The official first day of winter is Sunday, December 21st. But in many parts of the U.S. it has felt like winter has already arrived. One of the things that come with cold weather and indoor heat is dry skin, scalp, and lips. The first step to helping with dry skin is to switch to handmade soaps. I am not just saying this because I love handmade soaps, but it is less drying for your skin. It contains naturally occurring glycerin and less harsh ingredients.

Another thing that will do wonders to your skin problem is to get as much natural sunlight as possible. Sunlight has many good benefits and it can help those that suffer from psoriasis. Just be sure to wear facial sunscreen.

I wanted to list here some of my favorite winter skin relief products. I am not paid to endorse any of them. Just thought they would help people not waste their money and time on things that don’t work. It also bothers me when fashion and beauty magazine editors (Lucky, Elle, Health, etc) come out with a list of all these new products that is suppose to be the next best thing for your skin. But you know it’s basically free advertising. And they usually don’t help your wallet, with cost of $30 or more for all these new creams.

I usually prefer to use all natural botanical products, but it this case they did not help me as much as these regular products listed here. And these are also much easier to locate at your local drugstore.

I had suffered from peeling skin on my fingers for the past 9 years and have tried almost all types of cream. Thank goodness they are not contagious! My dermatologist said it was some type of psoriasis. So I have tried prescriptions after prescriptions, and nothing helped. I also tried many drugstore creams, from Corn Huskers to the German brand Weleda, but those didn’t help either. Then about a year ago, a friend recommended Gloves In A Bottle.

This one was more difficult to locate, so I got mine at the Kaiser Permanente pharmacy for about $10 a bottle. But I think the price may have gone up to $15 now. After using it for a couple of days, I was so happy with the skin on my hands. It was healing much faster then before and was not peeling as much. Imagine suffering for all those years to finally finding this, it was a miracle for me. And I think more people should know about GIAB. Now I don’t even bother looking at any other brands since using this lotion. GIAB are popular amongst people who wash their hand frequently, such as hospital workers, car mechanics, and florists. The lotion forms a thin barrier that helps retain moisture. Many people have even used this on their face and lips. I think that would be a good idea!

This is an excerpt from GIAB website:

“A far better solution is to assist your skin in producing more natural moisture - not less. Until now, all one could do to alleviate a dry skin condition was apply conventional lotions (artificial moisture). These are designed to just temporarily mask dry skin by placing artificial moisture over the top of it. Unlike artificial moisturizers, Gloves In A Bottle is a shielding lotion that bonds with the outermost layer of skin cells to turn it into what works like an invisible pair of gloves. These “invisible gloves” prevent dry skin by helping to keep moisture-robbing irritants out while better retaining your skin’s own natural moisture, resulting in skin that is far better hydrated, over the long term, than what can ever be achieved by conventional lotions.”

My condition looked alot like Leticia’s fingers shown here (of the before and after picture), but the condition was five times worse.

Best body lotion:

CeraVe. I like that it contains ceramides. They maintain the moisture retention ability of the skin. Lack of ceramides results in the skin becoming dry and hard, leading in turn to fine lines and wrinkles. Therefore ceramides are used in many high end cosmetic skin care line. The best thing is that CeraVe gives you all the benefit in a large bottle at a good price. It is unscented and goes on smooth and fast. Not greasy at all.

Best care for dry scalp (dandruff control):

Nizorial

This is a good explanation from their website:

“What Causes Dandruff? P. ovale is a fungus found on every human head. Climate, heredity, diet, hormones and stress impact how your body reacts to it. For dandruff sufferers, the natural process of scalp-cell renewal is accelerated when fighting off P. ovale, causing dead cells to fall off faster. This is a leading cause of dandruff and all the symptoms that go with it - the flaking, scaling and itching.

How Does Nizoral® A-D Work?
Simply put, Nizoral® A-D kills the fungus that causes dandruff. Period. That’s because a special, patented ingredient called “ketoconazole” binds to the natural protein of your hair so it keeps working between shampoos with Nizoral® A-D. * “Ketoconazole” keeps nasty dandruff in check so you don’t have to keep checking your shoulders.”

So skip Head & Shoulders, Selsun Blue and all that pine coal tar stuff. You can try the natural method of crushing aspirin with olive oil. Or washing your scalp with apple cider vinegar, but this is much easier to use. And it will be all you need. Just use it twice a week, or daily for severe cases. I think it even smells like regular luxury shampoo and leaves your hair nice and smooth. It is available at Target or Drugstore.com $15 for 7 fl oz.

Best lip care:

I would recommend Burt’s Bee since I like the beeswax. It makes a good base for lip liners and lipstick. Lip balms are actually one of the easiest things you can make yourself and save money too. Here is my lip balm recipe for a small jar:

2 tps jojoba oil, 2 tps borage oil, 2 tps shea butter, 2 tps of melted beeswax, 3 drops of peppermint essential oil, 5 drops of lemon essential oil.

I made a second batch as a foot balm for my rough heels. I added some eucalyptus powder and it smells nice and work great!

Another great shampoo for those suffering from dry itchy scalp is Giovanni’s Triple Treat Shampoo. Read my review here.