It's Cold! Emergency Skin Care.

Love Canada in Winter... Not!!!

These days we're in a cold spell and what this means is that a few adjustments have to be made so that your skin won't end up paying the price.

Emergency care if you are taken by surprise

This happened to me two years ago. For some reason my facial skin got super extra dry. This was quite a surprise to me since I've always had combination skin that was more on the oily than dry side. I think what happened was a combination of stress and extreme cold. Our home heating system wasn't working properly and we ended up spending a few days at 19 degrees Celsius in the house. Not too comfy!

At night...

Get a milk cleanser or even unscented baby oil to remove your makeup. These will be less drying and you can simply finish off with a damp washcloth.

Kick it up a notch with your facial moisturizer. For this you don't need to go out and buy a super expensive cream. You can simply boost the one you already have with a few drops of oil. Again, baby oil can be used as well as argan, almond or even extra virgin olive oil. Any you have available. Just be careful if you are clog prone not to use too much.

On extra cold nights, petroleum jelly or Aquaphor can be used on damp skin. Yes, on your face.

In the morning...

On those frigid mornings you could consider using your night cream under your sunscreen for better protection against the cold. I personally find that foundation on those days doesn't work so well so I usually skip. By doing so, it gives you the possibility to use a barrier cream or something like Elizabeth Arden's Height Hour Cream before you go out. Note that petroleum jelly and Aquaphor can also do the job. You can wait to get to work before applying your powder and blush and it won't look too bad if you have to use one of these options again when you return home. If you were to wear foundation, well, it would be a mess.

The importance of a good sunscreen...

Ever noticed how sunny it is on those extra cold days? Unless your head is completely covered, you need to apply a good sunscreen. The reflection of UV rays on surfaces but especially on snow can play tricks on you so it's really important. Look into Bioderma, Avène, La Roche Posay, Ombrelle or Shiseido if you have oily skin. These all offer brilliant protection.

To help keep the moisture in...

You may want to consider something with hyaluronic acid which would help retain moisture. Two products to consider, the first Dormer 211 Hand & Face cream available in drugstores for about $13.00. The other, Hydraluron available at Shoppers Drug Mart for around $30.00. You can read about it on Daly Beauty here.

Finally to help avoid dry skin at home, a warm mist humidifier in your bedroom at night may make a big difference. They range from $30.00 to $60.00 and can be found in drugstores.

Finally...

These are the kind of days and nights where it feels good to warm up your hands holding a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Recipe for Double Hot Chocolate, here.

Winter Lips!

It's cold outside, dry and overheated inside! What this means is that my lips are getting dry, tend to crack and peel. Ouch!

Now that's if I don't do anything. It's not an option for me not to treat them. For years I was able to keep smooth lips without the use of lip balms due to lipstick. Whether the formulas I was wearing where more moisturizing or my lips got dryer with time I have no idea. These days I have to use lip balms period!

Plus I do want to keep them looking as plump as possible for as long as I can. Lips don't have oil glands so we have to give them some. No collagen either so for anti aging an SPF lip balm of at least 15 reapplied several times during the day is a must if you spend a lot of time outdoors. For loss of volume nothing topical will make any difference. Lip plumpers will only work temporarily due to the irritants they include in their formulas like cinnamon, ginger, menthol and forms of capsacin (the spicy chemical found in chili peppers). For a more permanent solution only a surgical procedure will do.

The price range for good lip balms go from $1.00 to $100.00. You can get them at the Dollar store or you can go for brands like La Mer, Sisley or La Prairie. It's really up to you. Go for the ones you love. I'm just presenting you my own favorites.

Personally I don't go much for high end any more for skin care and that includes lip care. I've been able to find effective products that are more budget friendly.

My 2 favorite lip balms

Nuxe Rêve de Miel

New lips overnight! When I apply a good layer of this at night before bedtime I wake up with soft deeply moisturised lips. In fact by morning, I can still feel the balm on my lips. Most brands just disappear overnight but not Rêve de Miel. It contains among other ingredients, honey, plant oils, shea butter and grapefruit essence.

