Dry Hands!

What's with our hands in Winter? Dry skin, cuticles cracking... Not a nice look. If you're like me, the second thing I notice when meeting someone after their face, their smile is, their hands. I'm not obsessed, far from it but in the case of women, I tend to look at their nails, especially if they wear nail polish. I like it when I see colors I wouldn't dare wear myself. So yes I notice hands. Also let's not forget, dry hands do look older and we don't want that.


Here is what I do, my tips...

Start with a gentle, non stripping soap, especially in the kitchen. The ones I like...

Savon de Marseille
I don't use anti-bacterial soaps nor do I go for liquid soaps in Winter. Like most everybody I have used them but most of them where being too harsh after a while. Savon de Marseille has several options, the basic olive oil is quite nice to have and has barely any fragrance to it. You can find it in health food stores as well as some drugstores.

For the bathroom I alternate between the following...

Dove Beauty Bar
Scented or not, gentle and almost creamy. I had stepped away from this for years until I rediscovered it last Summer. Non stripping and so inexpensive. Review here.

Avène Cold Cream bar
I received one as a gift with purchase and fell in love with it. Feels very creamy and is extra gentle on skin.


Keep them moisturized...

For moisture, I keep a bottle of almond oil in the kitchen next to the sink. A few drops on the back of my hands is all it takes to keep them moisturized when I'm at home cooking or doing chores. If my hands get wet they don't get slimy like they would with a hand cream and my food doesn't taste weird. Any oil will do for this. If like me you alternate between evoo and canola oil for cooking and don't want an extra bottle on your counter, they will do nicely. Simply use what you have.

Hand creams I like, Caudalie for daytime. This one penetrates quickly without leaving a greasy feel and the fragrance is not overwhelming. For night, Avène Cold Cream and if on any particular night my hands are extra dry, I layer it over a few drops of argan oil. For cuticles, unrefined shea butter or Dior Crème Abricot are favorites of mine.

And no, it's not necessary to spend a fortune on hand creams. You could go for Nivea, Neutrogena, Vaseline or any other drugstore brand of your choice and simply layer over a few drops of oil as mentioned.


The power of gloves...

Rubber gloves to protect your hands when doing the dishes.
Cotton gloves when you want really help to keep the moisture in at night.
Warm gloves when you go outside. Protecting them from the cold is a must.

Gloves are also to be considered to help prevent the proliferation of germs like cold, flu and any other nasty bugs out there. Wearing them reminds us not to touch our face.


A bit of history...

Apparently this brand was quite popular. I was looking for an old image to feature here and I stumbled on this one by accident. Apparently well know, I had never seen it before. Want to know more about it? Click here.

Pacquins Ladies Hand Cream (1942)

Winter Dryness Help / Body Skin

In my area we can't really complain about the Winter we're having so far. We did have a major snow storm but in all honesty we haven't had that many super cold days. One more month and we should be in the clear, hopefully.

There is still time to get days where it can feel like Siberia outside while inside it's more like the Tropics! We do tend to overheat our living spaces in Winter but there are still days when you feel you can't get warm unless you wear a fleece footed Onesie to stay warm. I personally can't stand those. I find they are more suitable for babies and so I prefer vests and shawls*. Yes shawls like the ones our grand mothers used to crochet. Leggings help too. I do wear them... Under my jeans!

Argh!!!

These conditions can be brutal on our skin. There are days, especially the ones at -70 C (I know I might be exaggerating a little here but it can sure feel like it), when my skin looks like it's going to crack because it's so dry. Body skin is fine. I can go for days using only oil at the end of my shower to moisturize. It's the more exposed bits that are problematic. My face of course is a little dryer and maybe even a little sensitive but my hands, arms and feet are the bits that suffer most. Yes feet! I wear flip flops indoors 355 days a year. The remaining 10 days are the ones when I have to wear socks because it's too cold in the house. It can get to the point where my socks will "screech" when I put them on so forget about putting on a pair of Dim® extra sheer stockings they wouldn't get past my toes. You can read more about feet care here.

What's a girl to do to have soft comfortable skin in Winter? Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

*slaps head* Of course! Why didn't we think of that???

As you may have read in a recent entry, it's a good idea to start with a gentle cleanser. For me it's the same principle as on my face. If my face feels a little dryer than usual I will not be using a gel cleanser, I'll go for a more creamy option like a milk cleanser. Read more about gentle body cleansers here.


Body moisturizers I like...

Oils
One trick I've mentioned before is using an oil at the end of my shower. On wet skin, I apply it all over and then pat dry with a towel. This helps seal in moisture and leaves a silky feel. Doing this you may not even have to use a body moisturizer after, especially if you do this in the morning. I keep a big bottle of unscented baby oil in the shower but any oil of you choice will do. The other two I like using a lot as well are almond and coconut oil.

Avène Cold Creme
A favorite of mine. This body lotion gives deep moisture and sinks in fast without any greasy feel. I use it every night on arms, legs and feet. Review here.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps
This I haven't reviewed yet. I must admit that I didn't want to like it but as it turns out, I love it! The lotion not the jar which goes by the name of Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter. This from what I've read balls up on the skin. Not something I particularly like. Creme de Corps is thick and rich, penetrates well and leaves a nice sensation on skin. It is the most expensive on my list. If you want to try it Kiehl's sells a small size for $12.00 which can be refilled for travel.

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter
No fragrance, thick and yet penetrates quickly for deep moisture. Review here.

CeraVe
Although I don't find it as moisturizing as many do, it's still a good one to have. I find it has a cool soothing effect upon application. It can easily be boosted with a few drops of oil like argan, almond, olive or any you might like. Review here.

La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm AP
This is serious stuff. Super extra thick, you don't need much. I don't have this one but have received several samples of it last August (I think). I've used it in the morning on my legs and by evening I could still feel the balm on my skin so this would be great option for nigh time use. Also fragrance free.

Nivea Body Lotion (Navy blue bottle)
Also a favorite, I like it more for morning due to the fragrance. Super affordable it's also great to have when you want to get more mileage out of your more expensive lotions. Review here.

The Body Shop
Has several excellent options, great body lotions and extra comfy body butters. All you have to do is choose the fragrance you like. I have a weakness for Coco butter myself.

Yves Rocher
Here is a brand that I haven't visited in a very long time, ever since my daughter was a baby in fact. Recently I've been reading excellent reviews of some of their offerings, especially the Repair Lotion Extra Dry Skin with shea butter. What's great is that in these boutiques there are always specials and promotions so it can be worth a stop. I know I'll try to make one soon.


Finally...

These are of course just my own suggestions. There are so many favorites out there and if you have already found yours, keep using it. Still I know it's fun to try new stuff since it would seem that even with our favorites we can get bored.

*If like me you wear shawls, please take it off for cooking. I wouldn't want any of you to go up in flames!

Image from the Toronto Public Library website

Give Your Feet Some Love!

For the longest time I've overlooked foot care in Winter. My feet where almost always covered so why bother? For the past several years I've been wearing flip flops in the house so I've had to make a few changes. Yes, in Winter! Unless it's a very cold day, I just can't stand wearing anything else This means that they are exposed and even if I don't always wear nail polish I don't want them to look neglected. There's also the fact that I don't like "hearing" them when I have to put on socks in the morning. To avoid this, here's what I do...