Winter Skin and Hair Relief

I'm not sure where February went, but I know I was cold most of the time!  I have been trying to nourish my hair and skin, since it is so dry up in this Polar Vortex, but really I'm just looking forward to warm weather.  Until I can complain about the harsh heat and humidity of the summer, here's how I'm keeping myself feeling human!

• Limit hot showers.  Though pruning myself under a steamy spray is the only thing I want to do at any point during the day or night, all that hot water sucks the natural oils right out of skin and hair.  Trust me and skip a day or two as often as you can manage.
• Lube up, not smell up.  When skin is dry, thirsty, chapped or chafed, the last thing you want to do is rub that sweet-winter-pumpkin-spice lotion into it!  I have been devoted to my organic coconut oil...it is so hydrating and there is no stinging or stinking.  Also in my current stable is Josie Maran's Whipped Argan Oil ultra-hydrating body butter.  So moisturizing and has a really light scent.
• Same goes for hands.  I still wash my hands a lot, but I try to use lukewarm water and moisturize after each cleansing.  I've put away my smell-good hand cream in favor of my old standby L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream, made with 20% shea butter, and a barely-there scent.
• Love your locks!  When I do wash my hair, I try to use super-gentle, moisture rich cleansers and conditioners.  My newest favorite is actually a nourishing cleansing oil made for curly hair...if you know me you know that is not my hair!  It has a light lather, soft scent and crazy moisture which doesn't seem to weigh down my fine-ish hair.  (Ouidad Curl Recovery, more info at www.ouidad.com)
• Face foes.  Unless you cover your entire face with protective gear every time you step outside, you will have effects from this frigid weather, be it dryness, chapped lips, windburn...baby, it's brutal!  I follow the same rules for my face as I do for the rest of my skin...wash it gently, hydrate it thoroughly and often, and avoid harsh chemicals and scents when it is particularly sensitive like it is during the winter.  My favorite cleansers are Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser and B. Kamins Vegetable Cleanser.  I've been following those up with a serum/sunscreen like Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum and either Korres Quercetin & Oak day cream or Ren Hydra-Calm Global Protect Day Cream.  Ahh, relief!

Try to keep things simple.  The more you do to your hair and skin when it's cold and windy outside, let alone hot and dry inside, the more irritation you're likely to experience.  So throw on an extra layer or two and remember...the first person who complains that it's SSSSOOOOOOOOO HAAAWWWWT this summer is going to get a perm, with pink and grey rods!! (seen on pinterest!)  Haha!!

xo from the tundra,
Lindsay