During the extreme cold and dryness of mid-winter, you may find the lighter moisturizers that keep your skin soft and hydrated in more temperate weather falling down on the job. That’s why your wintertime skincare regime should include extra doses of natural lubricants and emollients. Save your fragile winter complexion with 3 layers of natural protection:

• A hydrating serum: Give your day cream a boost by wearing a super-hydrating organic serum underneath it. Look for high-powered antioxidant and moisture-binding ingredients such as white tea, silk amino acids, seaweed extract, and vitamin E, along with healing herbs and essential oils.

• A day cream rich in natural moisturizing factors (NMFs): NMFs are the free amino acids and other compounds such as lactic acid, urea, and salts found in the skin’s stratum corneum (outer layer) that attract and hold moisture. Plant-derived oils and humectants (e.g., shea butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, squalane, vegetable glycerin, natural sorbitol, hyaluronic acid) are structurally similar to NMFs and therefore more easily absorbed into the deeper epidermal layers and better tolerated than synthetic moisturizers. In addition to their superior ability to soothe and protect rough, chapped skin, these natural lubricants contain a host of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and antimicrobials that repel pathogens and speed healing. Don’t fall for the popular myth that plain, old petroleum jelly is the best heavy-duty lubricant and moisturizer around. This and other cheap crude oil derivatives (baby oil, etc.) not only contain potentially irritating impurities, but also coat the skin with an impenetrable layer of grease that actually repels moisture.

• A super-rich nighttime repair cream: A luxuriant night cream can help retard the moisture loss that occurs when skin temperature rises during sleep. Some studies also suggest that increased nighttime blood flow may improve absorption of small-molecule ingredients, such as peptides, that contribute to cell repair and collagen renewal. Lavish your parched, tired skin with a premium face cream full of buttery all-natural emollients and multi-action rejuvenators, including pearl powder, pomegranate seed extract, and Co-Q10 enzymes.