Get your glow on

Old man winter can start to take a real toll on a girl's skin ... especially if you live somewhere like places I have lived in Alberta and Manitoba where the air is dry and sucks all the life right out of your skin.

I would say one of my best features is my skin, and while most of its beauty is courtesy of good genes (my great aunt Betty who died last year was in her seventies and had not a wrinkle on her face), I do take care of it.

The prescribed order for facial care is as follows: Cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise. I actually skip a couple of these steps, but it's best to follow the routine that is best for YOUR type of skin ... not following some pre-determined regimine by a skincare company.



I happen to have very dry skin, and I find cleansing and toning to be too much for my dry, sensitive skin, so I tend to use an exfoliating cleanser and skip the toning, followed by moisture. My Aunt Betty always told me to use a moisturizer with SPF in it ... so I have been using Clean & Clear Morning Glow moisturizer -- mostly because I liked that it has a little shimmer to it, and that it's not heavy, but still locks in the moisture my skin needs to look soft and healthy.

In the summer months, I don't dare venture outside without my SPF, hat and sunglasses -- the sun is the WORST thing for you skin. However, just because there may be snow on the ground, doesn't mean the sun's rays can't still be harmful in the winter. If you plan to spend any time outside, do make sure you've got your sun protection (SPF, shades etc.) and pack along a lip balm with SPF in it as well. Blistex makes some medicated, sunblock balms that come in a convenient stick in a few different flavours.

For body, a heavy moisturizer is my best friend come winter. My legs get dry and scaly, my elbows are tougher than shoe leather. And let's face it, once you get that dry-skin itch, it can't be cured with a simple scratch. Living out west, sometimes it's necessary to moisturize two times a day ... and on my hands, that can easily become five or six times per day.

Start curbing dry skin in the shower by using a low-soap cleanser. Those Dove commercials with the dried out soap bar are no joke. I used to use nothing but Dove on myself, until I wanted something with a more pleasing scent and switched to body wash. Unfortunately, with my sensitive skin, I have to be really careful of scented products. When I was around 19, I began using products from Lush, which smell great and don't make me break out in hives (ew) -- unfortunately, when you're strapped for cash, using Lush for a daily regimine doesn't really fly.

So, I tend to stick to a few things I can't live without and leave the expensive bombs and bubble bars for post-Christmas treats when they go on for buy-one-get-two-free. Lush soaps lather less than traditional soaps -- this is because they actually contain less "soap" than regular soaps. This doesn't mean you can't still get squeaky clean, however! There are also a number of soaps with exfoliating bits in them, saving you time when you're in a hurry. One of my favourites is Sexy Peel, a citrus-scented bright yellow soap with bits of fruit peel. I'm also quite addicted to the scent of a seasonal bodywash, Snow Fairy, which is cotton-candy pink and (apparently, though I never see them) full of iridescent sparkles.

If you're looking for some extra exfoliating punch, or just need it for specific areas, try a moisturizing scrub after you're done washing. I have tried all kinds of products, and have found sugar scrubs to be messy and not as abrasive, so if you're looking for some light exfoliation, try a sugar scrub. If you use one of Lush's "solid" sugar scrubs, it will turn into a gooey mess after the first time you use it, so keep a tupperware on hand to keep it in.

Flake Away!

For a rougher rub, I have found success with my very favourite Lush product, Buffy, which in the summer I often don't need to moisturize after using ... full of rice grains and nut shells, it feels like sandpapering away all the dead skin cells when you rub it on. The only thing I dislike about it is the smell. I can't use it on anywhere other than my legs because I loathe the smell, but it works great. I also love Soap & Glory's Flake Away. The sweet goo in this container (which is available at Shoppers Drugmart and Pharmaprix stores in Canada and at Target in the US) smells delicious with its Shea butter and peach seed formula. It's affordable (about $10 for a container, which usually lasts me about 3 months) and gives you a delicious, light scent and fabulously smooth skin. For my face, I truly love Lush's Ocean Salt, but at nearly $25 for a little pot, I have to go without when I'm not rolling in money. I almost always tend to use the St Yves apricot scrub as a substitute. They also make a wonderful foaming cleanser for those who need to take off lots of makeup -- costs less than $5 at Walmart, and I have never had a reaction to ANY of their products.

My new Vichy moisturizer I just love!

For moisture on my scaly legs, I used to be a slave to body butter. No longer! After my favourite bottle of Roche Posay moisturizer ran out, I bought a bottle of lotion from Vichy, and not only does it moisturize just as well as body butter, it does it without the disgusting greasy feel body butter leaves behind. You put it on and within literally a couple of minutes, your skin is soft, not greasy. Of course, it doesn't smell yummy like body butter, though as I began using more and more Lush products, I find most things from Body Shop smell extremely fake to me. (I also cannot understand why everything there is so expensive when it's the same as regular drugstore products with fancy smells ... at least I know what I'm paying for at Lush, which is fresh ingredients and handmade items, and for that, I don't mind paying extra.)

In my years of experimenting, I must say three French companies (aforementioned Roche Posay and Vichy) along with Roc, have always been impressive and given me great results. I have heard good things about the Vaseline-brand cocoa butter body butter as well, and if it smells like the cocoa lotion, I'm sure I would be a fan.

I've been dying to try the cotton gloves overnight trick for my hands, so if anybody has tried it, do let me know how it worked for you -- I'm thinking I'll likely go with Lush's Lemony Flutter or my Body Shop body butter for the cream for that.

And how could I forget, the most thing for keeping your skin moist and lovely? Fluids! I love tea, and have one most days, which is full of anti-oxidents, not only good for your body, but your skin, too. Lots of water and fluids, and a nutrient-rich diet do wonders for you skin. Don't worry, winter's almost over, keep slathering on the lotion and spring will be here before you know it.

Some of the products that work well for my dry, sensitive skin include Clean & Clear's Morning Glow lotion (with SPF 15), St Ives Apricot Scrub (there is also one for sensitive skin), Lush Snow Fairy body wash and Lush Sexy Peel soap. What products are your must-haves for dry winter skin?