"Handcare routine"? I know, I know... I think I made it up! But you got the point, right?

As the temperature drops, so does the moisture content in my already parched hands and cuticles. But I have a few products that I know I can depend upon to keep me nice and comfortable.

Here are some of the issues you can face (or hand?) in the Fall and Winter. Can you identify with any of these?

• Tight skin
• Scaliness
• Itchy patches
• Visibly dry areas
• Dry, snagging cuticles
• Brittle nails

So about those favorites: wanna hear about 'em? Sweet. Keep on reading....

The lineup:

• Lemony Flutter from Lush is the shot heard 'round the world when it comes to those irritating, dry and snaggy cuticles. This thick, creamy (and lemon-scented) cream is packed with goodies like avocado butter, mango butter, and flaxseed oil. It's so yummy you'll want to eat it, but I really don't advise it. Smoothing it on your hands (and feet and elbows and heels) will be much better for you!

• Le Couvent des Minimes Honey Nourishing Hand Lotion is probably the best lotion I've ever tried! And I've tried quite a few lotions, sister! (or brother - sorry, I didn't mean to discriminate). It's not just the amazing real honey scent, it's also the fact that this stuff just works! It's thick, it's soothing, and it's not greasy. A+

• Lush has another product I enjoy: Helping Hands. What a great cream - and it's meant for the driest, most complicated skin. I have it in a pump, but once that's gone (and it almost is!) I'll gladly repurchase, but in pot form. I find the pump to be too much for this thick hand cream - I end up pulling the pump mechanism out and just splooshing the cream onto my hands. It's meant to go on at night, but I use a smaller amount whenever I'm sitting still -and it has made a big difference in the state of my hands!

• CND makes a nice cuticle oil that many people rave about, but I'm a fan of the Solar Butter - a nice creamy confection that softens gently without leaving sticky, oily fingerprints behind.

• Sometimes worse comes to worse, and the best thing to do is just (gently!) nip those cuticles. The best product I have found won't keep you searching the stores, nor will it break the bank. It's simply a cuticle nipper from Revlon. That's right - Revlon. It's in your Rite Aid, your Walgreens, and even your grocery store. Make sure you soak your hands before nipping, and only take off the hangnails - not the whole cuticle. I find it easiest to do this after a shower.

PS: In a pinch, try massaging some olive oil in those cuticles. It works! Just don't accidentally nibble along with your dinner salad.

So what are your solutions that flesh out your "handcare routine"?