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from the February 2007 Issue

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Beating the Winter Skin and Hair Doldrums

If summer seems made for effortless beauty – shimmery, windswept hair, a sun-kissed glow, trying to figure out how to wear the least makeup possible – the winter seems made for trouble. Dry indoor heating. Static electricity. The effort to conceal every inch of your skin from the dangerous and unpleasant elements. Every inch, that is, except for the five inches of your face sticking out above scarves and below hats – the part that most quickly becomes stingy, dry and wind burnt.

Hair that was shiny and soft months before starts to look dry and damaged. Skin that is normally so oily it barely needs a moisturizer requires a heavy duty cream twice a day. Seasonal skin car is no new concept – but not enough young women change their skin care with the seasons.

On a cold morning, a hot shower can seem like a necessity. But the hot water that warms you up also does a number on your skin, stripping away precious oils. And we all know that cool water also helps keep hair shiny – a bonus!

If you must have your warm water, use an extra moisturizing body wash with essential oils, and don’t think that legs being swathed in denim and wool six days a week means you don’t need to exfoliate. Lines like LaLicious and Philosophy have super moisturizing bath and body products to keep skin smooth and hydrated while still smelling great and feeling luxurious.

Aromafloria’s Aroma Remedy Hand and Body Moisture Balm contains antiseptic, energizing and purifying tea tree oil, balancing and soothing geranium, and calming and relaxing may chang. Von Nature’s thick
and creamy grapefruit whipped butter is certified vegan, cruelty free, sulfate free, paraben
free, toxin free, non-comodogenic, and made in the USA. Go ahead, try and find a reason not to like it! For a double whammy of moisture, try Cake Beauty’s desserted island moisturizing body glaze and crème de la crème supreme body mousse.

If you prefer to use a product with an anti-aging bang, ReneeRouleau offers a Hawaiian Nourishing Cream which provides intensive repair for aging skins. It satisfies natural product and science junkies at the same time with a biofermentation technology derived from red marine algae found along the shores of the Hawaiian Islands.

Do as much of your morning routing as you can while in the wet steam of the bathroom with the door closed post-shower. Spas across the country are bringing back saunas and steam rooms as their benefits become more clear (hello moisture and healthy glow), and this is your best at-home imitation. Definitely apply moisturizer at this point, while your skin is still damp, to lock in as much water as possible. If you’d like to prolong steam-like benefits, get a humidifier. It’s probably best to keep it in the bedroom or wherever you spend the most hours.

Even if you haven’t seen the sun for months, you still need sunscreen. Try a makeup or moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15, and you’re pretty much covered since the rest of your body is protected by turtlenecks, gloves, and tights. This is especially important for people using products with tretinoin like Retin-A or Renova.

Deep treatments are your hair’s best friend during the winter months. You can get a cheap treatment at the grocery store or drug store, just have your stylist throw in some extra conditioning treatment or a glaze when you visit the salon, or go to your favorite hair care line and ask a salesperson what’s good for your hair type.

One hair care line that will keep your mane moisturized as a matter of course is Ojon, as their packaging says, their five-piece nurturing hair ritual kit is “more than a hair conditioning treatment.” Using these products feels like a ritual, from the unique restorative hair treatment, to the more traditional but still special ultra hydrating shampoo and conditioner, revitalizing mist and hydrating styling cream. These products are great for the winter as they are designed to restore the natural beauty of dry, stressed hair.

We use shea butter on our skin all the time, but how about your hair? Hamadi says go for it with their Shea Leave-In Conditioner and Shea Hair Cream that take advantage of essential oils like lemongrass, exotic verbena, lemon, palmarosa, ylang ylang, and lavender. It’s truly a treat for your tresses.

There is of course one more miracle cure for the winter hair and skin doldrums – a tropical vacation, of course!