So, I assume that it is a result of the climate I now live in, but since moving to Pennsylvania I notice that my skin gets super dry during the winter... like cracked and peeling dry, which I know is very bad for you skin. I've been using an aloe vera gel to help combat it, but it's not perfect. What are some other tips and tricks that can be used to help prevent this kind of dryness?

Regular application of lotion.

Well, at least, that works for me. My hands don't get all that dry, and they're more consistently dry than anything specific to winter, but applying lotion every day, sometimes a couple times, seems to help.

Then again, everyone's different, and I'm no expert, so I can only say what works for me. Hope it helps, though. =/

One thing that helps KG with dry hands is to absolutely drench them in lotion right before bed, then put on mittens or socks or something to keep the moisture against your skin all night. She gets really terrible dry skin in the winter, but one night of this usually makes it clear up.

Also, wear gloves. It will keep the wind and cold from sucking the oils out of your hands.

If you're having a lot of trouble with dry skin elsewhere, you should look at the type of clothes you're wearing, and make sure they're providing adequate protection from the cold and wind. If it's your face... Well there's not really much you can do for that except wearing a scarf like a bandit!

I know that this sounds a little gross, but just don't go overboard (not that you would want to). Dress pretty warm. Also, like Lazlo Falconi said, gloves helps. Basically, keeping yourself warm is so you can 'sweat' a little. Like I said, it sounds gross. Just dress warm enough for a little moisture, and not full blown sweating. That way, your skin is not drying, and you aren't losing oils. 

Elara : I use Johnsons & Johnsons baby lotion. It's the adult kind, but it keeps my skin really soft and gets ride of the dryness. It's not expensive either. I get a pretty good size bottle at Walmart and lasts me a few months. I hope that helps.

I suppose I should have specified that the problem area is my face... lotion works nice for my hands, but honestly they are barely a problem.

I do try to wear scarves when I can... but it has the fun habit of fogging up my glasses when I breath so I cannot see... and that can cause problems, obviously.

Yeah that seems like a issue to most people. Me well, I usually put on lotion right after I take a shower and or I wake up early in the morning at the very most

Moisturize directly after your face is washed.
Avoid washing with harsh cleansers or soaps too often.
Wash your skin with cool water instead of hot.
Have showers as cool as you can comfortably stand it.

If you can get away with it, shower and wash your face less often. Washing too vigorously or too often causes drying, because the skin's natural barrier is scrubbed away.

Jojoba oil, pure aloe vera, or coconut oil work very well as moisturizers, good for any part of the body. They are natural, so you know exactly what's going on your skin. Additionally, only a small amount is needed. (The oil particles are big enough that they don't fit inside pores and cause acne, so don't worry.)

Baby oil AKA "mineral oil" is another alternative, but on many people it can cause acne (it does on me, even though NOTHING else seems to give me acne, not even going days without washing my face), and I personally don't like putting petroleum products into my skin.

Make it your goal to drink more water... I drink 1L of water during the day, and 1L of water any time during the evening & before bed.

Annette : Thank you for the detailed info!

Looks like I need to cool do. I actually have been using an aloe vera gel so far and it works fairly well... I am not sure if it is pure though. Makes me wish I had a plant still, then I'd be fine.

What is so frustrating I think is that I normally have really oily skin so I always wash it daily otherwise it just looks... well... really bad, but I am going to try every other day or at least finding a better cleanser. Right now I'm using a Clean & Clear facial scrub, so I might have to find an alternative.

Potential thoughts on cocoa butter? I've been considering it since it works well for my hands and legs... but I don't know how oily it would be on my face.

Elara : Darn. I guess the best thing is to moisturize your face every day right after washing it.

I have a cocoa butter lotion I got a few years ago, and it works well for intense moisturizing. You have to rub it in for a while. It is really oily but you could still try it out. If you use it when your face is still damp from washing, you can use less and spread it over your entire skin surface easier.

The bottle and ingredients list will say 100% Aloe if it is pure. If you look on the ingredients, things making it "un-pure" might just be something like glycerine, which is neutral and fine for your skin (it's the same base that soap is made out of), so I'd still use it.

I work outside in the Canadian winter and my finger tips would split like deep paper cuts, I started using Shea butter bought in bulk at an African store, works fantastic. My wife uses it on her legs and other dry areas. My finger tips no longer split.