PULSE LATER, GATOR SAY GOODBYE TO DRY SKIN.

Dry skin is one of winter's woes. Even if you don't live in snow country, you can be as scaly as an alligator with rough, sore heels and hands. And chapped lips that crack and bleed.

``The culprit is forced-air heat and a lack of humidity. And the Santa Ana winds don't help either by robbing your skin of moisture,'' says dermatologist Katie Rodan, who experienced the hot, dry winds firsthand while growing up in Woodland Hills.

She explains that the body is more than 60 percent water, and although you don't actually lose water, forced-air heating can pull the moisture from your skin. ``It compromises the barrier of your skin called stratum corneum ... and it makes you vulnerable to moisture loss and more receptive to allergy or irritation ... and that can cause those red patches of eczema.''

Although she has helped create several skin-care products, including ProActiv Solution for acne and Radiant for sun damage, Rodan hasn't developed a moisturizer yet. Until then, she goes to the store and tries them all - just like the rest of us - noting differences in fragrance, texture and ingredients.

And there are so many to choose from.

``The newest thing in skin care - the ingredient of the month - is anti-oxidants, but there's no guarantee they'll get to the targeted cells,'' she says. Other moisturizers have humectants that attract water to skin, but the key is the amount, so see how high it's placed on the list of ingredients (the higher the listing, the larger the amount), she instructs.

Whatever you buy, use it.

``The biggest problem people have is remembering to moisture daily,'' says Rodan.

- Barbara De Witt

Hydration Rx

If you're suffering from dry, itchy or chapped skin, try Rodan's daily skin-care routine:

1. Drink six to eight glasses of water to hydrate your body and flush toxins out of the body.

2. Take short, cool showers instead of long, hot showers or baths that actually rob the body of moisture.

3. Choose a hydrating soap that is superfatted or made with glycerin. She prefers Cetaphil or a creamy body wash by Oil of Olay that leaves a film of moisture on the skin, but the Mayo Clinic also suggests Dove and Lever 2000.

4. Moisturize and pat yourself dry instead of rubbing vigorously. Rodan's favorite over-the-counter moisturizer is AmLactin, a fragrance-free moisturizer with lactic acid and alpha hydroxy acids that remove dead skin. Her favorite luxury brand is Jo Malone's Ginseng Day Moisturizing Cream available at Neiman Marcus. Other good products are Cetaphil cream, Eucerin, Advanced Therapy Lubriderm, Moisturel and Vanicream.

5. Turn on the humidifier. Sorry, but she says a bowl of water or small fountain won't have the same benefits. She also advises people with asthma and mold allergies to consult their physician before using humidifiers.

6. Rub a heavy moisturizing cream, oil or even Vaseline into your feet and hands at bedtime and wear socks and gloves. There also are moisturizing mitts available that help trap moisture while you sleep and make your hands feel like you've had a paraffin dip at a salon.

7. Protect your hands. Wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning house or gardening, and avoid frequent washing with hot water and strong soaps. If you're worried about germs at the office during flu season, Rodan suggests using Cetaphil soap-free cleanser and wiping instead of rinsing it off.

8. Prevent dryness - and skin cancer - by using sunscreen whenever you're outdoors.

- B.D.

NOBODY WALKS IN L.A.: But some like to run. The Nike Run Hit Wonder 5K/10K, set for Feb. 16 in Hollywood, will feature performances by Missing Persons, Flock of Seagulls, Animotion and former RATT lead singer Stephen Pearcy. Proceeds will benefit the Fund for Arthritis and Inflammatory Research (FAIR). Free training sessions are being held each week in Woodland Hills, Westwood, Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. For more information, visit www.nikerunning.com/runla or call [phone].

- Mariko Thompson

ENERGIZE YOURSELF: Too many holiday parties and bouts of sneezes and sniffles wearing you out? Maybe all you need are two extra glasses of water for an energy surge or a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast instead of a bagel and decaf coffee. And speaking of decaf, make sure it's been decaffeinated with a water-only process instead of chemicals - which are similar to those used in paint strippers and dry cleaning solutions - warn Carol Morley and Liz Wilde in their new book ``Energize: 100 Natural Ways to Recharge'' (Warner Books; $10.95). The book is one of four in a series called Handbag Honeys because they're small enough to tuck in a handbag or tote and read on the fly. And if you've got room in your purse, add exercise physiologist and weight management specialist Elaine Gavalas' similar series based on yoga.

In ``The Yoga Mini Book for Energy and Strength'' (Fireside Books; $10) Gavalas explains all the different types of yoga and positions and then gives you little exercise tricks to revive yourself during a long day. Among them are a ``seated head tap'' in which you sit straight in a chair with your legs together and feet flat on the floor. Then gently and lightly tap all around your head with loosely closed fists. As you tap, take slow, deep breaths. Do this for approximately 10 seconds. She adds that tapping your shoulder and working your way down your arm increases circulation that energizes the mind and body.

- B.D.

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(2) no caption (book: ``Energize: 100 Natural Ways to Recharge'')

(3) no caption (book: ``The Yoga Mini Book for Energy and Strength'')