Although I use Rêve de Miel mainly at night, it's great to apply over certain colors of lipstick to make them appear more matte giving lips a more natural look. This works great with shades like Clinique's Tenderheart.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner

The one I use in daytime. Also quite matte it helps keep peelies at bay. Although it almost feels dry at first, in no time you feel the moisture. The stick form makes it easy to carry. I love this one under lipstick and keep one in my coat pocket. Grape-seed polyphenols (have anti oxidants properties), Shea butter, Castor oil and beeswax are it's main ingredients. Since I started using this balm I've rarely sensed the need to exfoliate my lips because I do feel it helps with the skin's renewal process.

For UV protection

Neutrogena, La Roche Posay, Avène, Bioderma as well as several other brands make good lip balms with an SPF of 15 or more. Simply chose the one you like. I find that Neutrogena is pretty good myself and wears well under lipstick.

Other options

Avène, A-Derma, Weleda (Everon), Estée Lauder, Clarins..... Every company makes one and yes, it's ok to have a few. I have several and my daughter has an extended collection. We have them all over the house and each have our favorites. My daughter's is eos for now while hubby goes for a homemade balm made of half unrefined Shea butter and half coconut oil flavored with vanilla extract. I myself sometime simply reach for the tub of Vaseline Cocoa Butter Petroleum Jelly which tastes so yummy. Not as effective as my 2 favorites I still enjoy using it to give my lips a bit of shine.

Along with petroleum jelly another good option to keep handy is Aquaphor in the tube. Many actually prefer it to Vaseline. It is a little thicker but I honestly don't see much difference between the two. They are both good versatile options to keep handy because they are not only for lips but also for skin that is exposed to the element. Great for protecting the skin of young children when the weather gets really cold.

Both petroleum jelly and Aquaphor are great for exfoliating lips. You can apply a little to lips and wait 10 min or so then gently rub away dead skin with either your fingers or a baby washcloth. You can also add a bit of sugar or brown sugar to make the process faster but just be careful not to rub too hard and avoid the skin around the lips. Sugar is a no no as a facial exfoliant. It can non only irritate the skin but cause micro tears.

Reviews for Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm:

Retails for about $15.00

MakeupAlley: 4.2 / 5 lippies for 273 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4 / 4 stars for 656 reviews.

Nuxe Rêve de Miel ingredients (from frenchcosmeticsforless)
INCI formula: Cera alba (beeswax), Olus oil (vegetable oil), lecithin, behenoxy dimethicone, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) extract, mel (honey), Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), dimethicone, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, caprylic (capric triglycerides), hydrogenated vegetable oil, glycine soja (soybean) oil, rosa moschata seed oil, tocopheryl acetate, tocopherol, citrus merdica limonum (lemon) peel oil, candelilla cera (euphorbia cerifera) (candelilla) wax, allantoin, calendula officinalis flower extract, BHT, citric acid, citral, limonene, linalool. 


Reviews for Caudalie's Lip Conditioner:

Retails for about $12.00

MakeupAlley: 3.8 / 5 lippies for 140 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4 / 5 stars for 478 reviews.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner ingredients (from Beauté-test)
Macadamia ternifolia seed oil*, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, caprylic/capric triglyceride*, cera alba (beeswax), copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax*, cetyl palmitate*, acetylated glycol stearate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) fruit*, euphorbia cerifera (candeulla) wax*, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil*, cetearyl alcohol*, cetyl alcohol*, parmitic acid*, stearic acid*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, hydrogenated stearyl olive esters*; hydrogenated vegetable oil*, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil*, jojoba esters*, isopropyl myristate, parfum (fragrance), tocopheryl acetate*, palmitoyl grape seed extract*, ammonium glycyrrhizate*, hypericum perforatumextract*, tocopherol*.
* origine végétale


If you want to read more on the subject there are a few good articles on Discovery Fit & Health, source of some of the information given in this entry.

One final note, when I started this blog my very fist post was about lip balms. I revisited it and it was fun to see how much I've grown into this blogging thing. You can have a look at it here. Warning, the writing is not that good but the list of products is. :D

Best Lip Balms

Which are the best?

Winter!

Playing in the snow, skiing, skating & shovelling. Those are some of the fun activities we enjoy, the last one being our second national sport after ice hockey. For all of us who enjoy, or not, spending time outdoor there are some consequences: dry skin & dry lips. Lip balms are, for many of us, an essential part of our daily routine. The wind, the cold as well as indoor heating can all make our lips extremely dry, especially since they are deprived of sebaceous glands. Since they're more sensitive to climate changes, we need to give them some good protective moisture.

With all the options available to us, how can we chose only one?