy Ultra Rich Day Repair, this is a great moisturizer as well as anti-aging treatment. Usually this is enough, but when it's not, I grab a bottle of olive oil and apply it directly to the affected area, and by the next day, my skin is healed. Recently, my lips were cracked and bleeding, so I rubbed some olive oil on them before bedtime, and the next morning they were completely healed.  

For more serious dry skin conditions like Eczema, Dermatitis or Psoriasis, you may need to see a dermatologist.