Frozen Fountain (photo by CBS News)

This morning New Yorkers awoke to balmy, arctic temperatures, as one of the coldest winter seasons in the past 2 years continues in the Northeast.

By 7:00am, temperatures hovered around 6 degrees Fahrenheit; a frigid start for those of us who have to venture out to the office on this beautiful Monday morning.

This weather can take an unfortunate toll on the skin, due to the low humidity and cold temperatures.  Since hibernating for the next 3-months is not an option for most people, experts recommend the following 5 tips to protect skin from the cold weather:

Tips on Skin Winterization (photo from IBlogBeauty.com)

• Use a humidifier at home to improve humidity in the evenings and at night during sleep;
• Drink lots of water during the day to stay hydrated;
• Use oil-based moisturizers daily, on the body and face (Aveeno oatmeal based lotion is my fav);
• Avoid hot showers.  Take luke-warm showers instead.  (Honestly, I can’t give up the hot showers…so this is a tip that I will be avoiding.  LOL)
• Don’t forget about the nails and lips.  Keep them moisturized.