Curling up in front of a roaring fire while watching a white, fluffy blanket of snow coat the ground outside gives the winter season a magical air, but the cold air seeping in from that lovely winter scene can be absolutely brutal. Dry winter air leeches moisture, leaving your skin as dry and cracked as a salt flat and your sinuses as parched as the Sahara in summer. Dry air also contributes to that jarring static shock that practically propels you across the room every time you pet the cat. Here are a few tips to help you combat dry indoor air, preserve the moisture in your skin and nasal passages, and avoid feline-induced static shocks this winter.

Winter Drought There's a reason why you get so sweaty in the summer, and it's not just from the heat. Warmer air holds more moisture than cooler air. In the winter, the cold air that seeps into your home from the outside has a lower humidity -- meaning that it carries very little moisture. You crank up the heat inside your house, which adds warmth but doesn't increase the amount of moisture in the air. Because wintertime humidity is so low, what little moisture that is around is quickly sucked up into the air. Moisture also evaporates from your body, leaving your skin, nose, and throat parched.