What to Look For in a Winter Moisturizer

Winter is just around the corner which means that the weather outside is only going to get colder and drier from here on out. No one likes dry skin (or lips, or hair), and while seasonal dryness may seem inevitable, you can combat it with the right products.

Hair

Your skin isn’t winter’s only victim, the drastic change in temperatures you subject your hair to over the course of the day can dry it out. Going from the overheated indoors to the frigid outdoors over and over again, plus any unprotected heat styling can suck the moisture from your strands, leaving your hair frizzy, coarse, and uncooperative.

The Fix:

Look for the words “moisturizing” and “nourishing” on your shampoo and conditioner bottles. We recommend Kiehl’s Smoothing Oil Infused Shampoo and Conditioner, you can read our review here.

If switching out your shampoo and conditioner doesn’t work or doesn’t sound appealing (we get how hard it is to quit products that work great otherwise), try mixing an oil into your conditioner. A couple of drops of Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Moroccan Oil Treatment mixed into to your conditioner and your strands will return to their former silkiness.

If oils aren’t your thing, try a hair mask like Verb’s Hydrating Hair Mask. Equal parts buzzy and effective, this hair mask has 10K loves on Sephora for a reason.

Skin

“I love having dry skin,” said no one ever. Dry skin means flaky patches, uneven skin tone and texture, plus a whole bunch of other ‘fun’ things to deal with.

The Fix:

If drastic changes in temperature is drying out your hair, it’s probably drying out your skin too. Get a humidifier for your apartment or office space, they inject moisture into the environment and lessen the harsh effects of winter dryness. Consider checking out the Honeywell HCM350W Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier.

A humidifier may help while you’re inside, but you will have to go outside and brave the outdoors eventually. If you find that your regular routine just isn’t cutting it in the moisture department, then you need more powerful exfoliators and moisturizers. Regular, gentle exfoliation will smooth out any rough patches and help your moisturizer sink in. Winter is more of a concept than an actual season when you’re living in Miami, but whatever weather you’re facing Peter Thomas Roth’s Pumpkin Enzyme Mask is sure to do the trick! This stuff is glowy skin in a jar and I use it year round.

Now that your skin is properly exfoliated, it’s time to think about moisturizers. Look for moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which draws moisture from its surroundings to your skin. On the other hand ceramides fortify your skin’s natural barrier and prevent skin damage.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge has hyaluronic acid and it’s gel like consistency means it won’t be greasy the way some heavier moisturizers can be.

If you’d rather not spend $40 on a moisturizer there’s always the much loved CeraVe, which contains ceramides that’ll help protect your skin.

I can’t talk about battling off dry winter skin without talking about this product. Kiehl’s Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Mask was the only thing that helped my dried out skin when I went to Spain last winter. Every night, I would put a generous amount of this stuff on my face and I would wake up with incredibly soft skin. It’s earned a permanent place in my travel bag!

Lips

Just like the rest of our face, our lips are constantly exposed. Plus all the eating, drinking, and talking we do it’s no wonder our lips are so chapped and dry.

First off, ditch the super matte liquid lipsticks. These are particularly unforgiving if your lips are dry, especially if you’re wearing a dark color.

Stick to more moisturizing lipstick formulations. While they may not have as much pigment or staying power, it’s a better look than feathered lips and bits of color getting caught in the flakes of dry lip skin (gross).

A moisturizing tinted balm or a lip crayon are great because they’re both super moisturizing and pack a punch of color.

Neutrogena’s Moisture Smooth Color Stick is the best of both worlds. It has lots of color payoff while still being super hydrating. However, if you’re sensitive to scents or allergic to fragrance, these crayons have a bafflingly strong scent to them, so do your research before making a purchase.

If tinted lip balms are more your speed, try Kiehl’s Butterstick Lip Treatment. It’s chock full of hydrating ingredients and the color is lovely. I recommend the Rose color.

Last but not least, try an overnight lip mask like Bite Beauty’s Agave Lip Mask. It’s goopy and a little goes a long way, so the tube is sure to last you through the winter.

Body

Everyone knows that you should avoid taking very long, very hot baths and showers, but you can pry my 30 minute showers out of my dead pruney hands so we’re just going to ignore that advice. Here’s what you should do instead.

Get yourself a pair of exfoliating gloves, remember how regular exfoliation helps your face products and moisturizers sink in? The same thing is true for your body. Exfoliating gloves are cheap, reusable, and a lot less messy than typical scrubs. You can get them at any supermarket or drugstore. If you’re paying more than $10.00 for these, you’re getting ripped off.

The next step is, you guessed it, moisturizer! One trick is to moisturize while you’re still damp. The extra water on your skin helps lock in moisture.

Nivea’s Intense Healing Body Care is great for “lizard skin” legs and for those who deal with dry skin year round.

If you want something a bit more luxurious, there’s L’Occitane’s Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Milk Concentrate. The cream is rich and the smell is absolutely divine.

So there you have it! Enjoy your soft skin!

#WhattoLookForinaWinterMoisturizer #Moisturizer #winter #winterMoisturizer