Harsh winter conditions can definitely have an effect on our skin so, naturally, its very important to change up your skincare routine during the colder season. HSN Beauty Blogger Lara Ramos shared an awesome post on "6 Easy Tips To Help Your Skin Survive Winter" that inspired me to share my favorite skincare products to use during this time! In Lara's post she recommends products to use for the face, body, hands and nails and everything she suggested is amazing. I cannot say enough good things about the post and I encourage you to check it out!
Below I have listed my favorite skincare products based on Lara's "6 Easy Tips" and then decided to add a couple extra tips of my own!
♥ Taking care of dry winter skin~
Exfoliating is important not only for our skin, but for our face and lips as well. When exfoliating you are helping to unclog pores, soften and brighten the skin, allows the skin to absorb other skincare products better and most importantly to the winter months, gets rid of dry skin!
¤ For the body: I recommend an Aromatherapy Body Scrub from Bath and Body Works. Adding a quick gentle scrubbing to your shower routine can greatly improve your skin's overall health. I love this product not only because of the Aromatherapy aspect, but also because of the essential oils and natural ingredients that leave my skin feeling soft. The 13oz jar retails for $16 and is sometimes on sale for $8! 
¤ For the face: I have sensitive skin so my favorite exfoliating product to use is the Smoothing Facial Scrub from Simple Sensitive Skin Experts. This product is great because of how gentle it is. Over exfoliating is good for no one, so using gentle products especially on the face is vital! This facial scrub contains rice granules to gently remove dead skin cells and it also contains Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E to improve the skin's condition.
¤ For the lips: Let's face it, nothing ruins a good makeup day like dry, chapped lips. Not only do they hurt, chapped lips can cause creases on our lips where we don't want them especially when wearing lipstick! Not to fear, LUSH'S MINT JULIPS LIP SCRUB is here!!! In all seriousness, if you haven' tried this lip scrub you are definitely missing out. It has a sweet peppermint flavor that leaves a "just brushed my teeth" clean feeling and a yummy aftertaste on the lips. Plus, its a handmade, all-natural product so you really can't beat that.♥ Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize~
Once the skin has been exfoliated its crucial to re-hydrate the skin by moisturizing. Moisturizers have been proven to treat dry, damaged skin by locking in moisture (water) in the outermost layer of the skin and since we just exfoliated this is the perfect opportunity to moisturize! In all honesty, a good moisturizer really depends on your skin type. As I previously mentioned, I have sensitive skin so keep in mind that what works for me may not necessarily work for you.
¤ For the body: For the tougher parts of my skin like my elbows and heels I like to use a body butter, specifically the Be Enchanted Body Butter from Bath and Body Works. This is an intense, thick lotion that is perfect for the really dry parts of the body. In other areas I like to use something lighter and with a lighter scent like the Dream Cream Body Cream from LUSH. This product is perfect for those of us who have sensitive skin because of its calming properties and is effective in aiding dry or chapped skin. 
¤ For the face: Simple Sensitive Skin Experts does it again with the Protecting Light Moisturizer that's perfect to use in the mornings. It's a lightweight formula that not only has skin loving ingredients, but also suncare protection with SPF15. In the evening I like to hydrate my skin with a heavier moisturizer like Elizabeth Arden Good Night's Sleep Restoring Cream. This in an intensely moisturizing cream so a little goes a long way! 
¤ For the lips: Nothing feels better on chapped lips than a really great lip balm and although there are tons available on the market not all of them are actually moisturizing! One of my recent favorite lip moisturizers, Rose Salve, is by a brand called C.O. Bigelow that I found at Bath and Body Works. If you didn't know C.O. Bigelow is the oldest apothecary in America, established in 1836 and they offer a wide variety of products! The Rose Salve conditions dry and chapped skin and can be used on the lips, face, cuticles, elbows and knees! ♥ Not so squeaky clean~
Although cleansing the skin is an important step to any beauty regime its important not to overly cleanse the skin during the winter months because as Lara mentioned, we don't want to strip and irritate the skin. For this, gentle and calming products are always suggested.
¤ For the body: Honey I Washed The Kids bar soap from LUSH is my favorite soap to use during the winter. It smells delicious and contains honey water and aloe to soften and moisturize.
¤ For the face: It should come at no surprise that I love the Simple Sensitive Skin Experts Line and I have another great product to recommend, the Moisturizing Facial Wash. This gentle moisturizing cleanser leaves the skin feeling clean without over-drying and it also nourishes the skin by adding pure ingredients with added vitamins. ♥ Don't over-dry it~
Winter does a fantastic job of drying out your skin, trust me-Mother Nature doesn't need any help in that department, so make sure that the products you are using aren't over drying you! Above I mentioned great non-drying cleansers and moisturizers, but another great step to add to your skin care routine is toner! I usually only use toners on my face, but they can also be used on the body (if you feel like it, why not). Although Simple Skin Care does offer an outstanding facial toner, my personal favorites are actually by LUSH. The Eau Roma Water and Breath of Fresh Air are two gentle, refreshing toners that actually help in locking in moisture and helps prep the skin for moisturizers. ♥ Can't get enough hydration~
Toning and moisturizing are both important steps to hydrate the skin, but why not add even more moisture? I recommend using a moisturizing facial mask once or twice a week to really up your skin care routine. Oatifix fresh face mask by LUSH is perfect for sensitive, dry skin to help keep skin feeling nourished and soft, and it smells really good too!
♥ Hands and nails protection~
For the cuticles, I like to give a little extra attention during winter so for that I use Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. Its an intensive care cuticle cream that takes care of dry or brittle cuticles, but is gentle enough to use daily and nightly. 
♥ Under eye area~
Eye creams are, in my opinion, essential additions to your skincare routine. That under eye area is extremely sensitive so its important to remember to take care during this harsh season. I recommend using a lighter eye cream for the daytime like, the Simple Soothing Eye Balm from Simple Sensitive Skin Experts. This eye balm is a lightweight formula that soothes the delicate eye area. It also contains Vitamin E for moisture and Shea Butter and Jajoba oils to replenish. In the evening, I love to use Elizabeth Arden Millenium Eye Renewal Cream. This is a thicker formula than the Simple eye balm, that moisturizes and helps to ease the look of dryness and fine lines.
I hope that you enjoyed my Winter Skin Must Haves, be sure to check out Lara's post here and let me know in the comment section what your favorite products are to use during winter! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post and until next time, I hope that you have a beautiful day.
♥ Katie
