I am already fed up with winter and it is not even winter yet!
It was 8°C today and as I was feeling a bit sick I decided not to leave the house AT ALL! So I spent the day snuggling with my ragdolls and the heating on. My cats loved it, my skin did not.
You all know what winter is like, it can get pretty tough on skin, hair and mood. I truly believe I was born in the wrong place, I am only happy when it is warm! And when I am dancing of course!
So what to do when the inevitable winter season hits town?
Here’s my plan of attack!
1. Make sure you drink PLENTY of water! If you think water is boring try some herbal tea instead. You can follow your taste buds or you can take advantage of the many benefits that come with these healthy drinks. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to help your body get all the essential vitamins and nutrients. If you think you are not getting enough, consider using supplements to boost your immune system. Tablets might be easier and quicker, but I just love to drink freshly squeezed orange juice every morning to get my daily dose of Vitamin C!
2. Scrub those dead cells away! I like to make my own body scrub, but if you are too lazy Burt’s Bees Mango & Orange Sugar Scrub and Weleda Birch Body Scrub are two great options that come with a friendly price tag too.
3. Be gentle when you cleanse your face. I love micellar water as it is quick and effective. At the moment I am using Caudalie Makeup Remover Cleansing Water, which is perfect for sensitive skin and smells lovely. Do you have dry skin? How about trying a cleansing oil? Once again there are plenty of options available out there, that being said, I am still a fan of the old cold pressed virgin coconut oil which is delicate on your skin and smells like…well…coconut…it makes me hungry every time!
4. A really hot shower can be quite tempting when it is chilly outside, but remember that long, hot showers can be very unfriendly, leaving your skin dry and flaky. I like to “pre-shower” with sesame oil before hitting the water. I massage it all over my body (sometimes I even use it on my hair and scalp) and then use a mild shower gel like Jurlique Rose Shower Gel or John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash.
5. Moisturise! This is definitely one of the crucial steps in winter, I have extremely dry skin and I get itchy patches on my legs if I do not use the right products. I have been using I Provenzali Sweet Almond Oil for a few months now, it is great to replenish moisture and to keep those nasty stretch marks away helping skin tone, however in winter I need to add a little extra in order to avoid the above mentioned issues. My favourite lotions are John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Milk and Caudalie Vine Body Butter.
6. Your face and hands need double efforts as they are always exposed to sun, wind and cold. I use Caudalie Vinosource Moisture Recovery Cream every morning, at night I add a few drops of John Masters Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil, which contains, among other fab ingredients, Lavender essential oil that will help your beauty sleep. As far as hands go, I have been in love with Jurlique Citrus Hand Cream for years, but as it is not sold in Italy I have found a great alternative that smells quite similar too. It is called Nature’s Argà and it is a soft butter with argan oil and karitè.
7. Hair can get quite cranky too and bhd could become your everyday nightmare! I have recently bought a new natural shampoo called Majka Shampessenze which is pretty awesome…and not only because we share the same name! It is highly hydrating and contains sweet fennel and tea tree essential oils. Afterwards I use Helan Monoï de Tahiti After Sun Mask, because I find it more nourishing than other masks and the smell just takes me back to summer! I only leave it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing it off.
8. Once a week I like to play spa and I indulge in more in depth treatments like face and hair mask, manicure, pedicure and so on. I am a big fan of Lavera Wild Rose Revitalising Face Mask and Weleda Iris Hydrating Masque. For my hair I use the Monoï de Tahiti mask, but instead of leaving it on just for a couple of minutes, I put glad wrap on my head and let it work its magic for about 30 minutes. I sometimes invite my girlfriends over so we can have a chitchat session while pampering ourselves.
What about you my dear green girls? How do you deal with this season? How do you fight winter off when it comes to beauty?
Bad Girl Going Green 