Your New Winter Refresh Starts NOW

While winter is gripping the nation and may make this hard to believe, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is called spring…

Alright kids, we did it: we’re more than halfway through the season we call winter. And, if you can hold out for just a little while longer (March 20 to be exact), I promise it’ll be worth it.

Not sure you can make it? I feel ya but trust, you can. I BELIEVE IN YOU! And if you need a little help along the way, might I suggest indulging in a little winter self-care to help beat the snow-covered blues away until those first rays of spring sunshine peek through? You don’t need to suffer through dry skin and static-y hair and cracked cuticles just because the calendar says so. Refresh your winter self-care routine and reclaim the moisture you’re so desperately missing!

Does your face feel like it’s going to fall off every time the wind blows?

Your skin is probably dehydrated thanks to the lethal combination of whipping winds, freezing temperatures, a lack of moisture in the atmosphere (snow on your lashes doesn’t count) and the hot, dry air coming out of your space heater. And if you’re still using the same skincare products you used during the more humid summer months, things can be doubly painful.

Instead of reaching for the same stuff every day, consider switching it up with a new cleanser/moisturizer duo, especially for your morning routine to protect against the elements. For your cleanser, consider something super gentle that won’t strip your skin of its natural, necessary oils. Something like the Egg White Cleansing Bar from Lanolips is ideal because it’s not only incredibly gentle, it also contains moisturizing lanolin that closely resembles your skin’s molecular structure.

After you’ve cleansed with lukewarm water — never hot! It’ll dry you out even more — hydrate the heck out of your face. Since it’s freezing and your skin is already pretty dry, you really need a product that will not only redeposit necessary hydration into your skin, but that will also keep it there. Your best bet? An oil-based moisturizer. Don’t be scared to use oil during the day: start with 1-2 drops and build from there to find the ideal amount for your skin. Ere Perez’s Australian Blue Cypress Face Nectar is the best of both worlds: lightweight enough to wear during the day and not look like an oil slick by noon but potent enough to fortify and repair skin.

And of course, your skin is only as healthy as what you put into your body, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, sipping on that antioxidant-rich warm tea and eating enough fresh produce and good-for-you stuff to counteract all the mac and cheese you need to warm your frigid bones. (What? Just me?) Admittedly, ripe, delicious fruits and veggies can be tougher to come by mid-winter (not to mention more expensive), so feel free to supplement if your skin is craving some extra nutrients. (Need a recommendation? I like Moon Juice’s Night Beauty — it’s packed with skin-healing and -repairing vitamins and minerals.)

Is your hair doing that whole static-electricity-standing-on-end thing?

Blame the weather, again. Cold air sucks moisture out of your strands, leaving them brittle, weak and break-prone. And when that cold air is dry, it fills with static — there’s no moisture to get in its way — and makes your dry hair look a little crazy every time you remove a hat/scarf/sweater/all three. While you can’t fight static 100%, you can make sure your hair is as hydrated as possible since moisture will help repel the static in the air. To that end, you’ll want to reach for a super-moisturizing shampoo and conditioner on the days you wash your hair. (And don’t overwash, either! It’ll dry your strands out further.)

Do your hands look like they’ve aged 40 years in the last month?

Again, moisturize!!! Unless you’re a nudist, it’s safe to say the majority of your skin is covered when you venture into the cold but, along with your face, your poor hands are likely to withstand a large dose of the elements. (Texting gloves…don’t work, right?)

I’ll assume you’re covered in the hand cream department because honestly, how can you live with sandpaper hands! But did you know that your nails can also suffer from the weather? And while standard hand cream will do some good, they really need their own specifically-formulated moisturizer? ‘Tis true. So show your nails and cuticles some love with a hydrating, nourishing oil like The Rose Oil from Tenoverten. Not only will the light rose scent make you want to sniff your hands all day, it’ll help strengthen brittle nails and hydrate peeling nailbeds.