Baby It's Cold Outside!

Needless to say the much dreaded cold is upon us (at least in most of the northern hemisphere!) Tis the season for chapped lips, cracked hands and dry skin! But it doesn't have to be! With the right products, we can all look and feel as good as we did in the warmer months. One of my biggest winter pet peeves is that my hands dry and crack like there is no tomorrow. My lips handle cold better but they do inevitably chap. I feel like I have an overall dryness, yuck! Chicago cold getting to brutal and unbelievable lows doesn't help much. Here are some of the products I use to battle with effects of cold weather :)

Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion

This lotion does an amazing job moisturizing super dry areas on my body such as elbows and knees. I do have an occasional itchiness, due to dryness, on my elbows and it really helps soothe them. It has a thicker consistency than most lotions, absorbs pretty fast and cools on contact as it's formulated with menthol. Besides menthol another soothing ingredient in this lotion is colloidal oatmeal. I personally despise the menthol smell but this lotion definitely doesn't have an overpowering scent (nothing like that of Bengay no worries!), it's actually really faint so it doesn't bother me. I love products that come with pumps (which you can't see oops!) and this is no exception! :)

Neutrogena Hand Cream

I've been using this hand cream for years! This hand cream comes in this small tube and it also has a thicker consistency, a bit Vaseline-like. It is however nothing greasy like Vaseline, dries quickly and leaves hands super soft. Packaging reads "just a dab heals dry skin" and this is no gimmick.You do not need a lot of it for a good amount of moisture. I use this few times during the day as I remember as well as when I'm going to bed.

Bio-Oil

I bought Bio-oil to use it solely on two scars I got on my left hand as a result of breaking a tall rectangular glass while washing it (ouch!). I have seen improvement on these scars since I started using it. Scars have lightened up since using this oil. I then started using it on my face at night back in February after my face was became noticeably dry and had that stretched feeling to it. I started applying a thin coat of Bio-Oil few nights a week half an hour before going to bed and I have really benefited from it. Now that the weather is freezing again, I am back to this routine. I am not really a fan of using oils or oil-based products on my face but using this, I definitely feel like my skin is way more hydrated.

Vaseline

Vaseline comes in really handy for cracked heels. I have no idea why heels are even an issue in winter months as they are in socks and boots all day everyday. Maybe that's why? What I do is, generously apply Vaseline on my heels and balls of my feet, put on some socks and go to sleep! I hate even the idea of wearing socks when sleeping but this seems to work so I do it couple times a week :)

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

If my lips aren't that chapped, I use this scrub to gently exfoliate them. If they are really chapped, I skip the exfoliation step because it'll hurt! In mild cases, this lip scrub does a great job removing that dry and dead layer of skin from lips.

Lipbalms

There are hundreds of lip balms out there and I'm sure I have tried at least half of them, threw away half the ones I tried and have the half of other half sitting somewhere in my house. In my lip balm experience, as funny as it sounds, I have discovered there are different types of lip balms that work for different problems. A lip balm is not 'just a lip balm' in my case. Crazy, I know!

In a really severe case of chapped, cracked, dry lips and cold sores I prefer to use menthol based lip balms.They provide more comfort, moisture and I believe them to heal lips faster. Carmex is a life-saver in this case. It's in a gel-like form which leaves very refreshing and cooling sensation on lips. Doesn't have the most pleasant of scents but it does work! Sharps Daily Prep Lip Stuff comes next. I first bought this lip balm 4 winters ago when I had a really bad case of cold sores. My lips were outlined by this nasty red dryness which looked like badly lip-lined lips. I worked close to an apothecary that sold high-end and rare brands and was recommended this Sharps one by a sales person there. She was spot on! My lips healed not exactly overnight but the redness vanished overnight! This is from a men's skincare line but too bad! :)

If it's not that severe of a case but my lips are still chapped, I use one of the following. These two pretty much serve the same purpose. I am just including all of them to show you guys variety.

Victoria's Secret Pink Lip Butter with Organic Shea Butter - I'm not even sure if they still make these. It has a very nice minty smell and is very refreshing. I feel like I have a mint tic tac in my mouth every time I use this :) Goes on smooth and clear but leaves lips glossy.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm -Stronger minty scent, goes on clear. I think everyone has used/will use this lip balm at one point in their lives, Burt's Bees products are generally very popular and they are usually 100% natural.

If my lips are fine but I still feel the need to moisturize them just for the sake of moisture, I use my EOS or Nivea lip balms. I always have a lip balm in my purse and am definitely one of those people who busts out her lip balm every now and again. Why not? I like keepin' it smooth! ;)

I do not have a special winter moisturizer for my face. I just continue with my regular facial care routine and use my my Origin's A Perfect World Moisturizer as it has SPF in it. I think many people may think they don't need SPF because it's winter. However the UVA/UVB rays are still there. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they don't see you. It's a good idea to use SPF no matter what the season is. :)

What are your favorite winter life/skin-savers? 

Have a fabulous weekend!!! xoxo