My Usual Beauty Staples For Winter
Written by: BN on:
I had shared a similar post for the summer on our Instagram page so I had to do one for winter of course. I thought of sharing things a bit more in detail here (Instagram has a word limit) So, here are a few of my winter staples. Hope you enjoy reading the post & my picks.
1. Hair Dryer
Anyone with long hair will know what a pain it is to dry them post wash during the coder months. My hair takes over a day (yup!) to dry if I let them air dry, by which time I end up with a headache.
So a hair dryer is very essential for me. Currently I am using and loving the Dyson Airwrap. The prestyling blow dryer attachment & the smoothing brush are my most used attachments. I use it on the low heat setting. My detailed review can be found HERE.
Of course you don't need the Airwrap to do the job. Any standard hair dryer works just fine (and I was using one till last year). It is quite helpful though if the hair dryer has adjustable heat settings, because then we can use a lower heat to keep hair damage in check.
No matter which hair dryer I am using drying the roots completely & semi drying the lengths does the trick for me usually. So instead of trying the hair completely, you can give this method a go too.
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2. Body Moisturizer
While I can get away without using a body lotion everyday or even aloe vera gel in during other seasons, winter screams for daily body moisturization otherwise the skin gets super dry & flaky which in turn becomes itchy. An all time favourite of mine is the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Body Moisturizer because it is effective with an extremely mild unobtrusive fragrance. Reviewed HERE.
The Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Lotion is also good, provided you like sweet smelling body products... it smells almost edible. I wish they could make the fragrance lighter, but the product is good. Another good one is The Body Shop Shea Body Butter, reviewed HERE.
No matter which body lotion/butter you are using, it's a great idea to slather it on immediately after bathing when the skin is slightly damp. This helps to lock in the moisture longer and you also need to use lesser product.
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3. Body Oil
On days when I need to oomph body hydration I use a body oil. A body oil can be used in many ways so go for whichever one works for you :
- I use it mixed in with the body lotion mostly (saves time)
- They can be used on their own post a bath.
- Use a body lotion first & then layer a little bit of oil on top.
- Apply some oil before your shower and use your body lotion post shower. That way your skin won't be stripped of moisture completely when you bathe.
4. Hand Cream
As if the constant hand washing & sanitizing wasn’t enough, winter aggravates things to a whole other level. I like hand creams which help in healing & repairing the skin. My favourite for years has been the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. It is one of the best!
It takes care of dry peeling skin on the palms, mild dermatitis that often happens with excessive hand washing, dry cuticles etc. and actually repairs the skin. And this is how I like hand creams to be - not give temporary results but actually repairing.
It also doubles up as my foot cream and also works on other areas which is extremely dry. Full review HERE. Some other good ones are - Lotus Organics Luxurious Comfort Hand Cream, Palmer's Shea or Coconut Oil Hand Cream & L'Occitane Shea hand cream. But the Neutrogena one is the best among them all. Trust me on this.
5. Sunscreen
We all know by now that suncreen must be applied everyday. Yes, even in the winter. One of my best finds this year has been the Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen. It gets a bit heavy for me during peak summer but it is working really well for my combination skin in this colder weather (I spent most of the day in an indoor environment). Reviewed HERE.
If you are spending a lot of time out though, at a beach or have a lifestyle which is predominantly outdoorsy then it will be a good idea to use a stronger formula which is water resistant
6. Lip Balm
If you didn't know this already, I have perioral dermatitis which flares up whenever it wants to, so I am quite picky when it comes to lip balms. I also prefer balms that have a thicker texture that stay on the lips for a long time. This becomes even more important for me in the winters.
A constant for me all year round is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask which works really well for me.
Other ones I like are - Clinique Pep Start lip mask, La Roche Posay Cicaplast Lipbalm, Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm, Enns Closet Butter Up Lip Balm, Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Intensive Mask, Nivea Original Care Lip Balm, Innisfree Deep Moisture Lip Balm - all these balms have thicker formulas.
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7. Socks
Do I need to elaborate on this? I love socks. They are like warm cozy hugs for the feet. I would wear them all year round if the weather allowed it.
Applying a thick cream on your feet (I use my hand cream, but you can use any thick cream, cold cream or plain old Vaseline petroleum jelly) & sleeping with cotton socks on every night is more than half of your foot care done. Do it all through winter and your feet will be great. You’re welcome!
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I would love to know your winter staples too. What are they? Let me know.
xoxo,
Swati
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