I grew up in the desert. My family spent a lot of time picnicking and hiking out in the sand, and so I have some experience with really dry weather and skin care. I was not very concerned about my skin when I was younger, and the dry climate often caused my skin to crack open. My knuckles would actually bleed if they became too dry, and I hate to think about my perpetually black dry knees and elbows.
My mom was always badgering me to use some lotion, but I usually did not do so until I saw the blood. My face was not as prone to dryness, but I did have raw red dry patches that would pop up on my cheeks at certain times of the year. The early winter (especially November) seemed to be the time when I was most prone to having this happen. I think what saved me was scented lotion. I didn’t like taking the time to put on lotion, but my mom started to get some really luxuriant-smelling lotions. I wanted to put them on to smell good, but they also fixed my dry skin problem. If you have kids that resist lotion for their dry skin, you might want t0 try scents that will appeal to them. It might just do the trick.