Photo via Sheknows.com

 It’s cold outside –a sign that there will be a windy winter weather yet again. Aside from worrying about what clothes to wear, many worry about their skin, hair and nails. Weather changes can make our skin dry and for those who haven’t decided which moisturizer is good for them, experimenting with moisturizer during wintertime can be quite a hassle.

Here are a few favorites for winter that you might find useful:

Bert’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion

This can be found online or in your local department store. This is deemed as a 24 hour moisturizer that will of course last for a day. This is a good product if your skin losses moisture pretty easily.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil preferably virgin coconut oil applied on your skin is also a good idea. It is relatively cheap and apart from applying it on your skin, you should take at least 2 tablespoons of it a day so that you will have a glow from the inside. It also strengthens the immune system so basically, buying virgin coconut oil is a win-win.

Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil

Alright, this isn’t for your skin but your scalp and your hair need some attention during wintertime too.

Josie Maran Argan Oil

This is another favorite not only because it is light and does not make your skin, nails or hair look oily like virgin coconut oil. This can be used on all parts of the body and can function as a daily moisturizer too.

Nivea Cream

Everyone loves Nivea. If you are a fan of their thick cream and already have this at home, you can use it as a moisturizer during the winter. For those who have very dry skin, it would be best to apply three times or more daily to make sure that your skin does not flake. 

 Those who love spending some time in the sauna may have to lessen their sauna visits because just last August, A Finnish man named Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy collapsed in the sauna during the Sauna World Championships in Finland’s capital. The 60-year-old was pronounced dead after suffering from severe burns.

Going to the sauna can be good though especially if you want to detoxify. This makes it possible for the skin to get rid of toxins and as a result, it will make the skin look healthier. The benefits of going to the sauna includes boosting blood circulation increasing one’s heart rate by 30% or even higher. This makes the skin rise in temperature to over a hundred degrees. This is the reason why every time you get out of the sauna, you would get a rosy glow.

Going to the sauna regularly can also help those with cystic acne because the high temperature inside the sauna will soften the cysts. In an interview with Shape magazine, Dr. Debra Luftman, M.D. a known dermatologist confirmed this finding and said that heat does help in making acne soft thereby hastening the healing process.

Another wonderful benefit one can get from going to the sauna regularly is that it moisturizes the skin. There is a research about is done in German university Friedrich Schiller that going to the sauna enhances a more stable functioning of the epidermal barrier. According to the said study, it also helps in hydration because it recovers water loss faster after being exposed in high temperatures.

It is imperative though that you cleanse your body and moisturize after getting out of the sauna to reap all its positive effects.

Photos via epicself.com 

Getting your skin flight-ready is easy, but if you are wondering what you have to do to be ready for a flight –you definitely need to reeducate yourself when it comes to skin care while flying.

Whether you are going to an exotic destination or to a major city for business, flying is not a time for a bit of rest –at least for your skin, so make sure that you get your skin flight-ready. Flying, especially window seats put your skin closer to harmful rays of the sun.

Before boarding a plane, you should use a skin serum under your sunscreen to make sure that your skin is hydrated. Then apply sunscreen to protect the skin from the U.V. rays. Now why do you need to hydrate your skin while on a plane? Because being on a plane means you would have to expose your skin to dry air. Air is dry inside a plane so your skin need that extra moisture. Stay away from moisture sprays, though, because the moisture will only be absorbed by the air and not your skin – sticking to a skin serum is best.  You should also drink lots of water while on the plane to make sure that you are hydrated.

If you have to sit near a window, make sure that you shut the shade. This will lessen the UV rays that get inside the plane and lessen the UV rays on your skin too.

Once you have touched down, you have to wash your face and exfoliate. You would need to get rid of the dead skin cells caused by the flight. After washing your face, you should apply a hydrating mask to rehydrate your skin. 

You’ve heard it all –wash your face thoroughly, exfoliate, moisturize, and eat healthy but are these the only things you should do to care for your skin? 

Here are a few of the questions asked by many women (and men) around the world regarding their skin.

Do I need eye cream?

Not really. This is something that might outrage many aestheticians but toners will only make your skin dry. In fact, even if you have super oily skin, it will manage to make your skin very dry and dry skin is not good at all.

How about sunscreen?

Dermatologists say that this should be the most important part of your skin care regimen because the sun’s rays can damage your skin and make aging faster.

Should I purchase exfoliants?

There are some very nice exfoliants out there but getting yourself a sea salt scrub is just as good. This will even out your skin tone and make your skin look better. It is advised that you moisturize after doing the scrub so that the skin gets hydrated. 

Is bathing in hot water good for the skin?

No it is not. Lukewarm water is good during the winter so you do not freeze but hot water will damage your skin and make it dry.

What’s the best night-time cream I can use?

The ultra-rich cream formula from Olay called Olay Regenerist is a good product. This works well in moisturizing the skin and diminishing wrinkles or fine lines. It won the Readers’ Choice Award in Allure Magazine in 2010.

A new cream, Lacura Wrinkle Stop, claims to smooth wrinkles using a synthetic form of the poison produced by Asian temple viper snakes. The Lacura claim is that it works as well as Botox. However, unlike Botox which is injected into the skin, Wrinkle Stop is applied topically.

The tubes of Lacura Wrinkle Stop contain a compound called Syn-Ake, which mimics the snake’s paralysing venom. It promises to block the nerve signals which cause facial muscles to contract and can lead to lines. A company spokesman said: “It offers the perfect solution for wrinkle reduction without the need for spending an excessive amount of money on expensive products and painful procedures.”

Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow is said to be a patron of the cream.


Tests show that twice-daily application of the cream for four weeks may reduce the appearance of wrinkles by 52%. But many beauty experts are critical. They say the data presented is incomplete and not useful for drawing conclusions. For example, the placebo that Syn-ake was compared to was not determined and there was no proof it penetrated to lower layers of the dermis where it can be effective. Also it was not determined how many subjects were tested and if it was blind testing.

The critics determined that there is no credible evidence that this works as well as Botox no matter how much or how often you use it. And from a personal perspective, Botox reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 100%, not 52%, so even if the claim is true, Syn-Ake is no Botox.

Lacura Wrinkle Stop is said to have hit the ALDI stores on April 20th for a budget friendly $8.99.

Olive Oil! That's right. I have used it on every inch of my body, including my hair. I first discovered the miracles of olive oil in my early twenties when I used it on my hair. I had been hearing about all of the fabulous health benefits of it in your diet, so I thought if it's so good for our insides, it should be beneficial to a healthier outside. At this point in my life I had stopped coloring my hair and was trying to grow it long, which isn't easy for my fine, thin hair. First microwave the oil so it's warm. Then I would saturate my dry hair with olive oil before bed time, put on a shower cap and rinse it out the next morning. It washes right out. I did this for about a few months and people who had not seen me in awhile ALL commented on how good my hair looked. I have maintained my olive oil hair treatment about twice a year, and my thin hair is to the middle of my back and looks healthy and shiny. I attribute this to the olive oil.

I also use olive oil as a anti-oxidant rich moisturizer for my face and body. If you have oily skin, I wouldn't use it on your face, but don't skip the lips, the oil keeps them looking fabulous in every possible way. For a great hand or foot treatment, rub them in olive oil and stick a bag over them overnight, when you wake up your skin will feel brand new.

When you are pinching pennies, you can still keep your skin and hair looking fabulous with olive oil. I use it even when I'm not pinching pennies.