Outdoor activities like skiing and snowboarding are fun, but while cold weather may be good for the ski trail, it’s not always kind to your skin.

The truth is, the combination of chilly temperatures and reduced humidity saps skin of its natural moisture, making it feel tight and dry and rendering it sensitive to irritants.

Combined with the low humidity of in-door heating and hot showers, skin is left cracked and dry.

And dry skin equals itchy skin.

To help protect and maintain healthy skin that’s soft and smooth through the chill, try these simple, skin-saving tips:

Take shorter showers. Believe it or not, water can be very drying to the skin. Brief showers using lukewarm water — rather than long soaks in a hot bath — are more skin friendly.

Keep it simple. Choose mild soaps, hydrating cleansers and moisturizing cosmetics and seek lotions that are non-irritating and dermatologist recommended.

Keep skin hydrated. The lower the temperature, the more frequently moisturizers should be applied.

Select formulations that strengthen skin’s moisture barrier and are long lasting.

Apply liberally on elbows, knees, feet and hands.

Cover and protect. When heading outdoors, skin should be adequately protected from cold air and gusting wind.

When indoors, avoid sitting right next to drying heat sources. Fireplaces and old-fashioned radiators are especially bad culprits.

Prepare for itchiness. Since cold temperatures deplete skin of moisture, resulting in dry, flaky skin that’s often itchy, irritated and uncomfortable, it’s important to use a daily moisturizer to repair and restore skin’s health.

Use a humidifier. Consider purchasing a humidifier to maintain air moisture inside homes during the winter.

These skin-saving tips will keep skin soft, comfortable and healthy looking through-out winter’s chill.