Our cover model’s top 5 winter beauty secrets for nurses!

Your job is to help people feel better, and it’s one of the toughest around. If there’s one thing that can make your day-to-day even more difficult, it’s good ol’ winter. Sure, seasons are nice, but achieving that “healthy and glowing” look can feel like double-duty when you’re battling the bitter cold.

The good news is that you can still look and feel your best on the job, even when battling that fickle “brrr” factor. To help you on your way, we asked for five winter beauty tips from Marina Dedivanovic—ER nurse, star of ABC’s prime-time series NY Med and current Scrubs cover model!

Here are a few special tips and tools that Marina uses to keep winter beauty obstacles at bay.

1. Stock up on that dry shampoo!

Finding the time for a good hair wash is difficult enough when your schedule is totally hectic. When winter weather strikes, the thought of trekking to or from work with potentially wet hair can make the task even more trying. If you’re prone to oily hair (and even if you’re not!), make sure to slip some dry shampoo into your work bag so you can eliminate oil quickly on the go.

2. Put that waterproof eyeliner and mascara to good work.

Two things that can easily turn freshly applied eye makeup into a not-so-fresh mess: sweat and wet weather, like rain or snow. As an ER nurse working in a fast-paced New York hospital, Marina has the (un)pleasure of dealing with both. Her solution? Waterproof eyeliner and mascara. She adds that her go-to brand for longer-lasting mascara is Loreal’s Voluminous in carbon black.

3. Plot to blot!

Chances are, if the cold winter weather is making your skin feel tight and dry, you’re turning to moisturizer a lot more than usual. However, when you’re on the move, all that extra moisture can be the source of some serious shine. Marina recommends that you carry blotting tissues so you can clear excess oil without having to touch your face, as your hands may not be sanitary. Oh, and remember to drink up (water, that is) to combat dry skin from the inside out.

4. Give your hands some love.

You work with your hands—a lot. So when cold winter winds and dry indoor air have the skin on your hands running scared, it can be a real problem. For softer skin, Marina fills a set of gloves with Vaseline and slips them onto both hands for a full night’s sleep once a week. And in the morning, voilà! Soft, happy hands. To avoid discomfort, she recommends using a pair that’s one size too large.

Oh, and for the dry, cracked skin on your feet, you can apply the same remedy. Just swap out the gloves for a pair of socks!

5. Smell yummy, feel yummy.

For patients unlucky enough to have landed in the hospital, it’s all about the little things. Even scents can act as a powerful pick-me-up. Marina tells us that when working, she often carries a small bottle of marshmallow-scented hand sanitizer around her neck. Not only is it practical, but the marshmallow scent also quickly became one that her patients recognize and associate with her. The downside? Bath and Body Works only carries the scent once a year, around Halloween time, so Marina has to stock up while she can. We asked her what “stocking” looks like; she answered, “About 50.”

Aside from the aromatic hand sanitizer, Marina also reminds nurses to look for 24-hour, scented antiperspirant. It may be cold outside, but your body is still producing sweat round-the-clock—especially when you’re needed in 14 differences places at one time.

What are some of your top winter beauty tips? Share them with us in the comments section below!