Winter Skin Beauty Guide

Many of you are probably feeling the effects of winter already on your skin, and it hasn’t even officially begun yet. Dry skin, dull hair, cracked lips—the list could keep going. If you’re shaking your head while you read this, you are not alone. I feel your pain! It is still fairly warm here in Southern California, and my lips and hands are already taking a turn for the worse. I’ve collected my favorite products and tricks to fight the winter skin blues.

Face Care

The Clinique 3 Step System is by far my favorite face wash, toner, cream combination. It may seem expensive at first, but it really does its job. The face wash is very mild and then when you follow with the toner, you can really feel it cleaning your face. Then my absolute favorite is the Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion. This doesn’t make my skin greasy like a lot of other heavy creams do in the winter, but it still allows my skin to hold moisture all day long. I have tried many different products and this always gives me the results that I want.

Body Care

Nothing is worse than having cracked hands and flaky skin for four months, so finding good lotion is essential early on. Yes, you can do damage control, but why suffer when you can flaunt your perfect skin? My go-to? Cocoa Butter! I love The Body Shop’s Cocoa Butter Body Butter. It will leave your skin silky smooth all day, and it smells great too. If you really want to keep that dry skin at bay, use the Body Scrub once a week when you are showering and follow with the cream.

If you prefer going the natural route, I also love using virgin coconut oil on my body and my face. You only have to use a small amount and you will feel the difference almost immediately. It is also nice because the jars are a pretty good size so it lasts for a while and they are not too expensive.

Lip Care

Chapped lips are never comfortable, but they are especially painful in the winter. It feels like you get into a never ending cycle of reapplying product. This is why it is so important to find a good chapstick that will relieve dryness and condition your lips, after one use. I have a few favorites that I like to keep in my different bags, so that I never have to go without.

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

This has been one of my favorite lip balms since high school can be found at pretty much every grocery store, drugstore or large retailer in America. The Beeswax and Vitamin E will condition and moisturize, while the peppermint perfectly refreshes! If you haven’t tried it, stop by your local CVS or Target and pick some up.

Minted Rose Lip Balm

If you are looking for an alternative to your typical chapstick, this is the answer. It will leave your lips extremely soft and adds just the right amount of shine. I like to use this lip balm before I go out because it is a littler fancier than my other ones. You can also use this on dry skin, like elbows and knees, so it makes for the perfect purse accessory. Check out Sephora and give it a try!

Hair Care

My hair gets extremely dry in the winter and pretty unmanageable, so I like to do homemade masks to revive and moisturize it, without buying a lot of product. My favorite DIY mask is mixing one part olive oil and one part coconut oil. Once you have mixed it together, you leave it on your hair for about 15 minutes and then rinse it out. You can follow with your normal shampoo routine after if you prefer. I like to do this at least once a month to add the moisture back to my hair that it lost due to the harsh elements of winter and the damage caused from styling.

Accessorize

Aside from using the correct face wash, cream and lip balm, it is also important to protect your skin with layers such as hats, gloves and scarves. Exposed skin will be more prone to chapping and redness. I love the cold weather essentials that Gap and Old Navy are carrying this year, like this pair of gloves and this fluffy scarf:

These are my favorite skin products and accessories for wintertime to keep my skin and hair looking their best. Share some of your favorite products below!