In the dead of Winter

Hey kids,

Mid-February is the worst. It's cold, it's windy, it's dry outside, and your hair is permanently frizzy from all the layers of knitwear you've draped yourself in. Also, the sun is only out for so long. It is truly awful.

We come close to the breaking point at this time because everything seems just to suck. Taxes come due, students are inevitably assigned homework for the "break" and chances are a groundhog told you there's one more month of this to go. Whooo Hooo...
If you're anything like me, double up your homework with self-care. Below I'll share with you what me and some of my friends do. Please feel free to give me some tips because I've had dry lips for two weeks now.

Before we go forward, please note I personally have oily blemish prone skin so what works for me might not always work for someone with dryer skin.

Hair:
This one is easy, but requires patience and some trial and error. Last year, I stopped using shampoos with Sulfates, it really made a huge difference. The cons are that I had to wash my long hair more often, and it took me a while to figure out which brand would work best for me. I also had to deal with some temperamental hair while my scalp was adjusting to the change. Overall I think it was worth it, I find my hair shiny and soft and uniform.

A tip for using conditioner, leave it in for a few minutes and rinse it out with cold water, this seals the cuticle.

I also tend to use a tiny bit of oil on the ends of my hair, and I blow dry as little as possible. When you dry, try using a clean t-shirt, there are fewer fibers to pull on the cuticles. Another method I've recently heard about it is leaving the hair wrapped and undisturbed until dry.

You can also take the oil, heat it up a bit and apply it to the hair before you wash for a total root to tip treatment.

Skin:
Avoid hot showers, this actually strips your skin of moisture, but you probably already knew that.

Take baths with a bit of olive oil, oatmeal or baking soda into them to help the body retain moisture. (Thanks for the tip Kiran)

Use lotions, the unscented kinds, if you read the ingredients label you will probably see alcohol as an ingredient. Alcohol dries out the skin so avoid it. Go one step further put some generously on your hands and feet before sleeping. Put on knit socks and those thin dollar store gloves to help retain the moisture while opening up the pores with added heat.

Face:
I sometimes substitute make-up remover with olive oil. Yes, you read that right. I do it because it adds hydration, but the molecules in olive oil are too big to clog pores. It doesn't hurt that it's cheaper than most brands.
There's also an egg mask you can do that I like. To do that, you break an egg and separate the white from the yolk, put a layer of egg white on your face and let it dry completely. Wash it off and do the same with the yolk. My skin always feels softer and more balanced after I do this. Just note that you won't need to use the entire egg so you can separate enough to fill a tablespoon and prepare the rest. I make scrambled eggs.

Adding honey to your face masks can also help if you have breakouts.

Above all drink plenty of water. Can't stress that one enough and I'm guilty of not doing it, I'm paying for that with my chapped lips.

I hope you found something here useful. If you know any remedies, please feel free to share them here!

Take care!