The dream of reaching out to people of all ages, skin types and tones to spread awareness about managing winter skin came to life beautifully on the world’s first My Best Winter Skin (MBWS) Day on October 24 on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and on campus at Howard University. This year’s MBWS Day marked a thrilling start to a full-fledged seasonal campaign built around public education, volunteerism and giving to the SOCS Foundation to help support innovative research in skin of color dermatology.

Dedicated teams of SOCS members, medical students and dermatology residents from Northwestern University and Howard University enthusiastically interacted with the public and fellow students respectively, shared educational tips for managing winter skin that were developed by the SOCS Patient Education Committee, and distributed free moisturizers generously donated by campaign sponsors, La Roche-Posay and Cerave.

We are deeply grateful for the fantastic support and participation from so many who have rallied around this campaign with passion and purpose, including: Chicago-based SOCS members Drs. Caroline Robinson, Roopal Kundu and Elizabeth Kiracofe, along with Hannah Soltari, President of the Northwestern University Dermatology Interest Group; in Washington, DC, medical students Shanae’ Henry and Ugonna Nwannunu, co-founders of Skin Scholars, the Howard University Dermatology Society, and all the medical students and dermatology residents in both locales who gave their time and passion to make these rewarding events such a huge success and a model for the annual, nationwide campaign.

Building on the tremendous momentum of these two dynamic MBWS launch activities, SOCS members in 17 states in the USA have committed to present outreach events in their communities and on college campuses in the coming months, featuring SOCS volunteers who will distribute our MBWS educational material and give the donated products in SOCS-branded travel bags to raise awareness about optimal winter skin care and generate donations to the SOCS Foundation.

We gratefully recognize the generous support from our MBWS sponsors: