I have dry skin all year long but in the winter my skin can become as rough as  lizard scales. Yuck! I have to fight to keep this from happening which entails using an arsenal of skin products. If you have chronic dry skin or if you need a little help staying moisturized during the winter  months, keep reading. I’ve got you covered.

Several years ago, I started using African Black Soap on my skin. I usually use a brand called, Dr. Woods which I purchase from Vitacost.com for around $8. However, I saw Alaffia African Black Soap at Whole Foods on sale for $10.00, so I purchased it. I’m impressed and plan to stay with this brand in the future and here’s why.

It’s loaded with lots of good stuff: pure African soap, Shea butter, and peppermint which is great for rashes or pimples. You can use the soap to wash your hair, face, body and to shave. It’s also a fantastic household cleaner. Yes, you heard me right. I clean my tub with the soap since it doesn’t leave behind harmful residue. It also comes in different scents such as citrus and lavender.

Alaffia supports a number of projects, so I can help others while enjoying this moisturizing African soap.

I use natural soaps because of my dry skin  and the fact that it’s sensitive. I usually spend four to seven dollars on each bar of soap I purchase. It gets expensive.  I was delighted to discover Alaffia Good soap at Whole Foods. I bought three bars of soap for $6. The soap is moisturizing, smells good and economical. Here’s a link that gives more details about both African Black Soap and Good soap. Alaffia Soap Website

 

 

I take a long hot bath once a week. This as an opportunity to unwind by using bath salts that moisturizes my skin. My favorite is Zum & Go which I purchase at Giant Eagle. You can create your own personalized mixture of scents. I usually go with Grapefruit and Frankincense and Myrhh. You can also purchase Zum & Go at Vitacost.com and Amazon.

 

Exfoliating is important, especially in the winter. In the past, I only used scrubs on the weekend because they were too messy and oily to  deal with during the week. Tree Hut has a line of sugar scrubs and Shea body butters that are fantastic.

The sugar scrub is gentle and has a minimal amount of oil in it. You don’t have to stir anything and there’s no slick shower or tub when you’re done. I follow up with Tree Hut Shea body butter. I love this coconut lime scent. As you can see, it’s almost time to repurchase.

Throughout the winter months, I moisturize with oils at least twice a week. Coconut is fabulous for the hair, face and body. The Apricot oil works great on my hair and face. I use the olive oil as an oil treatment for my hair.

Once we get deep into the winter, my skin needs life support. That’s when I use raw organic Shea butter mixed with a scented body cream from Bath & Body Works. This month I’m loving, Be Joyful. You can get a good Shea butter online at iherbs.com, Vitacost.com, Amazon.com, or PuritanPride.com. Whole Foods has some good brands as well.

My face needs extra special care in the winter because I  get dry itchy patches on my cheeks. The last several years, I’ve avoided this by using two tricks. I spritz Rosewater or Lavender flower water on my face before I moisturize. Water is the best moisturizer so refreshing my face several times a day has helped tremendously.

The second trick is to use Jose Moran’s 100% pure Argan oil. This stuff is pricey. It’s sixteen dollars for this small bottle. A large bottle is $48. I’ll be purchasing the large bottle for the winter because it works. Well worth the money and it lasts a long time. I also suffer from dry, cracked, and peeling lips in the winter. I use lip balms throughout the day and at night I slather on Vaseline lip therapy. This moisturizes my lips and prepares them for the next day.

My heels are another problem. Burt’s Bees coconut foot cream performs miracles. I put in on before I go to bed and slide on socks. My heels are soft the next morning. I do the same thing with my cuticles. I rub in this lemon butter cuticle cream and pull on my moisturizing hand gloves. The foot cream is $10 and the lemon butter around $7.

Lastly, I use tea tree oil for my fingernails and toenails. It not only keeps the cuticles in good shape but it also keeps away fungus. I got this from Vitacost.com  for about seven dollars. So these are my main weapons in the war against dry skin. But the most important weapon is also the cheapest…..water. Drinks lots of it. Good luck.

Stay Blessed,

Barbie