Winter Skincare Guide

My friend Robyn and I got so caught up in discussing our college days that when we randomly took a selfie while trying on funny hats in the mall the other day, we were overly shocked by what we looked like in the photo.

Do we really look like that? When did we get so old? Is that a line? A crease? A wrinkle? Maybe it’s the angle of the picture?

Maybe we need a selfie-stick? What is a selfie-stick?

Should we look into botox or is it filler we need? What’s in that stuff anyway? Does it contain GMO’s?

Maybe we just need to go over to the cosmetics counter and find a really good serum.

So that’s what we did. I was due for new moisturizers and a serum anyway.

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I started taking really good care of my skin when I was 19.

I had a six- step skincare process and bought all the products.

Since then, my products have changed and my realization over allergies and ingredients have changed as well.

Not to mention, my cost-effective nature plays a role now too and so does what I have learned about the effects of your diet on the rest of your body aside from just weight management.

Every day of the year is the right time to take better care of your skin but winter sometimes enforces the process because so many people suffer from dry, chapped and dull skin which always makes the signs of aging appear worse or at the very least, bring them to our attention.

Hydrate. Beauty starts from within. Drinking lots of water helps to hydrate the body (which means the skin too). You would be surprised how quickly our skin can appear dehydrated.

Staying hydrated will definitely minimize what looks like wrinkles and even help your lips to not get so chapped up.

Antioxidants, especially berries. I learned a long time ago that eating lots of fresh fruit, especially berries, will help to slow down the signs of aging in our skin because of their strong antioxidant and phytochemical content.

Berries can actually fight off the damage from free radicals and oxidative stress which we are exposed to on a daily basis thereby slowing down the signs of aging that can show on our skin.

Read your labels, eliminate the parabens. I went nuts almost two years ago making sure all of my beauty products were free from parabens. They are a known allergen as well as possibly a hormone disruptor, cancer causing substance and goodness knows what else.

Look at your diet.  I had no idea that becoming a vegetarian and living meatless would eliminate the painfully dry, irritated and red winter eyelids I would experience (like an eczema).

When it was super cold outside, I was unable to wear eye makeup without it getting worse and sometimes couldn’t even open my eyes because it hurt.

A reduction in animal protein (it took eliminating meat/poultry from my diet and focusing on plant-based foods for me) may help you if you experience something like this or deal with eczema anywhere on your body.

It is said that animal protein (meat, poultry and even dairy if you are sensitive to it) can be a stress to the system which plays out in the form of allergies, inflammation and skin conditions.

If you experience really dry eyelids, redness, or irritation in the eye area and need an awesome solve-all-the-problems eye cream ASAP, I absolutely suggest Fresh Crème Ancienne.

Before changing my diet, this product was better than anything any dermatologist gave me and isn’t linked to causing cancer like most of those prescribed medicated ointments.

Skincare and beauty products are still a necessity but they can get really pricey if you aren’t careful so my plan of attack is always:

Save money where I can so I have more to spend where I can’t.

Facewash:

I am still using the Whole Foods 365 cleanser which looks like Cetaphil but isn’t Cetaphil because it does not contain parabens or harmful ingredients.

It gets the job done for $5.99.

I also use the 365 moisturizer for the body and when things get extra dry, I rely on the coconut oil in the kitchen cabinet ($5.99 at Trader Joe’s).

Face Moisturizer:

I am always switching up my moisturizers for the face; sometimes spending more and then sometimes trying to spend less.

Last week I went back to Shiseido which always makes me happy.

Shiseido is free from parabens, made with quality ingredients (nothing I am allergic to) and offers a wide variety of product lines depending upon age and needs.

It isn’t drug store cheap but it works real good and is a little cheaper than some of the other department store brands.

I use this moisturizer and this serum but I recommend you pick the products which meet your needs depending upon age and skin-type.

Eye Cream:

Caudalie makes a great product.

I have been using this Caudalie anti-wrinkle eye cream for a long time.

It is also meant to be applied around the lip area which is often neglected.

Lips:

My lips don’t get as chapped as they used to which I attribute to staying hydrated and eating a good diet.

I still recommend the Dior Lip Glow though since it adds a pop of color to your lips by reacting with your body’s unique chemistry.

Burt’s Bee makes a tinted lip balm which is good too and much cheaper.

For the hair:

I swear by using basic coconut oil as a hair treatment but I recently bought Orchids Oil which is a leave-in serum for after blow-drying and I can’t say enough about it.

You need it.

It restores moisture and shine to your hair, eliminates those fly-aways and frizz without weighing your hair down.

It even makes your at-home blow outs look professional and last for days.

The best part about this product is that on days where I run and don’t sweat enough to need to wash my hair, this product has kept my hair in line and the blow-out looking fresh.

What are your favorite skincare products at the moment?

Does the winter irritate your skin?

How often do you wash your hair?

**There are NO affiliate links in this post. I just provided them to make it easier for you to look up the products.