1. Start your day with a gentle or creamy cleanser.
By not over stripping your skin, you give yourself a better chance of staying moisturized throughout the day. My top choice is Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar ($5.99 CA), which will give you the clean lather you crave without drying your skin.
2. Apply hand moisturizer after every time you wash your hands and before you go to sleep.
My hands probably suffer more than most. As I am an artist, and always getting my hands covered in inks and chemicals, I'm forced to wash my hands way too often. Cold temperatures and winter winds make this situation even worse. The only way to keep your fingertips from splitting (a problem for me) and your hands from getting too lizard-like is to always apply moisturizer after you wash. If you wash your hands excessively, save the really good hand cream for just before bed and use something less expensive in between. My top choices for hand moisturizers are Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector ($18.50 CA) and Korres Body Butter ($38.00 CA).
3. Apply lipbalm before bed and before you leave the house.
For whatever evolutionary reason, our lips are not equipped with oil glands. On one hand I can see the benefits of this (no oil glands means no potential acne) but come winter and I start to wonder the purpose of this adaptation. That being said, keep your pucker soft and smooth by applying lipbalm religiously. It's expensive but it's very nice, my choice Caudelie Lip Conditioner ($12.00 CA). And right now Sephora has a great deal, a two pack of Lip Conditioners for $16.00 CA!
4. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.
Any of the above actions will be rendered useless if they are performed on top of a layer of dead, dry, flaky skin. My favourite, effective and gentle way to exfoliate is using a microfibre washcloth. Use once a day or a few times a week on cleansed skin will improve skin texture as well as increase moisturizer penetration. These cloths are especially good for exfoliating chapped lips and with some scrubbing do a decent job on hands. Care to not over use them on your face is essential, as it is possible to over scrub. Try Cargo blu-ray Polishing Cloths ($15.00 CA).
5. Invest in a humidifier.
If you live in a very cold, dry climate running a humdifier at night can make a huge difference to the moisture levels in your skin not to mention improve the health of your sinuses! Humidity must be at least 40 % to see an improvement for both. Look for a humdifier that will effectively humidify your living space.
From us at Beauty Squared, a special thanks to all our readers and subscribers! We hope your holidays are relaxing and fun and we look forward to seeing you here in 2011!
P.S: Boxing Day shopping? Check out Sephora, apparently they are having a sale with certain items up to 50% off!