How I satisfy my thirst

For the title I was going to attempt to make a deep and humorous joke but then I realized I don't have anything witty or deep to say.

When winter comes my body goes haywire. I have forced hot air heat and I live in New England and commute to work in the elements. This all adds up to one very dry Hillary. My hair is dry, my hands are dry, my nose gets all peely(hot right?) Here are my CURRENT (my routine changes often) favorite products to help get some moisture back into my life.


To Drink:
Smart Water. Now I know this could be a total gimmick and I am a sucker for falling for it but I love Smart Water for the very notion of I am replenishing electrolytes and I don't have to choke down Gatorade. Most the time I drink good old city tap water. But when I am feeling a bit dehydrated and water isn't helping I run down stairs at my work and grab one of these from the machine. It usually makes me feel better. It may be a placebo effect but I don't care as long as it works. I personally can not stand Gatorade. I don't know if it because I went to UF and I was inundated with it or because it's gross. I am going for both.





For My Body:

*Hair
With my hair the length it is it is very prone to breakage and snarling. I have had this bottle of Moroccan oil for a year and a half. I use it every other day on wet hair and I still have half a bottle. It is quite expensive but the small bottle for $10 would seriously last you a very long time. I just use maybe the size of a quarter and rub it in my hair from my ears down. (To avoid oily scalp) it leaves my hair softer and less hay like feeling.


*Lips
La Mer lip balm. I have previously reviewed La Mer balm here. It is a luxury. It is very expensive but man oh man does it leave my lips SOFT. It is the kinda thing you ask for on a holiday. (Or at least I did!) A cheaper alternative that I love ALMOST as much (96% as much?) is plain Cocoa Butter stick. Cocoa Butter stick is one of the seven wonders of my personal sheltered world. You can use it on everything and it is so moisturizing and smells like and M&M. I prefer the one without added ingredients and for $1 you can have the softest lips on the planet. (you will I swear) and your sweetie will appreciate it.I also rub it on my cuticles.
Honorable mention is Badger Cocoa Butter lip balm. I have one of these in my bathroom and one in my purse and they are wonderful. I use the La Mer as a night time treatment and the cocoa butters as a daily application.

*Body
I have insanely sensitive skin and I get a rash just thinking about some lotion. Skin Trip is one of the few I can use without any problems. I like to categorize their lotion and soap as hippie crunchy products. They only make a few products and they make them well. They have few ingredients and they do actually go bad because they aren't filled with preservatives. By go bad I would say in a couple of years. Previously I have had to pitch a long forgotten bottle in the back of the cabinet as it had turned a little. The lotion and soap are coconut based, non sticky and are soaked up in your skin very quickly. Dave who has DH(a Celiac skin problem) uses their soaps without issue. I first discovered it when during a critique in college this girl sat on a stool next to me and I asked her one day what she wore because she always smelled amazing like coconuts. You can get it at most health food stores on Amazon (If you get it via Amazon I will get a hefty .02cent profit or something.)


*Extra dry bits of  Body
Vaseline Cocoa Butter edition.  If you haven't noticed yet I like cocoa butter. When I did a post about people's favorite lip treatments many of you said Vaseline. I have to say I actually didn't own any at the time. I picked this up at Target about a month ago and I LOVE IT. It's $3 and you get a nice large flip top jar. Now I don't always have the patience to slather it on my arms and legs and wait the hours it takes to soak in but I do use it as a treatment. I use it on my cuticles and the extra dry skin around my nails. I also put it on before I paint my nails and it helps the polish from sticking to my skin. (make sure to wipe nail off before painting) I also use it on my knees and elbows. At night I slather it on my feet and put thick cotton socks on too. (this takes getting used to I will admit) I also use it on my nose which gets raw so easily from all the elements. I use it lightly around my eyes at night and if any is left over on my lips too. I mix it with a little of MAC pigment for a shimmer gloss too. I have mixed it with the shimmery pink opal pigment and used it on my collarbone before too. There are seriously a 403 uses for Vaseline and can't believe I lived this long without it.


Now an extra special guest reviewer Dave will tell you what he uses to help his skin in the winter.


 

*For my face
First Aid Beauty  Ultra Repair Cream (they are actually a local Massachusetts company! Available from Sephora)
Having grown up in New England I have a peculiar love/hate relationship with winter. I like spring and fall best because the weather allows you to get away with more clothing options. I love the days where you can wear just a shirt, or a sweater/sweatshirt, or a jacket and all of them are comfortable. Summer is ok as long as you have access to AC, which isn’t everywhere in Boston. Then there’s winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some snow but, I hate having to get all bundled up to go out then when you get where you are going you’re either overheated or have to find a place for your stuff. I also suffer from dry skin in general so when the forced hot air kicks in the party is over. My hands often crack and I get red splotches on my arms, neck, and worst of all my face. A lovely coworker once pointed out, “it looks like your face is allergic to your glasses!” because it rings both eyes and looks as if I have been crying for weeks. It’s hard to find a product that works to remedy dry skin that is also appropriate for an area on your face so close to your eyes. Last time we were at Sephora Hillary asked what they would recommend and the woman gushed about First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. She was super helpful and very nice but I was skeptical it could be both gentle and effective. Within 48 hours of diligent application I had reversed all of the red and dry grossness that is was my face and it is helping me to maintain my skin as we head into winter. The product goes on smoothly and sinks in quickly without any scent or leaving you all greasy

Annoying fine print
I have mentioned it before but I will repeat it for the new readers. I set up a Amazon Affiliates partnership. What that means is I set up my own Amazon store and put things I like in it. If you buy it via that link they give me a couple cents. (no really like .02-.08 cents) They don't actually pay you unless you reach a $100 or something. In the year I have done it I have massed something like $7 and it was because my mom kept buying things I would talk about and she wanted. So yeah, I am not plugging products for you to buy I am taking things I want to blog about then finding them on Amazon and linking you because I have been asked to link people to things in reviews. Why not try and make a profit off it now matter how small? (at this rate I am 9 years away from them cutting a check though but every penny counts huh?) All items were bought with my own money. If they weren't I will clearly say SOMEONE GAVE THIS TO ME otherwise assume I paid for it and am reviewing because I like it and like to share.

Now to make up for that probably not even necessary disclaimer. This is what happens when I try and set up to take product pictures. SOMEONE thinks it is set up for them. She is relentless about it too.



What are your favorite dry skin remedies?