This winter was a long one for many parts of the country, but it's finally getting warm enough to bare a little skin. But is your skin ready for the warmer weather? Winter dryness, acne, foot callouses -- these can all make you feel like covering back up with all that heavy winter wear.

Skin soaks up any TLC you give it, though, so with a few hints from MSNBC, you'll be ready to show off that healthy skin in your favorite spring fashions. Better yet, keep up these good habits through the warm and cold weather for year-round healthy skin.

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Winter may be winding to a close, but dry skin is far from a thing of the past. But, like with most body issues, what you eat can make a big difference. If you are having trouble with dry skin, Fitsugar recommends you load up on these foods:

• Omega-3s, found in fish, avocado and flaxseed
• Foods with Zinc
• Foods rich in sulphur, like eggs and garlic.
  
• And, of course, water.
  

Other suggestions? Use a humidifier, turn down the heat in your house, bathe as seldom as you comfortably can and invest in a rich moisturizing cream. Also, avoid diuretics like caffeine and alcohol -- they'll dry out your skin.

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It's amazing what summer weather and activities can do to the skin. Sand, sun, wind, and outdoor adventure can make it dry and lackluster. The same weather conditions that cause dry skin also make you want to bare that skin in fun summer clothing and bikinis, however, so what's a person to do? Try a salt scrub! Salt scrubs exfoliate and soothe dry skin, leaving it soft and smooth. You can pay for a professional service, or you can check out this easy, homemade salt scrub from DIY Life. Spend a few minutes in the kitchen, then sit back and soak that tired skin away.

Anyone else have a homemade beauty secrets they'd like to share? Let's hear them!

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The best way to be beautiful on the outside is to take care of yourself from the inside. I remember my mom telling me to lay off chocolate to avoid break outs. She wasn't too far off target. Here are some nutrition tips to help you maintain radiant, beautiful skin:

• If you have oily skin, you've probably tried every drying toner and scrub on the market, but you can help yourself out by choosing the right foods. Oily skin is the result of the overproduction of sebum from your sebaceous glands -- the nose and forehead tend to be prime areas for oily skin. To help balance oily skin, choose foods that are high in B vitamins such as whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Lowering the amount of fat in your diet will also help.
• If your skin is very dry, there's only so much help you can get from moisturizers. Opt for healthy fats in your diet -- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources include fish, olive oil, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Sulfur -- found in eggs, asparagus, onions, and garlic -- is also beneficial to dry skin.

Regardless of your skin type drink plenty of water, choose healthful, fresh foods, and your skin will be glowing in no time!

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I think having chapped lips with no lip balm available ranks right up there with having lemon juice poured on a paper cut -- in the scheme of pain it's pretty minor, but somehow it's one of the most miserable things that can happen! I mean really, can you concentrate on anything else when your lips are chapped? I know I can't.

Of course the fastest and easiest solution is to keep a good lip balm handy, but there are other things you can do to help prevent dry lips this winter: using a humidifier, eating foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids (walnuts and avocados), and using vitamin E can all help keep uncomfortable chapping at bay.

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The weather outside is frightful, and inside the heat is on 24 hours a day. What effect does the cold, dry air of winter combined with the moisture-sucking heat of your furnace have on your skin? Dryness. Soon your skin feels like a sandpaper, and you're using more and more moisturizer to soften it.

The key, it seems, is to prevent wintertime dryness in the first place. Moisturizer will help, but if you take a few simple steps to ward off dryness, your skin will thank you for it:

• Use a humidifier. Most models are automatic today. You can set the humidity at 60% and when it drops below, your machine will turn on. (Humidifying may reduce your odds of catching colds and flu, an added benefit.)
• Moisturize -- especially at night -- with creams that contain glycerin or mineral oil.
• Stay hydrated on the inside by drinking lots of water. It's instinctive to drink water on a hot summer day, but you may need to remind yourself in the winter time.
• Improve circulation to your skin by maintaining a regular exercise routine.
• Keep up the excellent sunblock habit your formed over summer. UV rays are just as damaging in the winter, so be sure to slather any exposed skin.

Cold and flu season mean frequent hand washings, and I know I have to keep a close eye on my hands or they quickly get red and itchy. I keep a bottle of good moisturizer near my sink for a quick slather when necessary. What other quick and easy ideas do you have for skin care in the wintertime?

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It doesn't seem to matter how often I use lotion, or whether it's the scented stuff or the "extra intense" formula, during the winter I often end up with skin so dry I feel like that alligator in the moisturizer commercials on TV. So, for those of us who could use some pointers, here are some general but effective tips on dealing with and preventing dry skin this winter:

Try minimizing the time you take in the shower and when washing your hands, and try using more lukewarm water than hot. Hot water strips your skin of the natural oils that keep it supple, so reducing exposure should make a difference. And use moisturizer as quickly as possible after showering or washing your hands -- preferably while your skin is still a little damp so you can lock in that precious moisture.

Hydrate from the inside out by drinking more water! Need I say more?

Consider getting a humidifier. Colder air is naturally less humid -- add indoor artificial heating and things only get worse.

Finally, if you're still battling with dry, itchy, or flaky skin consider that it may be a product you're using or even something in your diet. Try switching soaps or moisturizers to something milder, and consider the fact that what you eat can have a huge impact on how healthy your skin is.

Bye bye alligator skin!

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