Winter Essentials: Hydration

Feeling the chill in the air? How about the jingle of holiday music? What does that mean? Winter is right around the corner!

I've decided to do a Winter Essentials Special; a multi-part blog post highlighting things that have made winter in Washington more enjoyable for this Washingtonian.




Of course, winters in Washington aren't quite as severe as some that you see around the country. We don't get feet of snow or weeks of subfreezing temperatures...but we do deal with some of the same effects of the cold, and the dryness of the freezer season.
This first part of the Winter Essentials will highlight hydration. I'm not talking about electrolytes and ample amounts of good ol' H2O (although, that's important too!). I'm talking about hydration from the outside; lotion, lip balm, hair oils, you see what I mean.
Anyone that knows me knows I struggle with dry skin all over my body 24/7, but especially during the winter. My lips are crackled, I get dry, itchy patches of skin on my face, my elbows, knees and heels crack. Basically I can't keep enough moisturizing products on this largest organ of mine. Through the years, I've found products that work best for me and keep my skin soft and supple for longer than a couple of hours. Here goes!

First! Body lotion! I have a favorite. It's Gold Bond Ultimate; Radiance Renewal. It has shea butter, it has coconut oil, it has cocoa butter. Let me tell you. It is luscious. It smells wonderful. It absorbs quickly for the amount of thick oils that are in it. I have tried so many brands folks. Dove, Neutrogena, Aveeno, prescription diabetic lotions, CeraVe, Cetaphil, in shower body lotions, wraps; the list goes on. Now some might ask why I am buying a "big" brand instead of a smaller business, or one that is made with more natural products. I have used those too, honestly, and if you have a product that you'd like to recommend--please do! So far, this is the best one that I can find that works for me. I have used plain coconut oil, cocoa butter and shea oils by themselves, but found they were too greasy to apply and then dress. I ended up with oily stains on my clothes. I do still use them straight for deep conditioning on days I can apply it and put ugly clothes on to let it absorb (like on blog post days!). They also seem to draw an abundance of kisses from my wonderful, oil-loving, obsessive-grooming dog...so instead of my body getting the moisture, he will lick it off my arms, hands, feet and legs, get the wonderful effects in his coat and leave me slimy and smelling like dog saliva. Not my fave scent.

Second! Lips! My lips are dryyyy...like the desert, people. I am prone splitting and even worse; Cold sores. :( I've battled this issue since I was very young, like 5. I am a chronic lip licker and like my mama always told me, licking your lips DOES. NOT. HELP. To alleviate some of the dryness, I use a lip scrub and a quality lip balm. The scrub I use is made by e.l.f....the vanilla sugar version. I just follow the directions right on the tube...put it on, scrub it in until its mostly dissolved, and pat it away with a damp towel. Immediately after I use a good lip balm. Now honestly, this product preference is up for debate. I love lip balm. I'm not kidding. I have a collection. I have a few that I prefer over others, but I just love the stuff. I typically use Burt's Bee's lip balm in the peppermint variety. It has a firmer wax, which feels less greasy on the lips than your Carmex or Blistex or even Chapstick. It's my current fave, so I'll go with it. They obviously have other "flavors" including a seasonal Vanilla Chai that is calling my basic-white-girl name!! In all reality, I am not going to try and sell you on one brand of lip balm. There are a million options, use whatever your heart desires...just use it right after the lip scrub.

Third! Face moisturizer! Ever heard of Egyptian Magic? I hadn't either, then I tried it and will never stray from it. Let me preface with the fact that I have combination skin that leans towards the dry side during the winter months. It may be too oily for those with oily skin. Anywho, it comes in a pot, it's a hard oil/wax combo that quite frankly is a bit off-putting at first, but give it a shot!! I use it in the morning and at night, a lot of folks seem to prefer using it at night only (see what I mean, crazy dry skin guys) It has no scent, so if you're using it and start sniffing around for what it smells like, it falls somewhere between cooking oil and nothingness. It's not for everyone, but it's worth a try if you have stubborn dry spots. You can use it on your lips too!

Annnddd lastly, hair moisturizer. I don't do a lot to my hair. Let's face it, I work with animals all day so my look of choice is a ponytail or messy bun. I don't use a blow dryer or styling tools much, but I certainly deal with the static that makes you look like you've stuck your finger in a light socket. Ugh, my hair sticks to me, sticks out to bless the heavens, shocks people and is all around inconvenient all winter long. I have a favorite line of products that has worked really well for me and my stick straight locks. It's called the Macadamia Naturals or Professionals and is a little pricey, but worth it for me. I have used both the Nourishing Moisture Masque and it's a favorite. Talk about your hair being shiny and soft! I have also used the Oil Spray on days between washes to keep static down. I use the Masque every other wash or so, and the oil when I style my hair between washes (and by "style", I mean halfheartedly straightening it). Give it a shot. Pro tip: Keep your eyes peeled at overstock type stores; Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Ross, whatever is in your area. They sometimes stock it and a greatly reduced price. I have noticed this line is strong smelling. I like the scent, but not everyone is a fan. Because of it's price point, I would recommend finding it in a store so you can smell it first.

So there you go! Those are my go-to products to keep from feeling like my skin is splitting open and burning with every move I make during this season. If you have similar skin and have other products you recommend, please let me know! I'm always trying new things to keep my skin oiled up. Of course, you can take vitamins like D and E to help hydrate you from the inside out (us Washingtonians really should consider taking Vitamin D pretty much all year long, but that something to talk to the doc about!). Thanks for listening. Stay moisturized, friends!

xoxo
Jill