Winter is coming folks! Actually, it’s already here, which means
it’s time to break out the protective layers to arm ourselves against the harsh and volatile
weather; but before you run for the closet to pull out every jacket, sweater
and pair of boots you own make a quick stop at the powder room to apply a
different, yet equally important layer
of protection..to your face! Ladies and gentlemen, just like we protect our
skin from the blistering damage of the sun in summer, so to must we protect it
from the blistering cold in winter. You wouldn’t walk outside in a pair of
shorts and a crop top in 40 degree weather would you? No, so layer up! Same
goes for your face! Moisturizer, moisturizer, moisturizer people, slather in on
in all forms and keep your skin hydrated just like you would in summer,
possibly more so! Yes I know there may be wet slushy stuff on the ground and in
the air but at such low temperatures I can tell you it isn’t doing you a lick of good in the
hydration department, in fact it’s doing just the opposite. So here are some
things I use to keep my skin from getting dry, chapped and irritated during the
holiday season, as well as some of my everyday skincare steps.
I love a good toner/astringent any time of the year but when
the weather starts to cool down I set aside the slightly harsher oil fighting
toner for something a bit gentler like a hydrating toner. My go to for all
times of the year is my Alcohol-Free Skin Extertise HydraFresh Toner from
L’Oreal Paris ($6 at Target):
It’s gentle enough that it doesn’t burn and feels very
refreshing yet it still strong enough to help stave off the acne and can really
clean of any dirt or makeup clinging to your face after you wash. (I use toner
after I get out of the shower even, you’d be surprised how much dirt and grime
doesn’t come off in the shower)
The other toner I like is the hydrating toner from Jafra
(left), it’s great if you already have chapped or oversensitive skin because
it’s very mellow and doesn’t have any burn to it at all. That said, if my skin
starts to act up in the acne department I switch over to the L’Oreal again or
combine them. I also like the balancing toner from Jafra (right), which I use
in the summer to help with acne and to curb oil production. These are a bit
more pricey at $15 but they last a long time!
On to moisturizers! Okay so this next one doesn’t really
count as a moister sure but I love it, RoC Retinol Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.
Retinol as you may know is used for skin turnover, celebrities love this stuff!
It’s like a pain free, mini chemical peel that you apply at night and sluffs
off dead dry skin while you sleep! I like it because it leaves my pores open to
really soak up my moisturizer in the morning and gives my skin a tightness and
glow that’s just lovely to wake up to. Plus! It’s not super oily or creamy; it
stays on my face, which means it’s not on my pillowcases, yay!
In the morning I use coconut oil. Yes I know, “Ugh, we are
back to coconut oil again,” I was a
coconut oil skeptic myself but hey, I found it works for me. It goes great
under my makeup and helps lighten the redness on my face casued by old acne
marks. I get it from a health food store called Sprouts for $10. It sounds
pricey but it lasts, you get a ton of it. Really, it’s heavy, do not drop this thing on your foot. It IS
a solid when you buy it but dip your fingers into it to apply and it melts to
oil pretty fast as it comes into contact with the heat from your skin.
While I’m on the subject I have also fallen for the coconut
milk mask. It’s super hydrating, better that lotion! I apply it as if it were lotion, I keep it in the fridge in
a tuba wear and when I’m just sitting at home I pop it open and rub some on my
face, even in my hair if I’m taking a shower later. It’s cool so it is very
soothing, I used to do yogurt masks but they had nothing on this. It doesn’t
stink either! I’ve slept in this overnight before, it doesn’t smell sour in the
morning as milk or yogurt would . The enzymes in this are very good for both
skin and hair. Other masks are exceedingly irritating to my skin but not this.
And you can’t beat the price, .79 cents at Sprouts, I prefer the premium kind
because it’s thicker:
Finally
face creams! I use Verage, it is a natural moisturizer made completely from 99%
pure essential oils. No ‘oils’ does not mean ‘oily; I actually prefer this
because it’s not super greasy on my
skin and does not leave a residue on my face as it is made from essential oils
that sink in rather than sit on. It’s great under makeup; I might even go so far as to say it
helps my makeup stay in place! (Another perk is this stuff doesn’t have a shelf
life as the only chemicals in in are those found naturally in plants, it
doesn’t discolor or become harmful to your skin after so long. That means you
never throw half a bottle of it away!)
You can find this and the whole skincare line here: http://mydoterra.com/skinchic
(For a full in depth on this skin care line, right
down to the oils used in each product visit my Verage blog post! http://myempresschic.blogspot.com/2015/09/verage-skin-care-seminar-anti-aging.html
)
However as far as cheaper drugstore finds go I also like
Garnier’s Ultra Lift Firming Anti-Wrinkle cream ($12.50). Like all non-natural
creams it leaves a bit of a residue but if you are going for mega moisture and
a nice firm feel this is it. The moisturizing cream is also good but a little
much for me, you might like it if you have severely dry skin, I find the
firming cream to be a nice in between cream. Also I like the pump cream bottle
if you noticed; when you dip your fingers in a jar of cream you contaminate the
whole jar. Contamination and bacteria can also cause the cream to have a
shorter shelf life as it will discolor more quickly. Also, you know, bacteria..bad
for the skin and all that.
