Have you ever been asked whether you like winter or summer better? I always answer that I like winter better. It's a beautiful season: the calm white snow that gently falls from the sky like little feathers, the small children suiting up to make a snowman.

Everything about winter is just so appealing, right? Wrong!

One of the worst things about winter is the wind. Here's the thing that many people don't realize: you need to pay just as much attention to your skin during the winter as you do during the summer.

The main thing we're told to do during the summer is wear sunscreen as a type of defense against the weather. With winter, we need to realize that we have to do the same thing. Even though the effects of the weather on our skin may seem less obvious, we need to create a defense against the harsh weather conditions. The best way to do this is by the following ways: exfoliating, moisturizing and protecting.

When your face is pounded with the wind, it goes into defense mode, which can end up with your skin being chapped. As your skin dries out from the frigid winter air, it may overproduce natural oils in order to compensate. The problem is that acne is caused by a buildup of skin cells and oils on our faces; to combat this, you'll likely need to exfoliate. By exfoliating you'll be removing the layer of skin buildup, which will make your skin look radiant and clean.

Once the skin is rid of all those excess cells, it can become raw and dry. It's extremely important to find a proper moisturizer that will nourish your skin comfortably. To do this, talk to a dermatologist or even a skin specialist at a store such as Shoppers Drug Mart. Every month they have representatives from various companies come in to give makeup or skin consultations. It's very important to find the right moisturizer for your skin; otherwise your skin may have a reaction, such as a rash. Be very conscious of what the product line is known for because that will give you a better understanding of what products to look into.

The last thing is extremely important and relates to everyday skin care. Sunscreen is a product that is highly underrated; however, it is the most important for anybody's skin. Sunscreen not only protects us from cancerous rays, it also keeps our skin aglow. One of the greatest things sunscreen does for our skin is protect it from wrinkles. When the sun attacks our skin with its poisonous rays, it damages the skin's elasticity, causing our faces to wrinkle and our skin to droop. Bloodhound faces are definitely not an attractive thing and can be avoided with a simple moisturizer that has a minimum of SPF 15.

So this winter, when you're getting ready in the morning or getting ready for bed, try to incorporate these tips into your skin care regime. I guarantee you'll see a significant difference in your skin's condition. Just remember that skin care regimes take a minimum of two weeks to start showing results.